Replacing Rear Diff Fluid

[Exproblems]

how about the front is it just as easy?

Yes, just a little different way to change it. No drain plug on the front axle, but there is a "fill plug" that you remove and you have to use a hand or an electric pump to remove the old gear oil. Stick the tubing from the pump into the fill hole as deep as you can get it in the diff and pump away. Once you get all or most of the old gear oil out, reverse the pump setup and connect it to a new bottle of gear oil and pump it in thru that fill plug. Hand pumps allow you to screw the pump right on to the bottle and you run the fill tubing into the fill hole. You can buy them at parts stores for around $8-$10. Pump the new gear oil into the hole and once it starts to backup and run out of the hole, the diff is full, re-install the plug. The vehicle needs to be level when you do this, same for both front and rear. Front diff fill plug torque is 20 ft lbs for a V-6, and 18 ft lbs for the V-8. Rear diff fill plug torque is 25 ft lbs, do not have the torque setting for the rear drain plug. Just don't over tighten it.

 

[JoshMcMadMac]

So I should add it even though I do not have the limited slip differential? The post I read say only to add it if you have limited slip which I do not.
Thanks.

I interpreted your "non-slip" to mean "limited-slip" as you did not simply state that it is not a limited-slip differential. Miscommunication is all.

 

[gcbimmer]

I interpreted your "non-slip" to mean "limited-slip" as you did not simply state that it is not a limited-slip differential. Miscommunication is all.

Edited the post. Don't want to confuse anyone...thanks.

The humming is still there, maybe louder and now I am on to the transfer case and then on to the front differential. Picked up Mobile 1 atf for the TC and Redline 75w 90 for the front diff.

 

[gcbimmer]

Changing TC fluid now....?

I am changing the transfer case fluid right now. Fluid came out of the fill plug when I removed it. The car is still warm. I had the same thing with the rear diff with fluid coming out of the fill plug when removed. Is this normal?

 

[gcbimmer]

Changed the TC fluid and still making noise. Brought it to an indy and they said the rear end is going. He used to have a guy that repaired them, but the guy retired. Not sure if I want to sink alot in the money to it. I've read of people driving with the humming for quite a while. How long can the rear end last with this isssue....I know there is no sure way to know, but could it go another 500 or 5k or 10k miles and just be noisy?

Thanks.

 

[tmaher]

my '03 XLT had same whine. i replaced the diff fluid with no change. Then i read on this forum about bad hub bearings. rear whine was awful. I could wiggle the right rear wheel while the left rear showed hardly any play. So, i replaced the right side and the noise reduced significantly. Replacement requires pressing out bearing from hub and pressing new back in. took it to a local shop. it was a bear. took over an hour to get the old one out. had to torch it. Not to mention the time to R+R the hub.