Didn't have much time to search for numbers and such so I'm hoping someone can tell me who makes this carrier. Thanks.

 

That would be an Auburn "hi-perf", 2 series, with a "special" 3 series gear on it.

 

Could you elaborate a little on both and how you're able to discern one from the other? Thanks

 

It's an Auburn because it's .... an Auburn. It's the "hi-perf" one because it has the extra little springs in the center for more pressure on the clutches. It's a 2 series because .... it's a 2 series.



Here's a couple more crappy Auburn posi carriers. 2 series stock on the left, 3 series "hi-perf" on the right. These are slightly different from yours (they varied somewhat over the years) but the odor is still about the same.

Note on the poorly geared one in the pic, how the flange the ring sits on is kind of flat on the side opposite the gear, where the one for the decent gears is more cone-shaped. That's because a 2 series one must locate the ring about .400" farther from the pinion, to accomodate the HUGE low-# pinion. Since, don't forget, "ratio" isn't just the ratio of the tooth count, it's the ratio of the gear diameters as well; and since the ring is always the same diameter regardless of ratio (7½" more or less in this model of rear), then as the ratio increases, the pinion diameter decreases, meaning the thickness of the ring must increase at the same time. The factory uses different "series" of carriers to avoid having to make the extra-expensive and troublesome "thick" ring gears like that one you have. A factory 3.whatever yours is would have had the cone-shaped flange on the carrier holding the ring closer to the pinion, and a normal thickness ring more like the one on that 2 series carrier in the pic.