Final Drive Carrier and Differential Assembly: Assembly
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2010 Mercury Mariner and 2010 Ford Escape. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
- Clean and inspect the side gears and spider gears and washers for damage or excessive wear and install new components as necessary.
- Clean and inspect the differential pin for damage or excessive wear and install new if necessary.
- Clean and inspect the differential for damage and install new if necessary.
- Inspect the thrust bearing surfaces.
- Inspect the differential planetary gear teeth.
- Inspect the differential planetary gear teeth to be sure they spin freely and do not move back and forth or side to side excessively.
- Clean and inspect the differential sun gear for damage or excessive wear and install new if necessary.
- Install the washers on the side or spider gears that they were removed from.
- Position the side gears in the differential carrier.
- Place the spider gears in the differential carrier and rotate the side gears with the spider gears until the differential pin hole lines up to the holes in the spider gears.
- Install the differential pin with the roll pin holes aligned.
- Using a suitable tool, install a new roll pin.
NOTE:
Do not mix up the washers from the side or spider gears that they were originally assembled with. Assembly of the differential with the wrong washers can cause excessive wear to the differential carrier, spider or side gears.