Drive Axles, Bearings and Joints: Description and Operation

The rear drive axle operates as follows:
- It receives power from the engine through the transmission and driveshaft.
- The pinion gear rotates the differential case through engagement with the ring gear which is bolted to the differential case outer flange.
- Inside the differential case, two differential pinion gears are mounted on the differential pinion shaft which is pinned to the differential case.
- These differential pinion gears are engaged with the axle shaft to which the axle shafts are splined.
- When it is necessary for one wheel and axle shaft to rotate faster than the other, the faster-turning differential side gear causes the differential pinion gear to roll on the slower-turning differential side gear to allow differential action between the two axle shafts.