US 2026/0192600 A1Published application

Refurbished steerable drive axle assembly derived from a military drive axle

AssigneeCustom Truck One Source, Inc.

InventorDean Smith

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Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for refurbishing surplus military drive axles for use on commercial vehicles. A surplus military used axle is disassembled, inspected, and upgraded to meet commercial operational and safety standards. Fixed drive ends are removed and replaced with steerable ends supported by bearings or bushings and actuated by a steering mechanism connected to a steering control system of the commercial vehicle. The refurbished axle is equipped with disc brakes, an anti-lock braking system (ABS), and a traction control system (TCS). A speed monitoring system automatically centers and locks a rear steer axle at or above a designated road speed to enhance high-speed stability. An all-wheel steering system coordinates front and rear steering, including crab steering and operator-controlled rear steering, to improve maneuverability. The refurbished axle may include corrosion-resistant finishes, adapted wheel hubs, and re-geared differentials for commercial applications.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A method of converting a surplus military drive axle for use on a commercial vehicle, comprising:

obtaining a surplus military drive axle originally configured for a military-grade vehicle, the surplus military drive axle including an axle housing, a differential, axle shafts, and fixed drive ends;
disassembling the surplus military drive axle and inspecting components for wear or damage;
repairing or replacing one or more components to satisfy commercial vehicle operational standards;
modifying at least one of (i) the axle housing or (ii) the differential to interface with a mounting system of the commercial vehicle;
removing the fixed drive ends from the axle housing;
forming or modifying mounting points on the axle housing to receive steering knuckles that define respective pivot axes;
installing the steering knuckles on the axle housing such that each steering knuckle is supported for rotation about a corresponding pivot axis by at least one bearing or bushing;
providing a steerable driven wheel end at each steering knuckle that is coupled to a corresponding axle shaft to receive drive torque from the differential;
adapting or replacing a wheel hub assembly at each steerable driven wheel end such that each wheel hub assembly presents a commercially compatible wheel mounting interface having a selected bolt circle diameter and a selected offset for mounting a standard commercial vehicle wheel;
mechanically coupling a steering mechanism to the steerable driven wheel ends to rotate the steerable driven wheel ends about the pivot axes;
installing at least one steering actuator arranged to impart steering motion to the steering mechanism;
reassembling the drive axle as a refurbished steerable drive axle assembly;
and
applying a corrosion-resistant finish to at least a portion of the axle housing.

11 more elements

A refurbished axle assembly adapted from a surplus military drive axle for use on a commercial vehicle, comprising:

an axle housing originally configured for a military-grade vehicle, the axle housing having been reworked to interface with a mounting system of the commercial vehicle;
a differential housed within the axle housing and configured to deliver drive torque to opposed axle shafts;
a pair of steerable driven wheel end assemblies supported by the axle housing and coupled to corresponding ones of the axle shafts, each steerable driven wheel end assembly comprising:
(a) a steering knuckle mounted to the axle housing for rotation about a pivot axis;
(b) at least one bearing or bushing supporting the steering knuckle for rotation about the pivot axis;
(c) a wheel hub coupled to the steering knuckle and defining a wheel mounting interface configured to mount a standard commercial vehicle wheel, the wheel mounting interface having a selected bolt circle diameter and a selected offset;
and
(d) a steering linkage connection feature configured to couple the steering knuckle to a steering mechanism;
a steering mechanism coupled to the steerable driven wheel end assemblies and operable to rotate the steerable driven wheel end assemblies about the pivot axes;
at least one steering actuator operably coupled to the steering mechanism to generate steering motion of the steerable driven wheel end assemblies;
and
a corrosion-resistant finish applied to at least a portion of the axle housing.

9 more elements

A commercial vehicle, comprising:

a chassis;
a refurbished steerable drive axle assembly mounted to the chassis, the refurbished steerable drive axle assembly comprising:
an axle housing originally configured for a military-grade vehicle, the axle housing including at least one modified interface feature adapted to couple the axle housing to a mounting system of the commercial vehicle;
a differential supported by the axle housing;
opposed axle shafts coupled to the differential to deliver drive torque to wheel ends of the axle assembly;
a pair of steerable driven wheel end assemblies supported by the axle housing, each steerable driven wheel end assembly comprising:
a steering knuckle mounted to the axle housing for rotation about a pivot axis;
at least one bearing or bushing supporting the steering knuckle for rotation about the pivot axis;
a wheel hub coupled to the steering knuckle and defining a wheel mounting interface configured to mount a standard commercial vehicle wheel, the wheel mounting interface having a selected bolt circle diameter and a selected offset;
and
a steering linkage connection feature configured to couple the steering knuckle to a steering mechanism;
a steering mechanism coupled to the steerable driven wheel end assemblies and operable to rotate the steerable driven wheel end assemblies about the pivot axes;
and
a corrosion-resistant finish applied to at least a portion of the axle housing;
and
at least one steering actuator operably coupled to the steering mechanism to generate steering motion of the steerable driven wheel end assemblies, wherein the steering actuator is controlled by an electronic control unit configured to coordinate steering of front and rear axles.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.