Lubricated for life???

[Yankeesfan]

So I was going to change the fluids in both the front and rear diffs this weekend and was checking the haynes manual to make sure all my i's were dotted and t's crossed when I came upon a curious statement. In the Haynes manual, with regards to 1995 and later exploders, it stated that the diffs are "lubricated for life" and should not need changing. Obviously, it goes on to explain how to change the fluid but what gives?

Is this really the case or is it a good idea to change out the fluid?

I am guessing the later since my X has 190k on it now.

 

[Dan Whitaker]

To change the fluid in the front diff you have to completely remove the front axle. The back is easy as long as you can get the fill plug out.

Yes with 190k you need to change the diff fluid.

 

[wpurple]

You can remove the fluid from the front diff with a fluid pump thru the fill hole.

 

[yellowford]

You can remove the fluid from the front diff with a fluid pump thru the fill hole.

The problem with this is you will not be able to get nearly all of the old fluid out so it almost defeats the purpose.

 

[my98nnj]

The problem with this is you will not be able to get nearly all of the old fluid out so it almost defeats the purpose.

The glass is half empty?

The hand pump method works great! Repeat the process after a week or so if you really want a nice flush of the old fluid.

 

[Dan Whitaker]

The glass is half empty?

The hand pump method works great! Repeat the process after a week or so if you really want a nice flush of the old fluid.

The problem is if there is any metal shavings, problems with the ring & pinion, bearings or seals you can't see them using this method. With 190k you need to inspect the ring & pinion as well as the bearings and seals.

 

[dogfriend]

In the Haynes manual, with regards to 1995 and later exploders, it stated that the diffs are "lubricated for life" and should not need changing.

They are lubricated for life, but the life will be longer with regular fluid changes. :

 

[IZwack]

For those that dont believe in the tube-suction-through-fill-plug maneuver, you can also unbolt the front differential cover and let the gunk out. I dont think the cover will come out all the way and you will have a tough time cleaning the gasket material on the housing's "face" before putting on a new gasket - but its doable (my brother did this), just takes a lot of time and you pretty much have to get the front tires off of the ground to give you some room to work under.

But as for me, I just went with the tube suction thing -- even though the front differential is rotating, there's not as much torque being applied to the front axle so the amount of gray gunk that results from the mileage shouldnt be as much as the rear axle.

With 190k you need to inspect the ring & pinion as well as the bearings and seals.

That would require a complete tear down because of the pinion bearings - you would need to remove not only the carrier, but also the pinion in order to inspect the races. At that point, you might as well rebuild since you already have 95% of the items removed from the axle housing (including removing the front axle housing from the vehicle).

 

[2000StreetRod]

limited slip?

My owner's manual says to replace the axle lubricant every 150,000 miles unless it is synthetic then never. The limited slip rear axle stock lubricant was synthetic with a friction additive.

 

[bluestream1]

In the Haynes manual, with regards to 1995 and later exploders, it stated that the diffs are "lubricated for life" and should not need changing. Obviously, it goes on to explain how to change the fluid but what gives?

Is this really the case or is it a good idea to change out the fluid?

Do not believe Ford on the "Lubed for Life" BS. That is nothing but marketing propaganda. Change the oil as soon as possible. Once it starts to make noise, and it will, it's too late...

 

[eXcali]

I've changed the fluid on the front just fine with the suction hose method. I replaced it with cheap gear-oil and ran it for a couple weeks, then drained again and filled up with quality gear oil. With the suction method you get about 90-95% of any old oil/residue out. Also check the fluid types, a couple years ago Ford put out word that the stock fluid should be replaced with a heavier oil on 2nd and 3rd Gens, this might not be updated in your manual, I know it wasn't in mine.

 

[jay3253]

VW has lube for life in their manuals also BUT it is the life of the guarantee not the life of the vehicle. I would assume Ford is the same way.

 

[bluestream1]

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1169708