General Information
GENERAL INFORMATION194 RBI AXLE
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.
Shim Locations:
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.
LUBRICANT SPECIFICATIONS
A multi-purpose, hypoid gear lubricant which conforms to the following specifications should be used. Mopar"R" Hypoid Gear Lubricant conforms to all of these specifications.
- The lubricant should have MIL-L-2105C and API GL 5 quality specifications.
- Lubricant is a thermally stable SAE 80W-90 gear lubricant.
- Lubricant for axles intended for heavy-duty or trailer tow use is SAE 75W-140 SYNTHETIC gear lubricant.
Trac-lok differentials require the addition of 3.5 oz. of friction modifier to the axle lubricant. The 1194 RBI axle lubricant capacity is 1.66L (3.50 pts.) total, including the friction modifier if necessary.
CAUTION: If axle is submerged in water, lubricant must be replaced immediately to avoid possible premature axle failure.