A differential device includes a ring gear receiving a rotational driving force from a drive gear, a differential case rotating integrally with the ring gear around a predetermined axis, and a differential mechanism installed within a barrel part of the differential case. The ring gear includes a gear portion meshing with the drive gear, and a rim portion that is formed integrally with an inner periphery of the gear portion and is fitted, in a non-welded state, onto a maximum diameter outer peripheral portion of the barrel part or a predetermined outer peripheral portion having a smaller diameter than the maximum diameter outer peripheral portion. The rim portion has a to-be-fixed portion welded to the barrel part at a position spaced in an axial direction from a fitting part via which the rim portion and the barrel part are fitted, the position being further radially inward than the fitting part.

A system for making a welded assembly. The system may include a welding system that is configured to weld a first part to a second part with a laser beam. The system may further include an integrated feeder nozzle that includes an inlet manifold that receives a shield gas, and a nozzle body secured to the inlet manifold. The nozzle body may include a plurality of peripheral apertures that extend through the conical distal region and that are arranged around a central axis of the nozzle body. The system may further include a wire feeder disposed in the inlet manifold and the nozzle body. The wire feeder receives a welding wire and guides the welding wire to the central aperture.

A mechanical locking differential includes a driving ring in a differential housing between right and left active components. The driving ring is in line with the input bevel gear. The differential housing has a thin wall in a single, integral shell around the driving ring. Several hollow cylindrical shaft pins are used to attached the driving ring to the differential housing, with the shaft pins being driven radially relative to the transverse axis of the differential outputs in an interference fit with the housing and the driving ring. The shaft pins are held from axially backing out by two small rivets. The shaft pins preferably have a threaded inner diameter which assists in removal. The shaft pin attachment allows the bevel gear to extend closer to the transverse axis without obstruction.

A differential assembly having a case and a ring gear. The ring gear is mounted to the case and may include a mounting flange and a set of teeth. The mounting flange may have a fastener hole. The set of teeth overhangs the fastener hole such that the set of teeth extend further toward the axis than at least a portion of the fastener hole.

A method for forming welded assembly. The method includes: providing a gear workpiece; forming a joining section on the gear workpiece that defines a weld interface; applying a material to the outside surface of the gear workpiece including the joining section; cutting a plurality of teeth in the material-covered gear workpiece, each of the plurality of teeth having first and second flanks and a root, wherein the material does not reside on any one of the first flanks, the second flanks and the roots; heat treating the gear workpiece to harden the teeth; and finishing the heat-treated gear workpiece in a finishing process to form a finished ring gear, the finishing process comprising at least one of a turning operation and a lapping operation; wherein the material is disposed over the weld interface on the finished ring gear. A welded assembly is also provided.

A differential assembly is disclosed herein. The differential assembly includes a ring gear and a case. The ring gear and case may comprise dissimilar materials. The ring gear may include a ferrous material and may be overmolded by the case. The case may include a non-ferrous material. Teeth may be formed in the ring gear. The teeth may be hardened through induction heating.

In at least some implementations, a torque transmitting apparatus includes a first member arranged for rotation about an axis and having a first surface oriented substantially perpendicular to the axis, and a second member having a second surface with at least a portion that is parallel to and engaged with at least a portion of the first surface. The second member is coupled to the first member by a weld provided in an interface region defined by an area of radial overlap between the first surface and the second surface. The groove is provided in one or both of the first surface and the second surface, the groove has a portion located radially inboard of the weld and at least one outlet that, at least without the weld, is communicated with a radially outer edge of the interface region.

A method for manufacturing a case-hardened ring gear/differential case assembly includes attaching a ring gear to a differential case. The case-hardened ring gear and the differential case are fabricated of materials each having differing properties of at least carbon content and melting temperature. The attaching includes placing a flange of the case-hardened ring gear in intimate contact with a flange of the differential case whereby a predetermined gap is defined between a remainder of the ring gear and a remainder of the differential case. The ring gear flange is attached to the differential case flange by a friction welding process. The predetermined gap defines an outflow channel that receives a carburized portion of the case-hardened ring gear as overflow material created by an upset forging step of the friction welding process. Differential assemblies and vehicles including such are described.

A method for joining a carburized steel workpiece to a cast iron workpiece is provided that includes tempering a localized area of the carburized steel workpiece, machining the localized area to reduce carbon content, and welding the carburized steel workpiece to the cast iron workpiece at the localized area. The tempering may be performed by induction heating and results in a hardness profile of the localized area of less than 50 HRC.

A drive module having a housing, an input pinion, a ring gear driven by the input pinion, a ring gear bearing supporting the ring gear for rotation relative to the housing, a pair of output shafts and a clutch that selectively transmits rotary power between the ring gear and the output shafts. The clutch includes a clutch input, which is rotatably coupled to the ring gear, a clutch plate separator that is rotatably coupled to the clutch input, a pair of clutch outputs, which are each coupled to a respective one of the output shafts, a pair of clutch packs, which transmit rotary power between the clutch input and a respective one of the clutch outputs, and a pair of apply pistons. The apply pistons are housed in the clutch plate separator.