Vehicle pinion shaft support system

1. A vehicle pinion shaft support system comprising:

a pinion shaft; and

a tapered roller bearing which supports the pinion shaft and has an inner race, an outer race, and tapered rollers,

wherein the inner race has a large rib face having a recessed surface shape on which large-diameter end faces of the tapered rollers slide, such that, when a surface roughness of the large-diameter end faces is σ 1 μmRa and a surface roughness of the large rib face is σ 2 μmRa, σ 1 ≧0.025 μmRa and (σ 1 2 +σ 2 2 ) 1/2 ≦0.17 μmRa,

wherein sliding portions of the large-diameter end faces of the tapered rollers which slide on the large rib face and a sliding portion of the large rib face of the inner race on which the large-diameter end faces of the tapered rollers slide comprise carburized steel, and

wherein the sliding portions are set such that a carbon content in a matrix phase in a surface layer portion of each of the sliding portions from a depth of 50 μm to a surface thereof is 0.8 wt % or more, and a surface retained austenite amount is in a range of 20% to 25%.

2. The vehicle pinion shaft support system according to claim 1 , wherein said inner race comprises an inner circumferential surface which is fixed to an outer circumferential surface of the pinion shaft.

3. The vehicle pinion shaft support system according to claim 1 , wherein said outer race comprises an outer circumferential surface which is fixed to an inner circumferential surface of a main body portion of a casing of a differential gearbox and an inner circumferential surface of an annular portion of the casing of the differential gearbox.

4. The vehicle pinion shaft support system according to claim 1 , wherein said outer race comprises one of a tapered raceway and an inclined raceway in section on an inner circumferential side of said outer race; and

wherein said inner race comprises one of a tapered raceway and an inclined raceway in section on an outer circumferential side of said inner race.

5. The vehicle pinion shaft support system according to claim 4 , wherein said tapered rollers are disposed in a circumferential direction at constant intervals such that said tapered rollers are retained between said raceway of said outer race and said raceway of inner race by a retainer.

6. A vehicle pinion shaft support system comprising:

a pinion shaft; and

a tapered roller bearing which supports the pinion shaft and has an inner race, an outer race, and tapered rollers,

wherein the inner race has a large rib face having a recessed surface shape on which large-diameter end faces of the tapered rollers slide such that, when a surface roughness of the large-diameter end faces is σ 1 μmRa and a surface roughness of the large rib face is σ 2 [μmRa], σ 1 ≧0.025 μmRa and (σ 1 2 +σ 2 2 ) 1/2 ≦0.17 μmRa,

wherein sliding portions of the large-diameter end faces of the tapered rollers which slide on the large rib face and a sliding portion of the large rib face of the inner race on which the large-diameter end faces of the tapered roller slide comprise a heat-treated carburized to a steel material including 0.15 to 0.3 wt % carbon,

wherein a first portion of each of the sliding portions from a depth of 50 μm to a topmost surface thereof as a base is set such that a carbon content in said first portion is in a range of 1.0 to 1.5 wt %, a compression retained stress is in a range of 150 to 2000 MPa, a maximum carbide diameter is 3 μm or less, and a carbide area ratio is in the range of 10 to 25%, and

wherein a second portion of each of the sliding portions from a depth of 50 μm to a/5 μm, where a is an effective hardened layer depth, is set such that a carbon content is in a range of 0.75 to 1.3 wt %, a compression retained stress is in a range of 150 to 1000 MPa, a retained austenite amount is in range of 25 to 45%, a maximum carbide diameter is 1 μm or less, and a carbide area ratio is 15% or less.

7. The vehicle pinion shaft support system according to claim 6 , wherein said inner race comprises an inner circumferential surface which is fixed to an outer circumferential surface of the pinion shaft.

8. The vehicle pinion shaft support system according to claim 6 , wherein said outer race comprises an outer circumferential surface which is fixed to an inner circumferential surface of a main body portion of a casing of a differential gearbox and an inner circumferential surface of an annular portion of the casing of the differential gearbox.

9. The vehicle pinion shaft support system according to claim 6 , wherein said outer race comprises one of a tapered raceway and an inclined raceway in section on an inner circumferential side of said outer race; and

wherein said inner race comprises one of a tapered raceway and an inclined raceway in section on an outer circumferential side of said inner race.

10. The vehicle pinion shaft support system according to claim 9 , wherein said tapered rollers are disposed in a circumferential direction at constant intervals such that said tapered rollers are retained between said raceway of said outer race and said raceway of inner race by a retainer.

