Method for joining axle components

A method of joining two vehicle axle housing components made from similar and/or dissimilar materials, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a first axle housing component;
• b. providing a second axle housing component, wherein at least one of the first and second axle housing components is made from a metallic material;
• c. positioning a portion of the first axle housing component within a portion of the second axle housing component in an overlapping manner, thereby forming an overlapping portion;
• d. providing an inductor around the overlapping;
• e. energizing the inductor to generate a magnetic field and to magnetic pulse crimp the metallic material, thereby securing the first and second axle housing components together,
• wherein the first component is an arm portion for receiving an axle driven by a differential assembly and the second component is a carrier portion for housing the differential assembly.

A method of joining two vehicle axle housing components made from similar and/or dissimilar materials, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a first axle housing component;
• b. providing a second axle housing component, wherein at least one of the first and second axle housing components is made from a metallic material;
• c. positioning a portion of the first axle housing component within a portion of the second axle housing component in an overlapping manner, thereby forming an overlapping portion;
• d. providing an inductor around the overlapping;
• e. energizing the inductor to generate a magnetic field and to magnetic pulse crimp the metallic material, thereby securing the first and second axle housing components together,
• wherein the first component is an arm portion for receiving an axle driven by said differential assembly and said second component is a wheel spindle adapted to rotatably support wheels of the vehicle on the axle housing while allowing the axle to extend therethrough to rotatably drive the wheels.

A method of joining two vehicle axle housing components made from similar and/or dissimilar materials, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a first axle housing component;
• b. providing a second axle housing component, wherein at least one of the first and second axle housing components is made from a metallic material;
• c. positioning a portion of the first axle housing component within a portion of the second axle housing component in an overlapping manner, thereby forming an overlapping portion;
• d. providing an inductor around the overlapping;
• e. energizing the inductor to generate a magnetic field and to magnetic pulse crimp the metallic material, thereby securing the first and second axle housing components together,
• wherein the first component is a carrier portion for housing a differential assembly and the second component is an arm portion for receiving an axle driven by said differential assembly, where a portion of the arm portion is positioned within a portion of the carrier portion to form the overlapping portion.

A method of joining two vehicle axle housing components made from similar and/or dissimilar materials, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a first axle housing component made from a metallic material;
• b. providing a second axle housing component made from a composite material,
• c. positioning a portion of the first axle housing component within a portion of the second axle housing component in an overlapping manner, thereby forming an overlapping portion;
• d. disposing a metallic band around the overlapping portion;
• e. providing an inductor around the metallic band;
• and
• f. energizing the inductor to generate a magnetic field for collapsing the metallic band about the overlapping portion and magnetic pulse welding the metallic band to the metallic component, thereby securing the first and second axle housing components together,
• wherein the first component is a carrier for housing a differential assembly and the second component is an arm portion for receiving an axle driven by said differential assembly.

A method of joining two vehicle axle housing components, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a first axle component housing a rotatable axle member;
• b. providing a second axle component having at least one support portion, wherein at least one of the first and second axle components is made from a metallic material;
• c. providing at least one metallic band;
• d. positioning the at least one support portion of the second axle component on the first axle component in an overlapping manner, thereby forming at least one overlapping portion;
• e. positioning the at least one metallic band around the at least one overlapping portion;
• f. providing an inductor around the at least one overlapping portion;
• g. energizing the inductor to generate a magnetic field and to magnetic pulse crimp the at least one metallic band around the first and second components, thereby securing the first and second components together.

A method of joining two vehicle axle housing components, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a first axle component disposed about a rotatable axle member;
• b. providing a second axle component disposed about said rotatable axle member, wherein at least one of the first and second axle components is made from a metallic material;
• c. positioning a portion of one of the first and second axle components made from the metallic material around a portion of another one of the first and second axle components in an overlapping manner, thereby forming an overlapping portion;
• d. providing an inductor around the overlapping;
• e. energizing the inductor to generate a magnetic field and to magnetic pulse crimp the metallic material, thereby securing the first and second axle components together.