A tubular axle beam with variable wall thickness for a vehicle is provided including a first beam portion extending longitudinally between first ends and including spaced apart first longitudinal edges. A second beam portion extends longitudinally between second ends and includes spaced apart second longitudinal edges. Weld beads secure the first longitudinal edges to the second longitudinal edges to define a cavity between the beam portions with the first and second ends arranged adjacent to one another. Preferably, the tubular axle beam is constructed by stamping a first blank to form a first half of the beam, and a second blank is stamped to form a second half of the beam. The first and second portions are welded to one another to define a cavity between the portions. In another embodiment of the invention, a tubular axle beam includes a hollow beam extending longitudinally between opposing ends. A reinforcing sleeve is arranged concentric to the hollow beam between the ends with the reinforcing sleeve secured to the hollow beam, preferably, by weld beads. The hollow beam and reinforcing sleeve initially may be cylindrical tubes that are secured to one another. Subsequently the hollow beam and reinforcing sleeve may be bent into a desired shape and then further formed using a hydroforming or other process to obtain cross-sectional areas of various shapes along the length of the beam.