Patent ID: 8534770

Claim:
A precision-formed axle spindle and wheel end assembly combination for a heavy-duty vehicle, said combination comprising: a) a precision-formed axle spindle, said spindle formed with: i) a bearing surface for an inboard bearing and a bearing surface for an outboard bearing disposed longitudinally outboardly of said inboard bearing surface, said axle spindle inboard and outboard bearing surfaces being in parallel alignment with one another; ii) a shoulder for retaining the longitudinal position of said inboard bearing, said shoulder being perpendicular to said axle spindle inboard and outboard bearing surfaces; and iii) threads for receiving a spindle nut, said axle spindle threads being aligned with said axle spindle inboard and outboard bearing surfaces, wherein a maximum acceptable angle along a length of the threads about a projected axle spindle center is less than about 0.300 degrees; and, b) a wheel end assembly rotatably mounted on said axle spindle, said wheel end assembly including: i) said inboard bearing immovably mounted on said axle spindle at said axle spindle inboard bearing surface and said shoulder; ii) said outboard bearing immovably mounted on said axle spindle at said axle spindle outboard bearing surface; iii) a precision-formed wheel hub rotatably mounted on said inboard and outboard bearings, said wheel hub formed with: a bearing surface for said inboard bearing and a bearing surface for said outboard bearing, said wheel hub inboard and outboard bearing surfaces being in parallel alignment with one another; and an axial stop surface for retaining the longitudinal position of said inboard bearing and an axial stop surface for retaining the longitudinal position of said outboard bearing, each one of said axial stop surfaces being perpendicular to said wheel hub inboard and outboard bearing surfaces; and iv) a precision-formed spindle nut, said spindle nut formed with a flat inboard surface and threads on an inner periphery of said spindle nut, said flat inboard surface being perpendicular to a projected pitch diameter of said spindle nut threads, whereby said axle spindle, said wheel hub, and the spindle nut cooperate to enable an axle spindle nut assembly to provide a uniform, consistent light preload on a bearing cone and spacer group of said wheel end assembly when said axle spindle and wheel end assembly combination is in an assembled state.