Patent ID: 8161649

Claim:
A gear housing to enclose a gear assembly for attachment to an axle assembly of a land mobile vehicle comprising: said gear housing having an upper housing portion and a lower housing portion; said lower housing portion having a wall reference position below a lowest surface structure of a gear assembly wherein a wall of smooth, generally non-planar surfaces is positioned below an axle assembly centerline with an interior surface at said wall reference position adjacent said lowest surface structure with sufficient separation between said gear housing and said gear assembly within said gear housing including said gear assembly and gear housing variations related to tolerances and material temperature variations; a ring gear wall segment that is of generally linear form and approximately parallel and adjacent to a ring gear outer diameter surface and said ring gear wall segment joined to a convex curved wall segment adjacent to said lowest surface structure; said wall having at least one concave curved segment to position said wall adjacent to a contour of outer surface structures of said gear assembly, with sufficient separation; and said upper housing portion attached to said lower housing portion to enclose said gear assembly.