摘要 |
A motor vehicle drive axle including a center housing, a pair of axle tubes, and a pair of axle bars in respective ones of the axle tubes. A gear assembly in the center housing includes a pinion shaft, a pinion gear on the pinion shaft, and a differential gear set. A pump driven by the pinion shaft has an inlet exposed to liquid lubricant in a pool in the center housing and a discharge connected to a pair of tubular spray bars in respective ones of the axle tubes. Each spray bar has a plurality of nozzles arrayed along its length aimed generally at the uppermost extremity of the inside surface of the corresponding axle tube. When the pinion shaft rotates, the pump pumps hot liquid lubricant into the spray bars at an elevated pressure and out of the spray bars through the nozzles as jets which impinge on the inside surfaces of the axle tubes near the uppermost extremities thereof. The hot liquid lubricant forms a film or coating over substantially 100% of the inside surfaces of the axle tubes as it drains back to the reservoir thereby to maximize the heat transfer performance of the axle tubes.
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