11. A vehicle pinion shaft support system comprising:

a pinion shaft; and

a tapered roller bearing which supports the pinion shaft and has an inner race, an outer race, and tapered rollers,

wherein the inner race has a large rib face having a recessed surface shape on which large-diameter end faces of the tapered rollers slide such that, when a surface roughness of the large-diameter end faces is σ 1 μmRa and a surface roughness of the large rib face is σ 2 μmRa, σ 1 ≧0.025 μmRa and (σ 1 2 +σ 2 2 ) 1/2 ≦0.17 μmRa, and

wherein sliding portions of the large-diameter end faces of the tapered rollers which slide on the large rib face and a sliding portion of the large rib face of the inner race on which the large-diameter end faces of the tapered rollers slide comprise one of a carbonitride and a nitride in a surface portion, said carbonitride comprising:

a carbonitrided high carbon steel material; and

a substrate of the surface portion, said substrate of the surface portion being quenched from an inside thereof as high carbon and annealed at a temperature in a range of 200 to 250° C.; and said nitride comprising:

a nitrided high carbon steel material; and

a substrate of the surface portion, an inside of said substrate of the surface portion being quenched as high nitrogen and annealed at a temperature in a range of 200 to 250° C.

12. The vehicle pinion shaft support system according to claim 11 , wherein said inner race comprises an inner circumferential surface which is fixed to an outer circumferential surface of the pinion shaft.

13. The vehicle pinion shaft support system according to claim 11 , wherein said outer race comprises an outer circumferential surface which is fixed to an inner circumferential surface of a main body portion of a casing of a differential gearbox and an inner circumferential surface of an annular portion of the casing of the differential gearbox.

14. The vehicle pinion shaft support system according to claim 11 , wherein said outer race comprises one of a tapered raceway and an inclined raceway in section on an inner circumferential side of said outer race; and

wherein said inner race comprises one of a tapered raceway and an inclined raceway in section on an outer circumferential side of said inner race.

15. The vehicle pinion shaft support system according to claim 14 , wherein said tapered rollers are disposed in a circumferential direction at constant intervals such that said tapered rollers are retained between said raceway of said outer race and said raceway of inner race by a retainer.

16. A vehicle pinion shaft support system comprising:

a pinion shaft; and

a tapered roller bearing which supports the pinion shaft and has an inner race, an outer race, and tapered rollers,

wherein the inner race has a large rib face having a recessed surface shape on which large-diameter end faces of the tapered rollers slide such that, when a surface roughness of the large-diameter end faces is σ 1 μmRa and a surface roughness of the large rib face is σ 2 μmRa, σ 1 ≧0.025 μmRa and (σ 1 2 +σ 2 2 ) 1/2 ≦0.17 μmRa,

wherein sliding portions of the large-diameter end faces of the tapered rollers which slide on the large rib face and a sliding portion of the large rib face of the inner race on which the large-diameter end faces of the tapered rollers slide comprise one of a carbonitride and a nitride in a surface portion, said carbonitride comprising:

a carbonitrided high carbon steel material; and

a substrate of the surface portion, said substrate of the surface portion being quenched from an inside thereof as high carbon, treated with a sub-zero treatment, and annealed at a temperature in a range of 150 to 200° C.; and said nitride comprising:

a nitrided high carbon steel material; and

a substrate of the surface portion, said substrate of the surface portion quenched as high nitrogen, treated with a sub-zero treatment, and annealed at a temperature in a range of 150 to 200° C.

17. The vehicle pinion shaft support system according to claim 16 , wherein said inner race comprises an inner circumferential surface which is fixed to an outer circumferential surface of the pinion shaft.

18. The vehicle pinion shaft support system according to claim 16 , wherein said outer race comprises an outer circumferential surface which is fixed to an inner circumferential surface of a main body portion of a casing of a differential gearbox and an inner circumferential surface of an annular portion of the casing of the differential gearbox.

19. The vehicle pinion shaft support system according to claim 16 , wherein said outer race comprises one of a tapered raceway and an inclined raceway in section on an inner circumferential side of said outer race; and

wherein said inner race comprises one of a tapered raceway and an inclined raceway in section on an outer circumferential side of said inner race.

20. The vehicle pinion shaft support system according to claim 19 , wherein said tapered rollers are disposed in a circumferential direction at constant intervals such that said tapered rollers are retained between said raceway of said outer race and said raceway of inner race by a retainer.