I just stripped down the housing to make it easier to move. It had the MEGA super duper drums on it. The shoes may be 2 7/8" or wider. I was amazed at how skinny the axle shafts are for such an otherwise beefy axle setup. The backing plates were retained by 4 bolts. The diff was always quiet, so I may keep the axle around for a future upgrade for the truck... something like a limited slip differential for any potential 4 wheeling fun.