Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Kurt Stecker

Robert Thomas Kraus

Bryan Leslie Crozier

Peter Scheuer

Scott David Beiring

A drive unit includes a housing and a pinion having a head and a shaft. The shaft extends through a pinion-support portion of the housing. A tail bearing supports the shaft and has an outer race fixed to the pinion-support portion and an inner race received on the shaft. The inner race is brazed to the shaft. The drive unit may be assembled by installing a tail-bearing cup and a head-bearing cup in the housing and inserting the pinion in the housing with the shaft extending through the cups. The method further includes installing a tail-bearing cone onto the shaft to be seated on the tail-bearing cup and urging the cups toward each other. The method also includes brazing the tail-bearing cone to the shaft while the cups are urged toward each other.

Drive unit pinion and method of installation

A vehicle includes a first drivetrain component and a second drivetrain component. The first drivetrain component defines a splined orifice. The second drivetrain component has a shaft that includes splines that are configured to clearance-fit the splined orifice upon engagement up to a first length and interference-fit the splined orifice upon engagement beyond the first length. Engagement of the splines and the splined orifice at substantially the first length counteracts loads perpendicular to an axis of the shaft preventing disengagement of the first and second drivetrain components.

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Roseville, MI, United States of America

Kurt Stecker