Axle assembly having a lubricant reservoir

1. An axle assembly comprising:

an axle housing having a center portion that receives a differential and an arm portion that extends from the center portion and receives an axle shaft; and

a dam that is disposed in the axle housing and that cooperates with the arm portion to define a reservoir that retains lubricant in the arm portion, wherein the dam has a dam panel that extends from the arm portion and a brace panel that extends from the dam panel to the center portion, wherein lubricant flows from the reservoir to the center portion by flowing through an orifice in the dam panel and around the brace panel.

2. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the dam is completely disposed below the axle shaft.

3. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the differential has a ring gear and the brace panel does not extend under the ring gear.

4. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the axle housing has a bearing support that receives a roller bearing assembly that rotatably supports the differential, wherein the dam is spaced apart from the bearing support and the brace panel terminates directly below the bearing support.

5. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the dam panel has a first dam panel end that is disposed in the arm portion and a second dam panel end that is disposed opposite the first dam panel end, and the brace panel has a first brace panel end that extends from the second dam panel end and a second brace panel end that is disposed opposite the first brace panel end, wherein the second brace panel end is disposed on the center portion.

6. The axle assembly of claim 5 wherein the brace panel has a generally cross-shaped configuration that includes a pair of side arms, wherein the side arms engage the axle housing to inhibit lateral movement of the dam with respect to the axle housing.

7. The axle assembly of claim 6 wherein the side arms are disposed between and spaced apart from the first brace panel end and the second brace panel end.

8. The axle assembly of claim 6 wherein lubricant that exits the reservoir through the orifice flows under the pair of side arms.

9. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the differential includes a ring gear that is disposed in the center portion and the axle assembly further comprises a lubricant conduit that extends from the center portion to the arm portion and delivers the lubricant to the reservoir, wherein the lubricant conduit has a plurality of inlets that receive lubricant that is sprayed by the ring gear.

10. The axle assembly of claim 9 wherein the ring gear has a set of teeth arranged around an axis, wherein the plurality of inlets is disposed above the set of teeth.

11. An axle assembly comprising:

an axle housing having a center portion that receives a differential that has a ring gear that is rotatable about an axis, a first arm portion that extends from the center portion and that receives a first axle shaft, and a second arm portion that extends from the center portion and receives a second axle shaft;

a first dam that is disposed in the axle housing and that cooperates with the first arm portion to define a first reservoir that retains lubricant in the first arm portion;

a second dam that is disposed in the axle housing and that cooperates with the second arm portion to define a second reservoir that retains lubricant in the second arm portion; and

a deflector that is disposed in the center portion above the ring gear, wherein the deflector has a divider horn that is at least partially defined by a first external arcuate surface that directs lubricant that is sprayed by the ring gear toward the first reservoir and a second external arcuate surface that is disposed opposite the first external arcuate surface and that directs lubricant that is sprayed by the ring gear toward the second reservoir, wherein the first and second external arcuate surfaces have mirror symmetry with respect to a center plane that bisects the divider horn.

12. The axle assembly of claim 11 wherein the divider horn is disposed directly above teeth of the ring gear.

13. The axle assembly of claim 11 wherein the divider horn is disposed directly above the axis.

14. The axle assembly of claim 11 wherein the center plane is disposed substantially perpendicular to the axis.

15. The axle assembly of claim 11 wherein the deflector has a first horn and a second horn that is disposed opposite the first horn.

16. The axle assembly of claim 15 wherein the divider horn is disposed substantially perpendicular to the first horn and the second horn.

17. The axle assembly of claim 15 wherein the first external arcuate surface extends from an end of the divider horn to an end of the first horn and the second external arcuate surface extends from the end of the divider horn to an end of the second horn.

18. The axle assembly of claim 11 wherein the deflector has an upper surface that is disposed proximate the axle housing and a lower surface is disposed opposite the upper surface and that faces toward the ring gear, wherein at least a portion of the lower surface is disposed along an arc.

19. The axle assembly of claim 18 wherein the arc of the lower surface is radially disposed with respect to the axis.