Differential Housing & Drive Pinion: Disassembly

1. Mount carrier in repair stand. Mark side bearing caps for reassembly purposes. Remove adjuster lock plates. See Fig 1.
2. Loosen side bearing and slightly back off adjusters. Remove bearing caps and adjusters. Withdraw differential assembly from carrier. Ensure side bearing races remain with their respective bearings.
3. Remove drive pinion lock nut. Remove companion flange using a gear puller. Remove drive pinion, spacer, rear bearing and collapsible spacer assembly from carrier. Remove oil seal and front bearing. Remove bearing outer races, using a drift and hammer in slots provided on inner lip (if necessary).

Fig 1: Exploded View of Typical Differential & Carrier Assembly

Courtesy of MAZDA MOTORS CORP.