A marine drive includes an output gear including a beveled gear and a hub. A propeller shaft extends through the hub. A first bearing and an adjacent second bearing are located on the hub and support rotation of the output gear. The first and second bearings have inner races and outer races. An inner spacer is located on the hub and sandwiched between the respective inner races of the first and second bearings. An outer spacer is sandwiched between the respective outer races of the first and second bearings. A bearing carrier surrounds the propeller shaft and holds the first and second bearings therein by way of a press fit. The inner and outer spacers and the bearing carrier are dimensionally sized to provide a dimensional preload on the first and second bearings to maintain the output gear in alignment with the propeller shaft during operation of the marine drive.

A product and method for assembling multiple components using an interference fit. An assembled product includes a first component, with a second component configured to mate with the first component so that the second component is removable from the first component for a positional adjustment. A third component is configured to mate with the first component and to be engaged therewith by a first interference fit. The first interference fit is configured to impart a resultant reaction in the first component that creates a second interference fit between the first and second components.

In at least one implementation, a method of assembling gears into a housing of an automotive differential includes, selecting a thickness dimension of first and second pinion gear washers, and first and second side gear washers, locating a pair of pinion gears, a pinion shaft and a pair of side gears at least partially within an interior of the housing with the pinion gear washers between the housing and separate ones of the pinion gears, and the side gear washers between the housing and separate ones of the side gears. The thickness of the side gear washers may be a function of target side gear apex positions and relative to a pinion gear apex axis. The thickness of the pinion gear washers may be a function of target pinion gear apex positions residing along a pinion gear apex axis and relative to a side gear apex axis.

A planetary gear hub assembly (1) comprising a housing (2) with a planetary sun gear (3) rotabably mounted in the housing (2). The planetary sun gear (3) meshes with a set of planet gears (4) which also mesh with a ring gear (5). A thrust bearing (25) is mounted on an outer end cover (7) of the housing (2) for engagement by an outer end of the planetary sun gear (3). The thrust bearing (25) is formed by a wear pad (26) mounted on an inner face (27) of the end cover (7) and an associated wear plug (28) mounted in a central axial bore (29) at the outer end of the planetary sun gear (3). An oil passage (30) extends through the wear pad (26) and communicates between an interior of the housing (2) and an oil-filling port (32) during normal use. The plug (34) can be removed for checking the oil in the housing (2) without affecting the position of the wear pad (26).

A method for manufacturing a propeller reduction gear, which includes measuring manufacturing defects of the casing; calculating a first angular play induced at each intermediate gear by the measured manufacturing defects; estimating a second angular play induced at each intermediate gear by deformations of the casing when the reduction gear transmits a threshold torque; calculating a total angular play from the first angular play and the second angular play; and selecting two intermediate gears with a phase difference that compensates for the total angular play.

Since a gap is formed between a cylindrical member of a second clutch and a differential case so that the differential case is movable relative to the cylindrical member in a rotation-axis-C direction, even if a position of the second clutch relative to a differential carrier is moved by a position adjusting shim, the differential case does not move in the rotation-axis-C direction due to the gap in conjunction with the movement of the position of the second clutch, that is, in conjunction with a movement of a position of the cylindrical member. Accordingly, it possible to largely reduce the number of managing components prepared to eliminate backlash of the rotational member such as the differential case, as compared to the related art.

A method is disclosed for setting an axial preload force of a roller screw drive rotatably mounted in a housing. The housing is split transversely into a first and a second housing part. The roller screw drive is inserted with two axially spaced bearings into the second housing part. An axial preload force is applied which is transmitted from the first bearing via the roller screw drive to the second bearing. An axial load spacing between the bearing supporting surface of the first bearing and a second housing edge of the second housing part is measured. An adjusting nut is screwed into the first housing part until an axial adjustable spacing is the same size as the measured axial load spacing. The adjusting nut is then secured in place in the first housing part, and the two housing parts are connected to one another.

A planetary gear hub assembly (1) comprising a housing (2) with a planetary sun gear (3) rotabably mounted in the housing (2). The planetary sun gear (3) meshes with a set of planet gears (4) which also mesh with a ring gear (5). A thrust bearing (25) is mounted on an outer end cover (7) of the housing (2) for engagement by an outer end of the planetary sun gear (3). The thrust bearing (25) is formed by a wear pad (26) mounted on an inner face (27) of the end cover (7) and an associated wear plug (28) mounted in a central axial bore (29) at the outer end of the planetary sun gear (3). An oil passage (30) extends through the wear pad (26) and communicates between an interior of the housing (2) and an oil-filling port (32) during normal use. The plug (34) can be removed for checking the oil in the housing (2) without affecting the position of the wear pad (26).