04 Explorer differential oil change.

75K on truck - Would like to change gear oil on both F/R Diff's - Typical minor hum in rear diff - Plan on using Red Line 80-140 Syn gear oil - Find listings for rear diff gasket, but nothing for front - I assume both F/R use the same gasket - What can I expect from front diff - I have heard anything from dropping the front diff to no problem, cover comes right off - Any Suggestions/comments welcome - Thanks - Ed

As far as the gasket goes, i've always just used ultra black rtv sealant with no problems whatsoever.

And for the front, if the 04's are like the 98's, (pretty sure they are, typical ifs) you cannot remove the cover without dropping the axle or crossmember, you just can't get to it. The best way to do it IMO is just to use an oil pump or any other siphon setup and pump the old out and then pump the new in.
Hope this helps

Welcome to this forum! I've moved your thread to the transmissions, transfer cases, and differentials section. See if WWW.RockAuto.Com has one. Maybe Felpro makes the gasket?

No need for a gasket. RTV BLACK and nothing more. Make sure both surfaces are clean and dry, apply the sealant, install the cover, and LET IT CURE BEFORE REFILLING!! A couple hours is good, overnight is better.

It worked like that for the first 75,000 mile, didn't it?

i have an '04, looked at the front and went with the siphon method, its tucked like 1-2" of clearance. Rear has a drain plug. I used 80-90w Mobile 1 front and 70-140w rears. Although i hear you can use the 70-140 for both.

jrford said:

i have an '04, looked at the front and went with the siphon method, its tucked like 1-2" of clearance. Rear has a drain plug. I used 80-90w Mobile 1 front and 70-140w rears. Although i hear you can use the 70-140 for both.

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Depends on the specific year... Ford has changed their axle lube requirements several times over the years, and they have even assigned specific lube weights to specific configurations within the same year. In my 98, for example, the owner's manual is so ambiguous, I'm having a difficult time figuring out what the heck they want me to use!? As best I can figure, 3.27 or 3.55 open rears get 80W90. Limited slips call for friction modifier, and 3.73 or 4.10 rear ends call for 75W140 synthetic lube... Heck, I'm half-convinced you could run vegetable oil in the rear end and it would be fine in a pinch!!