This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Various power transmitting components, such as an automotive axle assembly, employ a differential assembly that permits speed differentiation between two output members. A conventional automotive axle assembly can include an axle housing, an input pinion that is mounted in the axle housing for rotation about a first axis, a differential that is mounted in the axle housing for rotation about a second axis and a ring gear that is mounted to the differential and meshingly engaged to the input pinion. Many of these axle assemblies further include a differential bearing system that can include a pair of differential bearings and a pair of threaded bearing adjusters. The differential bearings can support the differential for rotation on the axle housing, while the threaded bearing adjusters are configured to be rotated relative to another component to permit the differential bearings (and therefore the differential) to be positioned along the second axis and/or to apply a desired amount of preload to the differential bearings.
A locking system is typically employed to inhibit movement of the threaded bearing adjuster relative to another structure (e.g., the axle housing). Exemplary locking systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,001,842; 6,398,689; 7,485,065 and 7,794,153, as well as in U.S. Publication No. 2006/0276298. Such locking systems typically comprise a clip that engages the threaded bearing adjuster, and may include a fastener for retaining the clip to the axle housing. While such differential bearing systems are suited for their intended use, there nonetheless remains a need in the art for an improved differential bearing system.