Exploded View of Open Rear Differential

The open rear differential contains a quantity of oil for splash lubrication of the internal components. A magnetic drain plug is installed in the bottom of the carrier and a filler/level plug is installed in the cover.

The open rear differential comprises a pinion shaft and hypoid pinion gear, and a crown wheel drive gear attached to a differential carrier. The differential carrier houses two planet gears and two sun gears

The pinion shaft has an externally splined outer end, which accepts and locates the input flange, which is retained by the pinion nut. The input flange has six threaded holes for the driveshaft attachment bolts. An oil seal is pressed into the carrier to seal the input flange to the carrier. The pinion shaft has a hypoid gear at its inner end, which mates with the crown wheel drive gear.

The crown wheel drive gear is located on the differential carrier and secured with ten bolts. The differential carrier is mounted on taper roller bearings located in machined bores in the carrier and the cover. Shims are installed behind the bearing cups to apply the correct bearing preload and hypoid backlash.

The differential carrier has a through hole, which provides location for a cross shaft. The planet gears are installed on the cross shaft, with thrust washers between the planet gears and the differential carrier. A roll pin locks the cross shaft to the differential carrier.

The sun gears are located in pockets in the differential carrier and mesh with the planet gears. Belville washers are fitted between the sun gears and the differential carrier and set the correct mesh contact between the planet gears and the sun gears. Each sun gear has a machined bore with internal splines and a machined groove. The splines transfer drive to the rear drive halfshafts. The groove provides positive location for the snap ring fitted to the inboard end of the rear drive halfshafts.

Oil seals are installed in the carrier and the cover to seal the rear drive halfshafts.