An axle assembly (22, 22a, 22b, 22c, 22h, 22i) comprising: a housing (30, 30a, 30b, 30c, 30h); an input pinion (32, 32b) having a pinion gear and a pinion shaft (92, 92b), the input pinion (32, 32b) being received in the housing (30, 30a, 30b, 30c, 30h) and being rotatable about a first axis; a ring gear (34, 34b, 34c, 34i, 34i-1, 34j, 34k) meshed with the pinion gear and rotatable about a second axis that is transverse to the first axis; a differential assembly (36, 36a, 36c, 36h, 36i, 36i-1) having a differential case (240, 240a, 240b, 240c, 240d, 240h, 240i, 240i-1) and a pair of output members (242, 242a, 242h), the differential case (240, 240a, 240b, 240c, 240d, 240h, 240i, 240i-1) being driven by the ring gear (34, 34b, 34c, 34i, 34i-1, 34j, 34k); a head bearing supporting the input pinion (32, 32b) for rotation relative to the housing (30, 30a, 30b, 30c, 30h) about the first axis, the head bearing being disposed on a first axial end of the input pinion (32, 32b); and a tail bearing supporting the input pinion (32, 32b) for rotation relative to the housing (30, 30a, 30b, 30c, 30h) about the first axis, the tail bearing having a plurality of bearing elements, an inner race and an outer race, the pinion gear being disposed axially between the tail bearing and the head bearing; wherein a bearing groove is formed into the pinion shaft (92, 92b) and wherein the bearing elements are received into the bearing groove such that the inner bearing race is unitarily and integrally formed with the pinion shaft (92, 92b), wherein the bearing elements comprise bearing balls and wherein the tail bearing is an angular contact bearing, characterized in that the tail bearing is a four-point contact ball bearing. a housing (30, 30a, 30b, 30c, 30h); an input pinion (32, 32b) having a pinion gear and a pinion shaft (92, 92b), the input pinion (32, 32b) being received in the housing (30, 30a, 30b, 30c, 30h) and being rotatable about a first axis; a ring gear (34, 34b, 34c, 34i, 34i-1, 34j, 34k) meshed with the pinion gear and rotatable about a second axis that is transverse to the first axis; a differential assembly (36, 36a, 36c, 36h, 36i, 36i-1) having a differential case (240, 240a, 240b, 240c, 240d, 240h, 240i, 240i-1) and a pair of output members (242, 242a, 242h), the differential case (240, 240a, 240b, 240c, 240d, 240h, 240i, 240i-1) being driven by the ring gear (34, 34b, 34c, 34i, 34i-1, 34j, 34k); a head bearing supporting the input pinion (32, 32b) for rotation relative to the housing (30, 30a, 30b, 30c, 30h) about the first axis, the head bearing being disposed on a first axial end of the input pinion (32, 32b); and a tail bearing supporting the input pinion (32, 32b) for rotation relative to the housing (30, 30a, 30b, 30c, 30h) about the first axis, the tail bearing having a plurality of bearing elements, an inner race and an outer race, the pinion gear being disposed axially between the tail bearing and the head bearing; wherein a bearing groove is formed into the pinion shaft (92, 92b) and wherein the bearing elements are received into the bearing groove such that the inner bearing race is unitarily and integrally formed with the pinion shaft (92, 92b), wherein the bearing elements comprise bearing balls and wherein the tail bearing is an angular contact bearing, characterized in that the tail bearing is a four-point contact ball bearing.