Ram Rear Diff Fluid Change
I just changed out the rear diff fluid on my Ram at 20k miles. Why on earth did Ram not put a drain plug on the rear diff cover? It turned a 10 minute job into an hour job having to take all those b...
Forum Discussion
Automotive differentials is one of the toughest applications for any gear box
Several thousand foot pounds of torque and very, very little or small
amount of lube...
Properly designed gearing will have the gear faces NOT go metal to metal,
but we all know it does go metal to metal too often...they why of that
magnet in there (or at least the better designed ones do)
The lube is supposed to have enough film strength to have the gear faces
ride on that film during 'normal' usage (to specifications)
Even one of the best magnets will NOT capture all or enough of the metal
floating in the lube...so getting as much (every last drop) out during
a flush is important
I like the diff's that have a drain plug on the bottom of the pumpkin,
but for off roading...it will get wacked off...so either pull the rear
cover or live with the drain plug higher to leave some lube left in there
Suggest loosening all the cover bolts and the bottom ones a bit more
than the ones on top...pry the bottom to break the seal and leave
your pry bar (screw driver) in there to hold it open...draining into
the catch pan
I normally go do something else on the vehicle while it drains this way
Then remove the cover and replace the gasket...or just retighten the
bolts if you have an O-ring or glued one side of the gasket like I do
ALWAYS use the best synthetic and highest weight lube listed in your
manual's lube page.
If no friction clutches in there, use one of the metal lube additives.
I like Molybdenum Disulfide powder and NOTE IF CLUTCHES in there, this
will ruin the friction material...as it is too slippery. Use the cheaper
stuff with a larger particulate size here
Several thousand foot pounds of torque and very, very little or small
amount of lube...
Properly designed gearing will have the gear faces NOT go metal to metal,
but we all know it does go metal to metal too often...they why of that
magnet in there (or at least the better designed ones do)
The lube is supposed to have enough film strength to have the gear faces
ride on that film during 'normal' usage (to specifications)
Even one of the best magnets will NOT capture all or enough of the metal
floating in the lube...so getting as much (every last drop) out during
a flush is important
I like the diff's that have a drain plug on the bottom of the pumpkin,
but for off roading...it will get wacked off...so either pull the rear
cover or live with the drain plug higher to leave some lube left in there
Suggest loosening all the cover bolts and the bottom ones a bit more
than the ones on top...pry the bottom to break the seal and leave
your pry bar (screw driver) in there to hold it open...draining into
the catch pan
I normally go do something else on the vehicle while it drains this way
Then remove the cover and replace the gasket...or just retighten the
bolts if you have an O-ring or glued one side of the gasket like I do
ALWAYS use the best synthetic and highest weight lube listed in your
manual's lube page.
If no friction clutches in there, use one of the metal lube additives.
I like Molybdenum Disulfide powder and NOTE IF CLUTCHES in there, this
will ruin the friction material...as it is too slippery. Use the cheaper
stuff with a larger particulate size here
