Rear Drive Axle and Differential

Rear Drive Axle and Differential
The 8.8-inch rear axle assembly contains the following features:
^ An integral-type housing hypoid gear design with the centerline of the pinion set below the centerline of the ring gear.
^ A hypoid ring and pinion, which consists of a ring gear and an overhung drive pinion which is supported by 2 opposed pinion bearings.
^ Pinion bearing preload is maintained by a drive pinion collapsible spacer on the pinion stem and adjusted by the pinion nut.
^ The differential housing assembly consists of a cast center section, 2 steel tube assemblies, a steel differential housing cover and a Watts linkage assembly.
^ The differential housing cover uses a silicone sealant rather than a gasket.
^ The differential case is a 1-piece design with 2 openings to allow for assembly of internal components and lubricant flow.
^ The differential pinion shaft is retained by a differential pinion shaft lock bolt assembled to the differential case.
^ The differential case is mounted in the rear axle housing between 2 opposed tapered roller differential bearings.
^ The differential bearing cups are retained in the rear axle housing by removable bearing caps.
^ Differential bearing preload and ring gear backlash are adjusted by the differential bearing shim located between the differential bearing cup and the rear axle housing.
^ The differential comes in either the conventional open style or a Traction-Lok(R) design.
^ The semi-floating axle shafts are held in the housing by U-washers positioned in the slot on the axle shaft splined end.
^ These U-washers also fit into a recess in the differential side gears within the differential case.

The rear axle assembly receives rotational input from the driveshaft through a piloted pinion flange. The drive pinion drives the ring which is bolted to the differential case. The design of the differential allows the side gears in the case to rotate at different speeds. The axle shafts are splined to the side gears permitting the vehicle to manipulate corners without sliding the inside tire. The weight of the vehicle is carried through the axle shaft bearing located in the tubes of the axle housing.