Differential lubrication feed system in a drive axle assembly

An axle assembly comprising:

• a carrier housing assembly that defines a cavity;
• a differential housing received in the cavity;
• first and second bearings disposed between the carrier housing and the differential housing, the first and second bearings being tapered roller bearing and supporting the differential housing for rotation about a first axis;
• a gearset received in the differential housing;
• a ring gear coupled to the differential housing;
• a pinion received in the cavity, the pinion having a plurality of teeth that are meshingly engaged to the ring gear;
• a third bearing disposed between the carrier housing and the pinion, the third bearing supporting the pinion for rotation about a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis;
• a fourth bearing disposed between the carrier housing and the pinion, the fourth bearing supporting the pinion for rotation about the second axis, the fourth bearing being disposed closer to the teeth of the pinion than the third bearing;
• and
• a lubricant received in the cavity;
• wherein the carrier housing includes a first lubricant gallery, which extends from one of the third bearing and the fourth bearing to a first side of the first bearing, and a second lubricant gallery that extends from one of the third bearing and the fourth bearing to a first side of the second bearing, the first and second bearings being oriented to receive lubricant from the first and second lubricant galleries, respectively;
• wherein the lubricant received by the first bearing is moved through the first bearing toward the second bearing when the axle assembly is operated;
• and
• wherein the lubricant received by the second bearing is moved through the second bearing toward the first bearing when the axle assembly is operated.