The integral housing is most often found on late model
cars and light trucks (Figure 38-26). A cast-iron
carrier forms the center of the axle housing. Steel axle
tubes are pressed into both sides of the carrier to form
the housing. The housing and carrier have a removable
rear cover that allows access to the differential assembly.
Because the carrier is not removable, the differential components
must be removed and serviced separately. For
many operations, a case spreader (Figure 58-27) must
be used to remove the components. In addition to providing
a mounting place for the differential, the axle housing
also contains brackets for mounting suspension
components such as control arms, leaf springs, and coil
springs.