The present disclosure relates to a battery module that includes a housing having a first opening configured to receive one or more battery cells and an electrical component, a housing cover configured to be disposed over the first opening to enclose the one or more battery cells and the electrical component in the housing, a signal connector disposed within the housing and electrically coupled to the electrical component, where the signal connector is configured to be actuated from a first position to a second position, and a vent port in alignment with the signal connector such that the signal connector is accessible to a push device passing through the vent port to facilitate directing the signal connector into the second position and toward a second opening of the housing cover when the housing cover is disposed over the first opening.

An axle and wheel end assembly includes a tubular axle housing with an annular end surface. The axle and wheel end assembly also includes a spindle with an annular end surface welded to the annular end surface of the tubular axle housing at an attachment periphery. The axle and wheel end assembly further includes reinforcing structure fixed to the tubular axle housing and spindle. The reinforcing structure is located to encompass at least a portion of the attachment periphery.

The present disclosure relates to a battery module that includes a housing having a first opening configured to receive one or more battery cells and an electrical component, a housing cover configured to be disposed over the first opening to enclose the one or more battery cells and the electrical component in the housing, a signal connector disposed within the housing and electrically coupled to the electrical component, where the signal connector is configured to be actuated from a first position to a second position, and a vent port in alignment with the signal connector such that the signal connector is accessible to a push device passing through the vent port to facilitate directing the signal connector into the second position and toward a second opening of the housing cover when the housing cover is disposed over the first opening.

A vehicle spindle and a method of attaching the spindle to a portion of an axle half shaft housing. The spindle has an inner surface, an outer surface, one or more bearing journals on the outer surface of the spindle and a radially protruding portion circumferentially extending from at least a portion of the outer surface of an axially inboard end portion of the spindle. Prior to attaching the spindle to the axle half shaft housing, the one or more bearing journals are ground, a clocking angle for the radially protruding portion of the spindle is determined and the spindle is aligned to the determined clocking angle. Once the spindle is aligned to the determined clocking angle, the axially inboard end portion of the spindle is attached to an axially outboard end portion of the axle half shaft housing using one or more welds.

A vehicle wheel may include a rim for receiving a tire and a wheel disk attached to the rim in a cohesive connection, in a force-fitting connection, and/or a form-fitting connection, with an attachment region for releasably attaching to a wheel mount. The wheel disk may be formed of a steel workpiece that is heat-treated at least in certain regions. To provide a utility vehicle wheel vehicle wheel having high operational strength and reliability relative to the prior art, the wheel disk may have at least in a transition region for attaching to the rim a heat-treated structure with at least one of a tensile strength of between 500 and 1300 MPa or a hardness of between 150 and 400 HV 0.1.

The present application relates to an ultra-lightweight steel wheel for a commercial vehicle. The wheel has excellent material characteristics and an advanced design, and consists of a rim for mounting a tire, and a disc having a hub flange for detachably connecting to a wheel hub or axle, wherein the rim and/or disc is made of a heat-treated and hardened steel material with a carbon content between 0.18 wt % and 0.37 wt %, and the disc and/or rim principally consists of a martensitic microstructure and has a tensile strength of at least 900 MPa. The maximum thickness of the rim is less than 4.50 mm and/or the maximum thickness of the disc is less than 12.00 mm, wherein the value of the product of the wheel diameter and the wheel width divided by the wheel mass is greater than 4000 mm.sup.2/kg.

A vehicle spindle and a method of attaching the spindle to a portion of an axle half shaft housing. The spindle has an inner surface, an outer surface, one or more bearing journals on the outer surface of the spindle and a radially protruding portion circumferentially extending from at least a portion of the outer surface of an axially inboard end portion of the spindle. Prior to attaching the spindle to the axle half shaft housing, the one or more bearing journals are ground, a clocking angle for the radially protruding portion of the spindle is determined and the spindle is aligned to the determined clocking angle. Once the spindle is aligned to the determined clocking angle, the axially inboard end portion of the spindle is attached to an axially outboard end portion of the axle half shaft housing using one or more welds.

An axle and wheel end assembly includes a tubular axle housing with an annular end surface. The axle and wheel end assembly also includes a spindle with an annular end surface welded to the annular end surface of the tubular axle housing at an attachment periphery. The axle and wheel end assembly further includes reinforcing structure fixed to the tubular axle housing and spindle. The reinforcing structure is located to encompass at least a portion of the attachment periphery.

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; 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.

A hermetically sealed wheel assembly which has been welding autogenously is provided, along with a method and system for welding the wheel assembly. The wheel assembly is made up of at least two components which are laser welded to each other without the use of filler material to create a hermetically sealed wheel assembly.