Differential Assembly: Description and Operation

Rear Drive Axle and Differential 8.8-Inch Rear Axle (Drum Brakes)














8.8 inch Rear Axle (Disc Brakes)

- The differential housing consists of a cast center section with two steel tube assemblies and a stamped differential housing cover. The differential housing cover uses silicone sealant as a gasket.
- The hypoid-design gear set consists of a 8.8 inch differential ring gear and a drive pinion gear. Two opposed pinion bearings support the drive pinion in the differential housing.
- A drive pinion collapsible spacer, located on the drive pinion shaft, maintains pinion bearing preload. The pinion nut adjusts the preload.
- Differential bearing shims, located between the differential bearing cups and the differential housing, adjust the differential ring gear backlash and the differential bearing preload.
- The differential case is a one-piece design with two openings to allow for assembly of the internal components and lubricant flow. Two opposed differential bearings support the differential case in the differential housing. Removable bearing caps retain the differential assembly in the differential housing.
- Inside the differential case, the differential pinion shaft supports two differential pinion gears. The pinion gears engage the differential side gears, to which the axle shafts are splined. The differential pinion shaft lock bolt retains the differential pinion shaft in the differential case.
- The conventional rear axle uses SAE 80W-9O Premium Rear Axle Lubricant XY-80W90-QL or equivalent meeting Ford specification WSP-M2C 197-A.
- The Traction-Lok rear axle uses SAE 75W-140 Synthetic Rear Axle Lubricant FITZ-19580-B or equivalent meeting Ford specification WSL-M2C 192-A.
- An embossed metal tag, bolted to the differential housing cover, contains rear axle identification.