DRIVE AXLE FOR A VEHICLE

A drive axle with a bevel gear differential having a differential cage as an input and two drive shafts as differential outputs. The differential cage is driven by a planet carrier of a planetary gear set, the planet carrier providing a plurality of planet shafts, each forming a stiff unit with two planet wheels stepped in diameter. The planet carrier is driven by a sun wheel and counter-acts with a static ring wheel. While the planet carrier drives the differential cage and orbits around the differential in its entirety, the differential is compactly disposed between the planet shafts.