Many people, even enthusiasts, are not sure what a carrier assembly is. That’s why the experts at My Auto Store have decided to do something about it. In this article, we will explore what a carrier assembly is and how to buy one online.
WHAT IS A CARRIER ASSEMBLY?
Throughout this article, you will notice that most of the terms related to carrier assembly and its components are used interchangeably. This may be confusing at first, but if you are a car enthusiast, you will know that it is uncommon among mechanics and parts dealers to call parts by their formal names, especially when there is an assembly involved. That said, let’s start with the formal definition of the carrier assembly.
The carrier assembly, also known as the axle carrier assembly or simply differential carrier assembly, is the group of components that includes the differential casing, differential bearings, and differential assembly. For the reasons explained above, it is common to confuse the carrier assembly with its components. For example, for many, the two images shown below correspond to a carrier assembly.
Formally speaking, the figure on the left is more like a differential casing, while the figure on the right is more like a differential assembly. To clarify this point, let us turn to the following two figures.
As you can see, the entire group is the one that should really be called carrier assembly. But if so, why is it also called differential unit or differential carrier? Our experts at My Auto Store have decided to dedicate the next section to explain that topic.
CARRIER ASSEMBLY VS. DIFFERENTIAL
The first thing you should know is that from a technical point of view, the differential is the group of gears that allow the wheels of the same axle to rotate at different speeds in curves, hence its name. The figure below will surely be familiar to people who have had the opportunity to see how a differential is serviced.