Torque plate for a brake assembly

1. A vehicle brake assembly for an axle comprising:

a torque plate comprised of a sheet metal body including a center opening to receive an axle housing that extends along a lateral axis, and said sheet metal body including a plurality of mounting holes that are each defined by a center axis that is non-parallel to said lateral axis;

a brake component that is secured to said torque plate at an attachment interface comprising said plurality of mounting holes; and

wherein said sheet metal body includes a first sheet metal piece and a second sheet metal piece, said first and said second sheet metal pieces having corresponding overlapping portions that include aligned mounting holes to receive fasteners to secure the brake component to the torque plate, and wherein the first sheet metal piece defines a portion of said center opening and said second sheet metal piece defines a remaining portion of said center opening.

2. The vehicle brake assembly according to claim 1 wherein said center axes are perpendicular to said lateral axis.

3. The vehicle brake assembly according to claim 1 wherein said first and said second sheet metal pieces are welded together at a weld attachment interface.

4. A vehicle brake assembly for an axle comprising:

a torque plate comprised of a sheet metal body including a center opening to receive an axle housing that extends along a lateral axis, and said sheet metal body including a plurality of mounting holes that are each defined by a center axis that is non-parallel to said lateral axis;

a brake component that is secured to said torque plate at an attachment interface comprising said plurality of mounting holes; and

wherein said sheet metal body includes a first sheet metal piece and a second sheet metal piece wherein said first sheet metal piece defines a portion of said center opening and said second sheet metal piece defines a remaining portion of said center opening.

5. The vehicle brake assembly according to claim 1 wherein said brake component comprises a brake caliper that is directly secured to said sheet metal body via said plurality of mounting holes.

6. The vehicle brake assembly according to claim 1 wherein said center opening defines a weld attachment interface such that said sheet metal body is weldable to the axle housing.

7. An axle assembly comprising:

an axle housing extendable along a lateral axis between a pair of wheel mount ends;

a vehicle brake assembly located at each wheel mount end, wherein each vehicle brake assembly includes a rotor mounted for rotation with a wheel hub about said lateral axis, and wherein each vehicle brake assembly includes a torque plate and a brake caliper that is secured to said torque plate, said torque plate comprising a sheet metal body that includes a center opening that receives said axle housing and a plurality of mounting holes that are each defined by a center axis that is non-parallel to said lateral axis, and wherein said brake caliper is secured to said torque plate at an attachment interface comprising said plurality of mounting holes; and

wherein said caliper supports brake pads for engagement with said rotor, said caliper being directly mounted to said torque plate with a plurality of fasteners received within said plurality of mounting holes with said torque plate being located on only one lateral side of said rotor.

8. The axle assembly according to claim 7 wherein said center axes are perpendicular to said lateral axis.

9. The axle assembly according to claim 7 including a weld attachment interface between said sheet metal body and said axle housing at said center opening.

10. The axle assembly according to claim 7 wherein said sheet metal body includes a first sheet metal piece defining a portion of said center opening and a second sheet metal piece defining a remaining portion of said center opening, said first and said second sheet metal pieces having corresponding overlapping portions that include aligned mounting holes that receive fasteners to secure said brake caliper to said sheet metal body.

11. The axle assembly according to claim 7 wherein said sheet metal body comprises a single-piece component that includes said center opening and said plurality of mounting holes.

12. The vehicle brake assembly according to claim 1 wherein said lateral axis extends between laterally spaced wheel mount ends of the axle housing, and wherein said center opening is concentric with said lateral axis.

13. The vehicle brake assembly according to claim 1 including a rotor mounted for rotation with a wheel hub about said lateral axis, and wherein said brake component comprises a caliper that supports brake pads for engagement with said rotor, said caliper being directly mounted to said torque plate with a plurality of fasteners received within said plurality of mounting holes.

14. The axle assembly according to claim 7 wherein said center opening is concentric with said lateral axis.

15. A vehicle brake assembly for an axle comprising:

a torque plate comprised of a sheet metal body including a center opening to receive an axle housing that extends along a lateral axis, and said sheet metal body including a plurality of mounting holes that are each defined by a center axis that is non-parallel to said lateral axis;

a brake component that is secured to said torque plate at an attachment interface comprising said plurality of mounting holes;

a rotor that rotates about the lateral axis and wherein said brake component supports brake pads for engagement with said rotor, and wherein said torque plate is located on only one lateral side of said rotor; and

wherein said sheet metal body includes a first sheet metal piece and a second sheet metal piece, said first and said second sheet metal pieces having corresponding overlapping portions that include aligned mounting holes to receive fasteners to secure the brake component to the torque plate.