Icehaus Dave
New Member
- Joined
- December 22, 2005
- Messages
- 2
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Vallejo, CA
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- '95 Explorer XLT
Guys, I started spinning wrenches a long time ago and have a lot of experience with Euro cars & heavy eqmt. However, my girfriend has a great little '95 Explorer, 4x4 with the D4, 3.73 diff which is begiing to humm of late. I got concerned and checked the rear diff fluid and voila, it was almost empty. This was a year ago and I did the following.
SOOO, I take the rear cover off and it doesn't look real bad. As a former heavy eqmt. mechanic, I've seen a lot worse. The magnetic plug has a light dusting of very small metal shards. I clean everything out and reinstall the rear cover. I place two good size magnets on the outside of the rear cover off to the right of the ring gear & fill it with some good synthetic 85w-140 HD hypoid lube. The objective was to immobilize any remaining debris and prolong the life of the diff a bit. It still humms, but not as bad as before.
Fast forward to a year later...today. We are getting ready to take a 5,400 mile trip to fetch-up a vintage Airstream trailer. Being a belt and suspenders kind of guy, I'm crawling thru all of the usual get-ready stuff like oil change, fluid checking, tire pressure and overall just-be-smart stuff. I decide to recheck the front and rear diff fluids. the rear magnetic plug has a concentration of small to good size (largest about 1/8 inch) chunks of metal shards on it. Not a bunch, but enuf to make me go HUH? I clean it off and assume that the other magnets likely have immobilized a similar collection of shards. I choose however, to leave the rear case on, since it is Christmas eve and I don't have enuf diff oil to R&R the diff cover. The magnets can hold what they have for soem time with no problem.
I will be hitting the road next weekend to go get the Airstream in Alabama (from CA). The trip out is without a load. The trip back is with the 3,000 lb. trailer behind us. (We have the towing package) I'm a little concerned about the trip back.
I would enjoy your opinions about the longevity of the diff. My experience with other diffs tells me that a diff takes a long time to go out alltogether, so I'd likely be OK wiht the diff as is, as long as I keep it lubricated. I can put up with the hum, as long as the satellite radio works.
So that's the background on this thing. What'ya think? How tough are these diffs? Take the trip or rent a truck? Or just hold off until we get a new vehicle? (much later as finances are not favorable right now)
Dave
SOOO, I take the rear cover off and it doesn't look real bad. As a former heavy eqmt. mechanic, I've seen a lot worse. The magnetic plug has a light dusting of very small metal shards. I clean everything out and reinstall the rear cover. I place two good size magnets on the outside of the rear cover off to the right of the ring gear & fill it with some good synthetic 85w-140 HD hypoid lube. The objective was to immobilize any remaining debris and prolong the life of the diff a bit. It still humms, but not as bad as before.
Fast forward to a year later...today. We are getting ready to take a 5,400 mile trip to fetch-up a vintage Airstream trailer. Being a belt and suspenders kind of guy, I'm crawling thru all of the usual get-ready stuff like oil change, fluid checking, tire pressure and overall just-be-smart stuff. I decide to recheck the front and rear diff fluids. the rear magnetic plug has a concentration of small to good size (largest about 1/8 inch) chunks of metal shards on it. Not a bunch, but enuf to make me go HUH? I clean it off and assume that the other magnets likely have immobilized a similar collection of shards. I choose however, to leave the rear case on, since it is Christmas eve and I don't have enuf diff oil to R&R the diff cover. The magnets can hold what they have for soem time with no problem.
I will be hitting the road next weekend to go get the Airstream in Alabama (from CA). The trip out is without a load. The trip back is with the 3,000 lb. trailer behind us. (We have the towing package) I'm a little concerned about the trip back.
I would enjoy your opinions about the longevity of the diff. My experience with other diffs tells me that a diff takes a long time to go out alltogether, so I'd likely be OK wiht the diff as is, as long as I keep it lubricated. I can put up with the hum, as long as the satellite radio works.
So that's the background on this thing. What'ya think? How tough are these diffs? Take the trip or rent a truck? Or just hold off until we get a new vehicle? (much later as finances are not favorable right now)
Dave
