Front/Rear Diff Service - DIY

[WILDHOBO]

Yes mine is 9/20 model year 21 and it has the bottom diff drain plugs

Mine too.

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[WILDHOBO]

Meh, ain't no biggie. I have a 2020 with 156k miles and has yet to have the pumpkin oil changed. Or the tranny for that matter. Then again, she's a road queen and hasn't seen mud in at least two months.

I’d change the diff oil for sure. That’s a lot of miles, road or not.

 

[SaiintNick]

I’d change the diff oil for sure. That’s a lot of miles, road or not.

I might have missed it and am definitely too lazy to look it up in the manual, but when should the diff oil be changed? I'm at 26K miles and live in the desert.

 

[Hootbro]

I might have missed it and am definitely too lazy to look it up in the manual, but when should the diff oil be changed? I'm at 26K miles and live in the desert.

I will do it for you but I want a finders fee.

 

[g2020]

when should the diff oil be changed? I'm at 26K miles and live in the desert.

For a new vehicle that is used as a daily driver (no off-road use or trailer towing), a very good service advisor at my selling dealer recommended changing the differential fluid in both axles at 30K mi.

For a daily driver, or normal driving, the owner's manual ("the book") says do an inspection at 20K mi and then every 40K mi thereafter. Also, the book does not provide a specific fluid change service interval for normal driving. After the first fluid change, I recommend that you follow the service interval for severe duty (every 40K mi), inspect the fluid, and determine whether it needs to be changed (which is what the book shows, but doesn't explain).

For severe duty, the book says inspect the fluid every 20K mi and change the fluid every 40K mi. Others have already commented on this.

In practice, the rear usually needs to be changed more often than the front.

Info pieced together from the owner's manual (not much help for a daily driver):

 

[SaiintNick]

For a new vehicle that is used as a daily driver (no off-road use), a very good service advisor at my selling dealer recommended changing the differential fluid in both axles at 30K mi. After that, I believe that the guidance from the dealer, for a daily driver, is every 60K mi.

Also, the book says do an inspection at 20K mi.

For severe duty, the book says change the fluid every 40K mi. Others have already commented in on this.

In practice, the rear usually needs to be changed more often than the front.

Info pieced together from the owner's manual (not much help for a daily driver):

Appreciate that. I think I will do it at 30K miles.

 

[Stan H]

I might have missed it and am definitely too lazy to look it up in the manual, but when should the diff oil be changed? I'm at 26K miles and live in the desert.

40k

 

[Maximus Gladius]

when should the diff oil be changed?

Annually or every year, which ever comes first.

 

[Stan H]

T

Annually or every year, which ever comes first.

His is a good rule of thumb, and as previously mentioned 40k min. If used for towing ,offroad applications.

 

[WILDHOBO]

I might have missed it and am definitely too lazy to look it up in the manual, but when should the diff oil be changed? I'm at 26K miles and live in the desert.

Depends on driving style. I don’t remember what the manual says, but I do it any time I’ve done a water crossing. Sometimes I do it before a long hard trip where I know they’ll be working hard. I alternate between drain and fill without pulling the cover, and pulling the cover to inspect. I think both of mine have been done around 4 times in 85k miles.

 

[JTGuy]

Changing oil early never hurts.

 

[SaiintNick]

Changing oil early never hurts.

Thats how I feel especially in the desert. Every 4-5K usually 4K.

 

[PDACPA]

Was quoted $429 for front differential and another $429 for the rear differential by the dealer. Not a job I want to tackle. Prices out of line? They also wanted to do the transfer case for $479 but they never read their history and I had a leak and it was done under warranty.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Was quoted $429 for front differential and another $429 for the rear differential by the dealer. Not a job I want to tackle. Prices out of line? They also wanted to do the transfer case for $479 but they never read their history and I had a leak and it was done under warranty.

Way out of line. Diffs take about 20 minutes each.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Was quoted $429 for front differential and another $429 for the rear differential by the dealer. Not a job I want to tackle. Prices out of line? They also wanted to do the transfer case for $479 but they never read their history and I had a leak and it was done under warranty.

And they are very easy to do, as is the transfer case. Let me know if it’s something you want help with. Easy to walk you through it. And no expensive tools needed.

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