Patent ID: 7699405

Claim:
A wheel end assembly for a vehicle comprising: an axle tube; a housing secured to the end of the axle tube; a hub having a drive flange located axially outward from the housing and a spindle projecting from the drive flange into the housing, the hub spindle having a substantially solid body, and the hub having drive splines about an external surface; rolling elements located between the hub spindle and the housing for enabling the hub to rotate about an axis, wherein the hub includes an inner race defining an inner raceway located around and carried by the hub spindle for engagement with the rolling elements; and an axle shaft having splines positioned within the axle tube, the splines of the axle shaft being coupled to the external drive splines of the hub, wherein the axle shaft includes a substantially hollow end positioned within the housing having the shaft splines positioned within an inner surface of the hollow end of the axle shaft, wherein the hollow end is configured for receiving a portion of the hub for coupling the shaft splines with the drive splines of the hub for transferring torque from the axle shaft to the hub.