28,000 mile Rear Diff Fluid Change

[ShadowsPapa]

Funny thing is if you buy new whole DANA aftermarket diff assembly or do a gear set change, DANA recommends a 500 mile first fluid dump. DANA OEM units installed by Jeep and it is just a fluid level inspect unless a "Severe Service" and then it is a 40K mile change interval.

Old thread, but I read an article about the reason for the care given to new gear sets vs. OEM/factory installations.
It's the burnishing process - already done and broken in on gears installed at the factory.
They are all built by Dana - Jeep has nothing to do with them.

I need to find that article again. I believe it was actually from one of the gear companies - supplier of replacement gear sets.
The heating and burnishing is all done, the gears are case hardened and everything is ready to go on factory installed sets.

as far as color - sort of chuckle when I hear "the lube was dark" as that means nothing - the color change is normal and not a sign of dirt or bad fluid.
What to watch for is the appearance of the gears themselves.
A big of shavings or slivers on a magnet is also quite normal and nothing scary.

Am I suggesting to not change or go beyond what the makers say - no, just that there's a lot of scary stuff typed vs. those who have done a lot of differentials over a lot of years.
Scary is when you pull the cover and actually inspect parts and see pitting or a chip.
I am not an advocate of drain plugs.
If you are going to do it - pull the danged cover and LOOK.
I'm glad I did on my Eagle - when I used my home-made plastic scraper (cut from a 1 gallon milk jug) something went clunk into the pan below the differential housing.
Hmmm, hypoid lube doesn't clunk..............
To me a drain and refill is the waste of time.
The bottom of that housing may hold stuff you can't get no matter how many cans of brake cleaner you go through.
Drain plugs are to help keep from making a mess when you pull the cover to actually clean and inspect. Not to suggest there's no reason to pull the cover because, hey, we have a drain plug.

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[AustinL911]

Old thread, but I read an article about the reason for the care given to new gear sets vs. OEM/factory installations.
It's the burnishing process - already done and broken in on gears installed at the factory.
They are all built by Dana - Jeep has nothing to do with them.

I need to find that article again. I believe it was actually from one of the gear companies - supplier of replacement gear sets.
The heating and burnishing is all done, the gears are case hardened and everything is ready to go on factory installed sets.

as far as color - sort of chuckle when I hear "the lube was dark" as that means nothing - the color change is normal and not a sign of dirt or bad fluid.
What to watch for is the appearance of the gears themselves.
A big of shavings or slivers on a magnet is also quite normal and nothing scary.

Am I suggesting to not change or go beyond what the makers say - no, just that there's a lot of scary stuff typed vs. those who have done a lot of differentials over a lot of years.
Scary is when you pull the cover and actually inspect parts and see pitting or a chip.
I am not an advocate of drain plugs.
If you are going to do it - pull the danged cover and LOOK.
I'm glad I did on my Eagle - when I used my home-made plastic scraper (cut from a 1 gallon milk jug) something went clunk into the pan below the differential housing.
Hmmm, hypoid lube doesn't clunk..............
To me a drain and refill is the waste of time.
The bottom of that housing may hold stuff you can't get no matter how many cans of brake cleaner you go through.
Drain plugs are to help keep from making a mess when you pull the cover to actually clean and inspect. Not to suggest there's no reason to pull the cover because, hey, we have a drain plug.

Speaking of drain plugs, I was under mine the other day to check diff temps after a recent gear install and noticed what appears to be a drain plug on the front driver's side of the diff housing itself. After seeing that, I wondered why people (myself included) make such a deal about some aftermarket covers not having them. Just thoughts.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Speaking of drain plugs, I was under mine the other day to check diff temps after a recent gear install and noticed what appears to be a drain plug on the front driver's side of the diff housing itself. After seeing that, I wondered why people (myself included) make such a deal about some aftermarket covers not having them. Just thoughts.

They got rid of the drain plug in the housing sometime in or around the 2021 model year. So housings like mine - no drain plug.

 

[AustinL911]

They got rid of the drain plug in the housing sometime in or around the 2021 model year. So housings like mine - no drain plug.

Ah, well, that'd be why. Thanks for the info.

 

[Rusty PW]

Old thread, but I read an article about the reason for the care given to new gear sets vs. OEM/factory installations.
It's the burnishing process - already done and broken in on gears installed at the factory.
They are all built by Dana - Jeep has nothing to do with them.

I need to find that article again. I believe it was actually from one of the gear companies - supplier of replacement gear sets.
The heating and burnishing is all done, the gears are case hardened and everything is ready to go on factory installed sets.

as far as color - sort of chuckle when I hear "the lube was dark" as that means nothing - the color change is normal and not a sign of dirt or bad fluid.
What to watch for is the appearance of the gears themselves.
A big of shavings or slivers on a magnet is also quite normal and nothing scary.

Am I suggesting to not change or go beyond what the makers say - no, just that there's a lot of scary stuff typed vs. those who have done a lot of differentials over a lot of years.
Scary is when you pull the cover and actually inspect parts and see pitting or a chip.
I am not an advocate of drain plugs.
If you are going to do it - pull the danged cover and LOOK.
I'm glad I did on my Eagle - when I used my home-made plastic scraper (cut from a 1 gallon milk jug) something went clunk into the pan below the differential housing.
Hmmm, hypoid lube doesn't clunk..............
To me a drain and refill is the waste of time.
The bottom of that housing may hold stuff you can't get no matter how many cans of brake cleaner you go through.
Drain plugs are to help keep from making a mess when you pull the cover to actually clean and inspect. Not to suggest there's no reason to pull the cover because, hey, we have a drain plug.

Scary is when you remove the diff cover and there is a small pile of parts laying there. And the owner of the truck never said anything about having any issues.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Scary is when you remove the diff cover and there is a small pile of parts laying there. And the owner of the truck never said anything about having any issues.

The clunk in the pan I talked of ->

I put the piece back on the end of the axle to get a shot of where it came from - you can see the break.

 

[Mash5]

Can anyone tell me how much fluid I need to buy for a dif change?

 

[Chilli]

Now I'm happy to have a 2020 R

This is a fun & good topic.
Well done

 

[Hootbro]

Can anyone tell me how much fluid I need to buy for a dif change?

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