Angled vehicle axle assembly

Abstract

A vehicle axle assembly includes a pair of output shafts having a first rotational axis, an input shaft having a second rotational axis oriented at an angle which is not perpendicular to the first rotational axis of the pair of output shafts, and an intermediate shaft having a third rotational axis oriented at an angle which is perpendicular to the first rotational axis of the pair of output shafts. The input shaft includes a first gear of a first gear set disposed between a pair of tapered roller bearings. A pinion nut attached thereto exerts a clamp force, which is prevented from affecting a preloading force on the tapered roller bearings by a shoulder formed on the input shaft. The intermediate shaft includes a second gear of the first gear set, wherein the first gear set forms an angled connection between the input shaft and the intermediate shaft for achieving a first reduction. The intermediate shaft further includes a first gear of a second gear set which interacts with a second gear of the second gear set to achieve a second reduction.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.