yes do i have one in my 1990 dakota v6 automatic RWD?

 

Well...yes. Any RWD or 4x4 truck has a rear differential. Only 4x4 have a front differential though.

 

Every vehicle with 4+ wheels on the road today has a differential. I assume you are maybe asking how do you know if you have an open diff, limited slip diff, or locker??

To find out, jack up the rear axle, put the transmission in neutral and spin one wheel. If the other wheel spins the opposite direction, its open. If the other wheel spins the same direction, its a LSD or locker.

 

A front wheel drive with a transaxel does not have a differential. Nor would a rear wheel drive with rear or mid engine with a transaxel.

I assume he was asking about an open like you mentioned above though.

 

You must have never seen inside a transaxle. They still have differentials, they are just built into the transaxle. Thats why its called a transaxle... its a transmission-axle assembly. The axle part of that assembly is the final drive drive unit, or differential.

 

Correct, I have never seen inside a transaxel. Transmissions in general scare me. I was thinking of a diffferential like we would be talking about in our dakota's.

Is the differential in a transaxel for allowing "differential" in the speed of each wheel individually?

And on the OP's question... do the dakotas come with and open diff?

 

The differential inside a transxle looks just like the differential in one of our axles. The only difference is the pinion gear is on the output shaft of the transmission part of the transaxle, and the ring gear looks like any other helical-cut transmission gear.

The differential is part #5 in this picture of a transaxle:

 

well the reason why im asking is because i looked at a parts site and typed in my registration number and saw that there where differential oil.. i cant recall ever changing differential oil in my saab...

and btw im a She not a He

 

Right. you would not change diff fluid on something like a saab. Would be lubricated by the transmission fluid.

You do have a differential in your truck. pictured here:

 

Chrysler recommends using 75W-140 gear oil in the differential and if you have limited slip, you have to add the additive to it or you will have noise in the rear end.