The invention relates to a differential of lightweight construction for motor vehicles having a differential housing made of two sheet metal shells, in which differential bevel gears are supported on carrier studs fixed to the housing and mesh with axle bevel gears, and wherein a carrier shell having a drive gear attached to the exterior circumference thereof and a cover shell are joined along a common joining plane to form the differential housing, one or more carrier each having at least one end mounted in and attached to holes in the housing, which are each formed half in the carrier shell and the cover shell. Both sheet metal shells are encompassed by one or more circumferential rings adjacent to the connecting plane thereof for reinforcement.

An axle assembly having an input pinion with a pinion gear, which is received in an axle housing and rotatable about a first axis, and a pinion shaft. The pinion gear is meshed with a ring gear that is coupled to a differential assembly. A head bearing, which is disposed on a first axial end of the input pinion, supports the input pinion for rotation relative to the housing about the first axis. A tail bearing supports the input pinion for rotation relative to the housing about the first axis. The pinion gear is disposed axially between the tail bearing and the head bearing. A bearing groove is formed into the pinion shaft and the bearing elements are received into the bearing groove such that an inner bearing race of the tail bearing is unitarily and integrally formed with the pinion shaft.

A final drive device includes a housing and a final drive gear mechanism. The final drive gear mechanism is provided in the housing, and comprises a drive pinion and a ring gear meshed with the drive pinion and a differential gear mechanism. The differential gear mechanism includes a pinion rotatably supported by a pinion mate shaft, and a pair of side gears meshed with the pinion from both sides in an axle direction. The final drive device has a pinion carrier that is rotated in a direction around the axle integrally with the pinion mate shaft supporting the pinion, and which is secured to the ring gear. The pinion carrier is provided with a pinion housing unit that houses the pinion while permitting the pinion to rotate around its own axis. The side gears are fixedly located relative to the housing while being permitted to rotate around their own axes.

A limited slip differential system having a differential housing, a differential case disposed within the differential housing and a differential gear set supported within the differential case. A friction clutch assembly including a clutch pack is positioned within the differential case and axially adjacent the differential gear set. A ball and ramp assembly is positioned outside the differential case and includes a reaction member positioned within and fixed to the differential housing. A differential bearing is positioned axially between the reaction member and the differential housing and radially outward from the differential case. A singular thrust bearing is located within the differential housing and outside the differential case and applies an axial load from the actuator assembly to the clutch pack.

A differential housing in which the differential is mounted on the side of the crown wheel through a spacer on the outer ring of a large diameter tapered roller bearing, which in turn is connected to a conical component. The conical component optionally configure to accommodate a constant velocity joint or a universal joint. The design allows for the use of a longer half shaft without changing the position of the engine or the central prop shaft.

A differential system for transmitting a driving power from an input shaft to a pair of output shafts includes a drive gear for receiving a rotational input from the input shaft and a driven gear driven by the drive gear. The driven gear defines multiple slots radially spaced about an axis of rotation of the driven gear. The differential system also includes a spider member having a central body portion with multiple legs partially received in the corresponding slots. The differential system includes at least one cover member coupled to the driven gear to retain the legs in the corresponding slots, a differential casing enclosing at least the driven gear and the spider member and a bearing disposed between the at least one cover member and the differential casing. The bearing supports a rotation of the cover member about the axis of rotation relative to the differential casing.

A disconnectable differential assembly has a reduced axial length and a side gear disconnectable from an axle shaft via a clutch unit. Various components of the disconnect mechanism are axially aligned and concentric to reduce the axial length. An output hub splined on the axle shaft and is actuatable, via an axially shiftable armature, into toothed engagement with the side gear via respective axially extending teeth. The output hub and armature include radially extending flanges that are axially adjacent and radially aligned with the teeth so that force is transmitted to the teeth at the same diameter. A thrust bearing is disposed between the flanges so that the output hub rotates relative to the armature. The side gear is supported for rotation on the axle shaft, and a bearing is disposed radially therebetween to improve radial alignment of the second side gear with the output hub.

An axle assembly having a bearing support, a roller bearing assembly, an adjuster ring, and a locking fastener. The adjuster ring and the roller bearing assembly may be disposed on and may receive a bearing journal of the bearing support. The locking fastener may inhibit rotation of the adjuster ring.

An axle assembly with a housing, a pinion, a ring gear, a bearing and a pair of shafts. The pinon is mounted to the housing for rotation about a first axis. The ring gear is received in the housing and meshingly engaged with the pinion. The bearing supports the ring gear for rotation relative to the housing about a second axis and also handles thrust loads between the housing and the ring gear that are directed (in both directions) along the second axis. The bearing has a plurality of bearing elements and is abutted against a shoulder formed on the housing that is positioned along the second axis between the first axis and the bearing elements. The differential assembly has a differential case, which is coupled to the ring gear for rotation therewith, and a pair of output members that are coupled to the shafts for common rotation.

A vehicle drive device includes a rotary electric machine including a stator and a rotor, a power transmission mechanism drivingly connected to the rotor, a differential device including a differential ring gear, a differential case, and a differential mechanism, and a case. The case includes a partition wall disposed between the rotary electric machine and the differential device. The partition wall has an opening at a portion where a distance between a stator core and the differential device is shortest so that part of the stator core is exposed on a differential device side.