Drive assembly for low floor vehicle

A vehicle drive unit comprising:

• a first wheel hub defining a first axis of rotation that is substantially transverse to a vehicle longitudinal axis;
• a second wheel hub defining a second axis of rotation that is substantially transverse to said vehicle longitudinal axis;
• a first wheel end assembly independently supporting said first wheel hub such that said first axis of rotation is vertically movable relative to said second axis of rotation;
• a second wheel end assembly independently supporting said second wheel hub such that said second axis of rotation is vertically movable relative to said first axis of rotation;
• an input having a differential operatively coupled to drive one of said first and second wheel end assemblies for providing operational driving torque for both said first and second wheel hubs;
• and
• an axle shaft assembly interconnecting said first and second wheel end assemblies for transferring operational driving torque from said input at one of said first and second wheel end assemblies to the other of said first and second wheel end assemblies wherein said axle shaft assembly includes at least one exposed shaft member mounted externally from said first and second wheel hubs and wheel end assemblies.

A vehicle drive unit assembly comprising:

• a first wheel end independently suspended and positioned on one lateral side of a vehicle for rotation about a first axis;
• a second wheel end independently suspended and positioned directly across from said first wheel end at an opposite lateral side of the vehicle for rotation about a second axis parallel to said first axis;
• an input having a differential operatively coupled to one of said wheel ends;
• an axle shaft assembly interconnecting said input to the other of said wheel ends, said axle shaft assembly including at least one axle shaft member mounted to a vehicle floor structure with a bearing mount such that said floor structure and said shaft member move together in a direction transverse to said first and second axes during suspension travel.