It is well known to attach an axle of a vehicle, particularly the drive axle, which is normally contained in an axle housing, to the vehicle suspension system, particularly a beam in the vehicle suspension. In such vehicles, a square axle housing is typically welded to a bracket which is in turn secured to the vehicle suspension structure. The weldment securing the axle housing to the bracket is usually made at the mid-point of the side where vertical bending moment stresses are neutral. However, these areas experience high-torsional loading which results from brake torque, vehicle roll, and diagonal axle (wheel) walk. The welding at the mid-point of the axle housing typically introduces a point of weakness where axle housing failure may initiate. The weakness in the typical axle housing welded to a bracket is caused in part by the undesirable heat-treating effects of the welding process upon the axle housing material in the localized area adjacent the weldment. In addition, craters or strike marks may form points at which cracks may initiate or at which stresses may become concentrated. The typical axle housing is welded to the bracket by a seam weld across the top surface of the bracket. Because it is a line weld, the weldment has ends at which stresses are concentrated where cracks may initiate. Also, the typical axle housing is difficult to install because the axle housing must be held in place against the axle bracket while extensive welding takes place. This structure both increases assembly time and increases the heat of welding which results in undesirable localized heat treatment of the base metal. While it is known in the prior art to use the walls of the bracket to compress the side walls of the axle housing to form a press fit prior to placement of the seam weld, the typical bracket is affixed to the axle housing only along the seam weld on the top surface of the bracket. This may result in additional stress to the seam weld, with concomitant premature failure of the seam weld.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds