Patent ID: 7282006
Filing Date: 2007-10-16
Classification: F16C,F16H,Y10S

Abstract:
1. An axle assembly, comprising: an axle housing; a differential assembly having a case; first and second laterally spaced bearings rotatably supporting said case in said housing; a preload mechanism for applying a preload to at least one of said first and second bearings along a load path defined between said housing and said case; and a shim positioned in said load path between said first bearing and one of said housing and said case, said shim including a body, a first metal load distributing element and a second metal load distributing element, said first metal load distributing element is coupled to a first side of said body and said second metal load distributing element is coupled to a second side of said body with one of said first and second metal load distributing elements abutting said first bearing, said body is formed of a material having a predetermined coefficient of thermal expansion and is operable to at least partially compensate for different rates of thermal expansion in a plurality of components located within said load path to maintain said preload, wherein at least one of said first and second metal load distributing elements does not extend fully around said body.