An axle assembly and method of manufacture. The axle assembly may include a sleeve that is disposed in a spindle and that is in sealing engagement with the spindle proximate opposing ends. The sleeve has a smaller diameter than the spindle such that a fluid passage is provided between the spindle and the sleeve.

A process for manufacturing a light-alloy hybrid wheel, implements the following separate operation phases: making a flange with an internal profile capable of constituting a tire bead seat; making a rim with, on one side, an outer profile capable of constituting a tire bead seat and, on the other side, a circular flank for assembly with a part of the flange; and assembling the flange with the rim, at the seat of said flange and the circular flank of the rim. The rim is made according to the following consecutive operations: an operation of manufacturing a circular flank; then an operation of expanding said circular flank to the size of the final rim in a single step; then an operation of cold or hot flospinning of said circular flank so as to obtain the rim in the final shape and profile thereof, comprising a shoulder only on the side that will not be welded to the flange.

Disclosed herein are systems and techniques for producing complex components using a reinforced thermoplastic material. The complex components can include contoured or curved outer surfaces, and in some cases define a cavity. In certain examples, one or more thermoplastic materials are arranged to form a wheel component, such as that adapted to define a rim of the bicycle. Thermal bonding can be used to join multiple reinforced thermoplastic materials to one another in order to form a cavity of the wheel component or other complex shape. In certain examples, a portion of a tooling assembly can be pressurized to maintain a shape of the cavity during thermal bonding and cooling. This can remove the need for a sacrificial bladder or other structure that would maintain the shape of the cavity, allowing for a seamless final component, optionally absent indicia of bladder exit or other seams.

Disclosed herein are systems and techniques for producing complex components using a reinforced thermoplastic material. The complex components can include contoured or curved outer surfaces, and in some cases define a cavity. In certain examples, one or more thermoplastic materials are arranged to form a wheel component, such as that adapted to define a rim of the bicycle. Thermal bonding can be used to join multiple reinforced thermoplastic materials to one another in order to form a cavity of the wheel component or other complex shape. In certain examples, a portion of a tooling assembly can be pressurized to maintain a shape of the cavity during thermal bonding and cooling. This can remove the need for a sacrificial bladder or other structure that would maintain the shape of the cavity, allowing for a seamless final component, optionally absent indicia of bladder exit or other seams.

An axle housing assembly includes an axle housing that includes a center portion and a first arm portion that extends from the center portion. The axle housing assembly further includes a wheel end housing that includes a wheel end body that extends from the first arm portion and a spindle that extends from the wheel end body.

A vehicle wheel including a wavelength tube member may include spokes, a cylindrical rim configured to connect both circumferential portions of the spokes, and a wavelength tube member accommodated on the rim between the first and second circumferential portions of the spokes and configured to cancel sound wave generated in a cavity formed between the rim and a tire, wherein the wavelength tube member may include a rim seating portion being in surface-contact with and accommodated on an external surface of the rim; and a plurality of wavelength tube portions formed on the rim seating portion.

A drive shaft is configured by joining solid stub shafts formed of a medium carbon steel to both ends of a hollow tubular body formed of a medium carbon steel. When expressed as grain size number, the grain size of the hollow tubular body at joint parts where the hollow tubular body and the solid stub shafts are joined together ranges from #5 to #9, and the grain size of the solid stub shafts at the joint parts ranges from #10 to #12.

Self-steering axle assembly has an axle with central tube having a longitudinal central axis. A king pin is connected with an end portion of the axle. A knuckle is connected with the king pin. The knuckle includes a torque plate section. A first arm of the knuckle extends from a side of the torque plate section and receives a first end portion of the king pin. A second arm extends from the torque plate section in the same direction as the first arm. The second arm receives a second end portion of the king pin. A spindle is friction welded to the torque plate section and has a longitudinal central axis. The torque plate section has at least one surface on the torque plate section extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis of the spindle. A tool engages the surface during friction welding of the spindle to the torque plate section. The relative locations of the axle, spindle and king pin enable an air disc brake actuator to avoid contact with components of the heavy-duty vehicle during steering and with the ground and debris.

A vehicle wheel includes: a pair of rail members configured as separate members from the rim and fixed to an outer circumferential surface of a well portion of a rim of a wheel; and a sub air chamber member serving as a Helmholtz resonator and disposed between and supported by the rail members. A method of manufacturing the vehicle wheel is also provided. The method includes the steps of: fixing the pair of rail members to the outer circumferential surface of the well portion; and attaching the sub air chamber member to the well portion through the pair of rail members such that the sub air chamber member is supported between the pair of rail members, wherein the rail member fixing step includes fixing the pair of rail members using a jig with the rail members spaced apart by the predetermined distance.

An axle assembly includes a central tube and an axle spindle. The axle spindle is fixed to the central tube. The axle spindle has a tubular first section and a tubular second section extending from the first section. The second section has an outer diameter. The second section has a bearing support surface. A tubular transition section is located between the first section and the second section. An annular shoulder portion is formed in an axial end segment of the tubular transition section adjacent the second section. The shoulder portion has at least one annular profile located in the shoulder portion between the annular shoulder surface and the bearing support surface. The annular profile is defined by a surface with a diameter not less than the outer diameter of the second section. An antilock braking system sensor bracket locator nub is integrally formed in the tubular transition section. An antilock braking system sensor bracket engages the antilock braking system sensor bracket locator nub for proper positioning of an antilock braking system sensor.