DRIVE AXLE ASSEMBLY WITH LUBRICANT COOLING SYSTEM.

摘要

A drive axle assembly has a gear housing, two axle tubes extending outwardly of the gear housing a lubricant reservoir in the gear housing and a gear assembly rotatably mounted in the gear housing that has a rotatable ring gear that is partially disposed in lubricant in the lubricant reservoir. The drive axle assembly also has a lubricant cooling system that includes a cooler cover that is attached to the gear housing to provide a lubricant passage in fluid communication with the lubricant reservoir via an inlet that is juxtaposed the rotatable ring gear. The lubricant passage has elevated outlets that are connected to the respective axle tubes. The axle tubes are connected to the reservoir via restricted outlets that are below the outlets of the lubricant passage. The outlets of the lubricant passage and the axle tubes are sized so that there is a flood of lubricant in the axle tubes when the rotatable ring gear is driven at or above a predetermined speed. The flood of lubricant extends for the length of the axle tubes and cools the lubricant in the axle tubes. The rotating shafts are immersed in the flood of lubricant and churn the lubricant in the axle tubes to enhance heat transfer.