Patent ID: 8313410

Claim:
A planetary wheel end assembly comprising: an axle shaft defining an axis of rotation, said axle shaft having an inboard end and an outboard end; a planetary gear assembly including a sun gear driven by said axle shaft, a plurality of planet gears in meshing engagement with said sun gear, a non-rotating ring gear in meshing engagement with said plurality of planet gears, and a planetary spider supporting said planet gears, said planetary spider providing a driving output to rotate a wheel component, and wherein said outboard end of said axle shaft is rotatably supported within said planetary spider; wherein said sun gear includes a sun gear body having an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface extending between an inboard body end and an outboard body end, said outer peripheral surface including a plurality of sun gear teeth in meshing engagement with said plurality of planet gears, and said inner peripheral surface including a plurality of splines interfacing with mating splines on said axle shaft, and wherein said plurality of splines are axially inboard of said plurality of sun gear teeth; a housing enclosing said planetary gear assembly; an output shaft fixed to said planetary spider; and a wheel bearing assembly mounted between said output shaft and said housing.