Method for controlling axle shaft endplay

A method for controlling an axle shaft endplay in a differential assembly, said differential assembly comprising an axle shaft adapted to non-rotatably engage a differential side gear and having an annular groove located adjacent to a terminal shoulder provided at an inboard end of said shaft, a retainer ring disposed in said groove for limiting an axial displacement of said axle shaft in an outboard direction and a shim ring positioned on said inboard end of said axle shaft between said retainer ring and said side gear, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) assembling said side gear and differential pinion mate gears in continuous meshing engagement with said side gear;
• (b) determining a desired axle shaft endplay δP;
• (c) measuring a distance D from a pinion shaft to an end surface of said side gear;
• (d) measuring a thickness WTS of said terminal shoulder of said axle shaft;
• (e) measuring a thickness WR of said retainer ring;
• (f) determining a thickness WS of said shim ring that would provide said predetermined shaft endplay, wherein the thickness of said shim ring is determined in accordance with the following equation:
• WS=D−WTS−WR−δP;
• (g) selecting said shim ring having the thickness WS as determined in the preceding step, from an axle shaft endplay controlling kit including a plurality of said shim rings of assorted thickness;
• (h) inserting said axle shaft through said side gear from said outboard direction toward an inboard direction;
• (i) passing said selected shim ring over said axle shaft from said inboard end thereof;
• (j) installing said retainer ring in said groove in said inboard end of said axle shaft;
• and
• (k) pulling said axle shaft outboard to sandwich said shim ring between said side gear and said retainer ring.