Description And Operation; Rear Axle Description - GMC chevrolet camaro 2000 Service Manual

4-52 Rear Drive Axle
Description and Operation
Rear Axle Description
Standard (Open) Rear Axle
The solid rear axle found in the Camara and Firebird
is a semi-floating hypojd rear axle, which is designed
for use with the following components: ·
0
An open driveline (with or without
i3.
torque arm)
• Coil springs .
" One-piece or two-piece propeller shafts
The rear axle has a hypoid type differential ring gear.
The centerline of the differential drive pinion gear
is located below the centerline of the hypoid
type differential ring gear. The rear axle housing
encloses all of the components that are necessary for
transmitting power from the propeller shaft to the
rear wheels and tires. Bolts attach the rear axle
housing cover .to the back of the rear axle housing.
The rear axle housing cover is removable in order to
permit service of the differential case without
removing the entire axle from the vehicle.
A universal joint connects the rear end of the propeller
shaft to the drive pinion gear yoke. The drive pinion
gear yoke has a splined end that fits over the
drive pinion gear. The splined end of the drive pinion
gear yoke also drives the pinion gear. Two preloaded
tapered drive pinion gear bearings support .the
drive pinion gear in the rear axle housing .. The races
of the following components are press fit into the
rear axle housing: ·
" The inner drive pinion gear bearing press fits onto
the drive pinion gear.
.. The outer drive pinion gear bearing combines a
light press fit
to
a close sliding fit on the yoke
end of the drive pinion gear.
The races of the inner drive pinion gear bearing and
the outer pinion gear bearing press against shoulders
which are recessed in the rear axle housing.
Tightening the drive pinion gear nut compresses a
collapsible drive pinion gear spacer. This bears against
the following components:
" The. outer drive pinion gear bearing
" A shoulder on the drive pinion gear
The drive pinion gear spacer performs the following
actions:
" Enables au.tomatic. bearing preload adjustment.
• Maintains a preload on the inner drive pinion gear.
bearing.
• Maintains apreload on the outer drive piniongear
bearing.
Enable the adjustment of the fore-and-aft position of
the drive pinion gear by placing selective drive
pinion gear shims between the following components:
• The head of the drive pinion gear
• The inner drive pinion gear bearing
Driveline/Axle
The differential case is one piece. Two differential side
bearings support the differential case in the rear
axle .housing. The differential side bearings are
preloaded by the insertion of differential bearing shims
between the following components: ·
• The differential side bearings
• The rear axle housing
Vary the shim thickness from side to side. This
positions the differential case for proper backlash.
between the differential ring gear and the differential
drive pinion gear.
Bolts attach the differential ring gear to the differential
case. The following components have splined bores
used for driving the axle shaft:
• The left differential pinion gear
• The right differential pinion gear
The position of these pinion gears permits the gears
to turn in counterbored cavities of the differential case.
The following components have smooth bores:
• The upper differential pinion gear
• The lower differential pinion gear
The differential pinion gear shaft holds these pinion
gears in position. The differential pinion gear shaft
mounts and locks in the differential case. All four of the
gears mesh with each other.
The following components turn freely on the pinion
gear shaft:
• The upper differential pinion gear
• The lower differential pinion gear
These pinion gears act as idler gears when the rear
wheels turn at different speeds.
The following components back the differential
pinion gears:
• Differential pinion thrust washers
• Differential side gear thrust washers
Vehicles that are equipped with the standard rear axle
and the Antilock Brake System (ABS) only; have a
single rear wheel speed sensor mounted on the
differential carrier behind the ring gear. A wheel speed
sensor is bolted to the top of the rear axle housing
opposite the reluctor wheel. This sensor provides
wheel speed information to the electroniGbrake control
module (EBCM)
Vehicles that are equipped with the limited slip rear
axle, ABS, and a Traction Control System (TCS) have
rear wheel speed sensors mounted on the axle
shafts just behind the axle flange. The axle mounted
reluctor wheels are an integral part of the rear
axle shaft and cannot be replaced separately. If the
wheel needs to be replaced, you must replace
the entire axle.
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