Differential assembly with two-piece carrier and welded ring gear

A differential assembly, comprising:

• a two-piece differential carrier having a first case member and a second case member together defining an internal gearset chamber, said first case member having an end face surface formed with an axially-extending locator flange, said second case member having an end face surface arranged to matingly engage said end face surface of said first case member and which is formed to include a carrier groove configured to enclose and retain said locator flange therein, said first case member defining a first case weldment surface and a first outer mounting surface, and said second case member defining a second outer mounting surface, a pilot flange extending radially from said second outer mounting surface, and a second case weldment surface formed on said pilot flange;
• a differential gearset installed within said gearset chamber of said two-piece differential carrier;
• and
• a ring gear configured to surround said differential carrier and having an inner mounting surface and a pilot groove formed in said inner mounting surface, said inner mounting surface adapted to be aligned with said first said first mounting surface on said first case member and with said second mounting surface on said second case member said pilot groove adapted to be located and retained in abutting engagement with said pilot flange, said ring gear defining a first ring gear weldment surface adapted to be aligned with said first case weldment surface to establish a first weldment junction between said ring gear and said first case member, said ring gear further defining a second ring gear weldment surface adapted to be aligned with said second case weldment surface to establish a second weldment junction between said ring gear and said second case member;
• wherein said ring gear is welded to said differential carrier by a first weld seam located along said first weldment junction and a second weld seam located along said second weldment junction.

A differential assembly, comprising:

• a differential carrier having a first case member and a second case member together defining an internal gearset chamber, said first case member having a first carrier mount surface, a first groove surface and a first case weldment surface, said second case member having a second carrier mount surface, a second groove surface and a second case weldment surface, said first and second case members adapted to align said first and second groove surfaces to define an annular carrier groove;
• a differential gearset installed within said gearset chamber of said differential carrier;
• and
• a ring gear configured to surround said differential carrier, said ring gear defining a first ring gear weldment surface adapted to be aligned with said first case weldment surface to establish a first weldment junction between said ring gear and said first case member, said ring gear further defining a second ring gear weldment surface adapted to be aligned with said second case weldment surface to establish a second weldment junction between said ring gear and said second case member, said ring gear having a hub segment having an inner surface from which an annular locator flange extends and which is configured to be disposed within said carrier groove, said inner surface of said hub segment defining a first ring gear mount surface on one side of the locator flange configured to be aligned with said first carrier mount surface when said locator flange is disposed within said first groove surface, and said inner surface of said hub segment defining a second ring gear mount surface on an opposite side of said locator flange configured to be aligned with said second carrier mount surface when said locator flange is disposed within said second groove surface;
• wherein said ring gear is welded to said differential carrier by a first weld seam located along said first weldment junction and a second weld seam located along said second weldment junction.