Method of fabricating a housing assembly

A method of fabricating an axle housing assembly comprising the steps of:

• a) plastically deforming a first sheet of material to form an upper housing, the upper housing including a first upper end and a second upper end;
• b) plastically deforming a second sheet of material to form a lower housing, the lower housing including a first lower end and a second lower end;
• c) joining the upper housing to the lower housing along a first seam and a second seam that are disposed in a common horizontal plane when said axle housing is mounted on a vehicle such that the first upper end is joined to the first lower end to form a first end and the second upper end is joined to the second lower end to form a second end, and including welding the first seam and the second seam uninterrupted from the first end to the second end;
• and
• d) attaching a first wheel mount to directly support a first rotatable wheel to the first end and a second wheel mount to directly support a second rotatable wheel to the second end such that the upper housing and the lower housing extend from the first wheel mount to the second wheel mount.

A method of fabricating an axle housing assembly, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) plastically deforming a first sheet of material to form an upper housing, said upper housing including first and second upper leg portions extending from a mount section to a first upper end portion and a second upper end portion respectively, wherein said mount section includes an opening to receive a gear assembly;
• b) plastically deforming a second sheet of material to form a lower housing, said lower housing including first and second lower leg portions extending from a bowl portion to a first lower end portion and a second lower end portion respectively, said bowl portion extending outwardly from said first and second lower leg portions, and wherein said bowl portion is formed as one-piece with said first and second lower leg portions and extends between said first and second lower leg portions to enclose one side of said opening in said upper housing;
• c) joining said upper housing to said lower housing along a first weld seam and a second weld seam that are disposed within a common horizontal plane when said axle housing is mounted on a vehicle;
• and
• d) attaching a first wheel mount to a first end portion comprising the first upper end portion and the first lower end portion, and attaching a second wheel mount member to a second end portion comprising the second upper end portion and the second lower end portion such that said upper housing and said lower housing each extend from said first wheel mount to said second wheel mount, and said upper housing is mounted vertically above said lower housing when said axle housing is mounted on a vehicle.

A method of fabricating an axle housing assembly, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) plastically deforming a first sheet of material to form an upper housing, said upper housing including first and second upper leg portions extending from a mount section to a first upper end portion and a second upper end portion respectively;
• b) plastically deforming a second sheet of material to form a lower housing, said lower housing including first and second lower leg portions extending from a bowl portion to a first lower end portion and a second lower end portion respectively, said bowl portion extending outwardly from said first and second lower leg portions;
• c) joining said upper housing to said lower housing along a first weld seam and a second weld seam that are disposed within a common horizontal plane when said axle housing is mounted on a vehicle, and including welding the first seam and the second seam uninterrupted from the first end portion to the second end portion;
• and
• d) attaching a first wheel mount to a first end portion comprising the first upper end portion and the first lower end portion, and attaching a second wheel mount member to a second end portion comprising the second upper end portion and the second lower end portion such that said upper housing and said lower housing each extend from said first wheel mount to said second wheel mount, and said upper housing is mounted vertically above said lower housing when said axle housing is mounted on a vehicle.