Patent ID: 7232397

Claim:
A differential comprising: a housing defining a chamber and a pair of aligned apertures; a pair of output shafts having end segments extending through said aligned apertures in said housing and positioned in said chamber; a gearset operable to transfer rotary power from said housing to said output shafts while permitting speed differentiation between said output shafts, said gearset being retained in said chamber and including a pair of side gears drivingly engaged with said end segments of said output shafts; and a retention assembly positioned within said chamber and operable to maintain the axial position of said end segments of said output shafts, said retention assembly including a ring having windows, a spacer having recesses and a fastener, said recesses being in receipt of said end segments, said spacer being rotatable within said ring to align said recesses with said windows to allow a pair of clips to pass therethrough and into engagement with said end segments, said fastener being operable to interconnect said ring and said spacer when said recesses are out of alignment with said windows thereby capturing said pair of clips within said recesses of said spacer.