The Vauxhall 4 Wheel 
Drive System

 

The Rear Differential :

The rear diff is used for one simple purpose - to divert the flow of power from the transfer box and 3 part driveshaft to the rear wheels through the rear axle - 

 

The rear wheels are inclined at a high negative camber of -1^o 40' which provides excellent cornering stability

The rear diff unit is not part of the rear axle assembly but is, in fact, a totally separate unit which is suspended from the rear cross member by 4 fastening studs - 

The Rear Differential Unit

The Rear Differential Unit - exploded diagram

 

1. Rear Diff Unit	6. Rear Diff Sealing Gasket
2. Rear Diff Housing	7. Fixing Bolt (non-ABS type)
3. Breather Housing	8. Fixing Bolt (for ABS unit)
4. Filler / Level Plug	9. Diff Unit Fastening Bolt
5. Rear Diff Cover

 

The 3 part driveshaft is connected to the rear diff by the triangular shaped attachment at the front of the unit. The drive is then passed through the very simple but extremely reliable internal gearing system to turn the drive through 90^o and out to the rear wheels via the small driveshafts - 

 

The rear diff that is used on the Cavalier and Calibra Turbos are the same units that are installed on the Holden Commodore 4.0 V8 cars. Therefore it is safe to assume that these units are extremely tough, reliable and can easily handle 350BHP+ without any problems

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