Patent ID: 8409044

Claim:
An axle assembly comprising: a carrier housing assembly that defines a cavity; a differential housing received in the cavity; first and second bearings disposed between the carrier housing and the differential housing, the first and second bearings being tapered roller bearings and supporting the differential housing for rotation about a first axis; a gearset received in the differential housing; a ring gear coupled to the differential housing; a pinion received in the cavity, the pinion having a plurality of teeth that are meshingly engaged to the ring gear; a third bearing disposed between the carrier housing and the pinion, the third bearing supporting the pinion for rotation about a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis; and a lubricant received in the cavity; wherein the carrier housing includes a first lubricant gallery, which extends from the third bearing to a first side of the first bearing, and a second lubricant gallery that extends from the third bearing to a first side of the second bearing, the first and second bearings being oriented to receive lubricant from the first and second lubricant galleries, respectively; wherein the lubricant received by the first bearing is moved through the first bearing toward the second bearing when the axle assembly is operated; and wherein the lubricant received by the second bearing is moved through the second bearing toward the first bearing when the axle assembly is operated.