Axle assembly with inboard axle shaft bearings that support a differential mechanism

An axle assembly comprising:

• a housing;
• a ring gear received in the housing;
• a ring gear bearing contacting the housing and the ring gear, the ring gear bearing supporting the ring gear for rotation about an axis relative to the housing;
• a pair of axle shafts received in the housing and rotatable about the axis, each of the axle shafts having an end with a bearing mount and a male splined segment;
• a differential mechanism having a pair of output members, each of the output members having a splined internal aperture into which the male splined segment of one of the axle shafts is slidably received;
• and
• a pair of inboard axle shaft bearings, each inboard axle shaft bearing being disposed on the bearing mount of a corresponding one of the axle shafts and supporting the corresponding one of the axle shafts for rotation on the housing;
• wherein the differential mechanism is supported for rotation about the axis by the ring gear bearing and the inboard axle shaft bearings.