Component Disassembly & Reassembly: Differential: Reassembly

Insert thrust cage into differential housing. Insert pinion gears into housing and drive in pinion shaft. Install pinion shaft snap rings. Rotate thrust cage to align side gear shaft holes with side gear shaft holes of housing.
NOTE: If bearings were removed from case, heat bearings to approximately 212°F (100°C) and use a press to drive bearings into place.
Insert and position side gears so they mesh with pinion gears and are 180 degrees apart. Rotate side gears into position inside housing. Install axle drive flange shafts, and push each shaft firmly against differential pinion shaft and install thickest snap ring possible. See Fig 1 .

Fig 1: Cutaway View of Differential Showing Flange Shaft Snap Ring Installation
Courtesy of VOLKSWAGEN UNITED STATES, INC.

NOTE: There are two available snap rings. One is .079" (2.0 mm) thick, and the other is .091" (2.3 mm). If thicker snap ring jams sideways, install thinner snap ring.
Heat ring gear to about 212°F (100°C). Drive bolts into differential housing and place heated ring gear onto housing. Install washers and nuts onto ring gear bolts and tighten to 50 ft. lbs. (68 N.m).