A wheel end assembly for a vehicle includes an axle tube and a housing secured to the end of the axle tube. A hub includes a drive flange located axially outward from the housing and a spindle projecting from the drive flange into the housing. The hub spindle has a substantially solid body with drive splines about an external surface of the spindle. Rolling elements are located between the hub spindle and the housing for enabling the hub to rotate about an axis. The hub includes an inner race defining an inner raceway located around and carried by the hub spindle for engagement with the rolling elements. An axle shaft is positioned within the axle tube and includes splines that are coupled to the external drive splines of the hub. The axle shaft includes a substantially hollow end positioned within the housing having the shaft splines positioned within an inner surface of the hollow end of the axle shaft. The hollow end is configured for receiving a portion of the hub for coupling the shaft splines with the drive splines of the hub for transferring torque from the axle shaft to the hub.