2.5 Ton Rockwell Axles - 2 1/2 Ton Teardown

7. Distributing the torque through gear reduction, the 2 1/2-ton third member uses an upper 2.44:1 ring-and-pinion to propel a spur gear. This spur gear, or intermediate gear as it's commonly called...

...powers the massive 33-tooth bull gear (2.75:1 ratio). The combination of the two creates an end differential ratio of 6.72:1, which is a great ratio for turning 44-inch and larger tires.

8. The bull gear is without a doubt one of the most impressive parts of the axle. Connected by thru bolts and safety-wired like Rockwell bolts commonly are...

...the carrier houses a massive set of spider gears that make it an open differential from the factory. Of course this won't cut it off-road, so stay tuned as we lock things up.

9. Another unique feature of the Rockwell is that both ends of the third member are fitted with drive flanges. This gives you the option of making the axle either a driver- or passenger-side drop, and by simply modifying a few housing holes you can rotate the third member 180 degrees.

10. Though there are three different types of the front axleshafts for our money, the U-joint style is the best and most easily serviceable. After spending a little time with ours in the parts washer, we uncovered that beneath all of the old grease was a practically brand-new shaft. We decided it was best to leave it be, and per our Rockwell manual, we greased it up and put it back just like we found it.

11. We found this overhaul manual from Ouverson Engineering and Machine to be a great help. From the demonstration of the proper way to secure the third member for removal to the in-depth service diagrams, it's a great tool for any Rockwell owner.

Heavy Metal Thunder
Packing a V-8 and a terrible purple paintjob, our newest project rig, dubbed Heavy Metal Mudder, will be featured in next month's issue as we begin the transformation.