Patent ID: 7461454

Claim:
A method of fabricating an axle housing assembly, said method comprising the steps of: a) plastically deforming a first sheet of material to form an upper housing, said upper housing including first and second upper leg portions extending from a mount section to a first upper end portion and a second upper end portion respectively; b) plastically deforming a second sheet of material to form a lower housing, said lower housing including first and second lower leg portions extending from a bowl portion to a first lower end portion and a second lower end portion respectively, said bowl portion extending outwardly from said first and second lower leg portions; c) joining said upper housing to said lower housing along a first weld seam and a second weld seam that are disposed within a common horizontal plane when said axle housing is mounted on a vehicle; and d) attaching a first wheel mount that directly supports a rotatable wheel to a first end portion comprising the first upper end portion and the first lower end portion, and attaching a second wheel mount that directly supports a rotatable wheel to a second end portion comprising the second upper end portion and the second lower end portion such that said upper housing and said lower housing each extend from said first wheel mount to said second wheel mount, and said upper housing is mounted vertically above said lower housing when said axle housing is mounted on a vehicle, and where said step (c) comprises welding uninterrupted along the first weld seam and the second weld seam from said first wheel mount to said second wheel mount.