Rear Drive Axle & Differential
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2002 Ford Ranger. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
The rear axle assembly has the following features:
- An integral-type housing hypoid gear design (center of the pinion set below the centerline of the ring gear).
- The hypoid differential ring gear and pinion consists of a ring gear and an overhung drive pinion which is supported by two opposed tapered roller bearings.
- Pinion bearing preload is maintained by a drive pinion collapsible spacer (4662) on the differential pinion shaft (4211) and adjusted by the pinion nut.
- The axle housing assembly consists of a cast center section with two steel tube assemblies and a stamped differential housing cover (4033).
- The differential housing cover uses silicone sealant as a gasket.
- The differential pinion shaft is retained by a threaded differential pinion shaft lock bolt assembled to the differential case (4204).
- The differential case is mounted in the rear axle housing (4010) between two opposing differential bearings (4221) that are retained in the rear axle housing by removable bearing caps.
- SAE 80W-90 Premium Rear Axle Lubricant XY-80W90-QL or equivalent meeting Ford specification WSP-M2C197-A is used in this assembly.
- Differential bearing preload and ring gear backlash are adjusted by differential bearing shims located between the differential bearing cups and the rear axle housing.
- Rear axle identification is on an embossed metal tag bolted to the differential housing cover.