7-1/4 Inch Ring Gear (All Wheel Drive Front Axle)

The front axle used on part time four wheel drive (4WD) vehicles has a center disconnect feature which allows shifting into and out of four wheel drive when the vehicle is in motion under most conditions.

Both axles use a conventional ring and pinion gear set to transmit the driving force of the engine to the wheels. The gear set transfers the driving force at a 90° angle from the propeller shaft to the axle shafts.

The pinion gear is supported by two tapered roller bearings. The pinion depth is set by a shim pack located between the gear end of the pinion and the roller bearing that is pressed onto the pinion. The pinion bearing preload is set by crushing a collapsible spacer between the pinion bearings in the axle housing.

The ring gear is bolted to the differential case with left-hand thread bolts.

The differential case is supported in the axle housing by two tapered roller bearings. The differential and ring gear are located in relationship to the pinion by threaded adjusters.

The differential allows the wheels to turn at different rates of speed while the front axle continues to transmit the driving force. This prevents tire scuffing while turning and premature wear on internal axle parts.

The alphabetic identification code is located on a tag attached to the right inner axle shaft housing.