Patent ID: 8499664

Claim:
A drive assembly for a mobile machine, comprising: an axle shaft having an outer end and a longitudinal central axis; a final drive having a plurality of gears operatively connected to the axle shaft and contained within a final drive housing, a cover plate assembly connected to the final drive housing, the cover plate assembly including: a bearing housing having a first end, wherein the first end is closed, a second end, and a bearing cavity that is axially aligned with respect to the longitudinal central axis, the bearing cavity defined by an interior housing surface extending between an opening at the second end of the bearing housing and an interior end wall; a thrust bearing axially disposed within the bearing cavity, the thrust bearing including a cup with a cup raceway, a cone having a cone raceway positioned opposing the cup raceway, and a plurality of rollers positioned between the cup and cone raceways; a thrust plate having an axle engaging surface disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis, the thrust plate being coupled for rotation to the cone, wherein the outer end of the axle shaft rotationally engages the axle engaging surface.