Differential Assembly: Description and Operation

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The 7 5/8 inch ring gear rear axle uses a conventional ring and pinion gear set to transmit the driving force of the engine to the rear wheels. The gear set transfers the driving force at a 90° angle from the propeller shaft to the axle shafts.
This axle is semi-floating. The axle shafts are supported at the wheel end of the shaft by a roller bearing pressed into the housing. The shafts are retained into the housing by "C" lock clips in the differential. The pinion gear is supported by tapered roller bearings. The pinion depth is set by a shim pack located between the gear end of the pinion and the roller bearing pressed on the pinion. The pinion bearing preload is set by crushing a collapsible spacer between the bearings in the axle housing.
The ring gear is secured to the differential case with 10 left-hand thread bolts.
The differential case is supported by two tapered roller bearings. The differential and ring gear are located in relationship to the pinion using selective shims and two spacers between the bearings and the axle housing. To move the ring gear, shims are removed from one side and an equal amount added to the other. These shims are also used to preload the bearings pressed on the differential case. Bearing caps hold the differential in the axle housing.
The differential allows the wheels to turn at different rates of speed while the axle continues to transmit the driving force. This prevents tire scuffing during turns and premature wear on internal axle parts.
The axle is sealed by a pinion seal, a seal at each axle shaft end, and a gasket between the cover and axle housing.





All corporate rear axles are identified by an alphanumeric broadcast code on the right axle tube.
The axle housing cover does not have a drain plug.