Jeep Cherokee

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Differential and driveline » 194 RBI axle » Description and operation
194 RBI axle

DESCRIPTION

The 194 Rear Beam-design Iron (RBI) axle housing has an iron center casting (differential housing) with axle shaft tubes extending from either side. The tubes are pressed into and welded to the differential housing to form a one-piece axle housing.

The integral type, hypoid gear design, housing has the centerline of the pinion set below the centerline of the ring gear.

The axle has a vent hose to relieve internal pressure caused by lubricant vaporization and internal expansion.

The axles are equipped with semi-floating axle shafts, meaning that loads are supported by the axle shaft and bearings. The axle shafts are retained by C-clips in the differential side gears.

The cover provides a means for servicing the differential without removing the axle.

For vehicles equipped with ABS brakes, the axles have a tone ring pressed onto the axle shaft. Use care when removing axle shafts to ensure that the tone wheel or the wheel speed sensor are not damaged.

The 194 RBI axle has the assembly part number and gear ratio listed on a tag. The tag is attached to the differential housing by a cover bolt. Build date identification codes are stamped on the cover side of an axle shaft tube.

The differential case is a one-piece design. The differential pinion mate shaft is retained with a threaded pin. Differential bearing preload and ring gear backlash is adjusted by the use of selective spacer shims. Pinion bearing preload is set and maintained by the use of a collapsible spacer (Fig. 1).

Axles equipped with a Trac-Loky differential are optional. A Trac-Lok differential has a one-piece differential case, and the same internal components as a standard differential, plus two clutch disc packs.

OPERATION

The axle receives power from the transmission/ transfer case through the rear propeller shaft. The rear propeller shaft is connected to the pinion gear which rotates the differential through the gear mesh with the ring gear bolted to the differential case. The engine power is transmitted to the axle shafts through the pinion mate and side gears. The side gears are splined to the axle shafts.

Fig. 1 Shim Locations

1 - PINION GEAR DEPTH SHIM
2 - DIFFERENTIAL BEARING SHIM-PINION GEAR SIDE
3 - RING GEAR
4 - DIFFERENTIAL BEARING SHIM-RING GEAR SIDE
5 - COLLAPSIBLE SPACER

194 RBI axle

Lubricant

Standard differential

Trac-loky differential