Rear differential fluid

100% right. After doing it so many times, I've found a big piece of cardboard works great.

 

Buy a race car and watch how quick you give up on the “nice clean floor.”

It will morph into the *heavy sigh and trudge over to the 55 gallon container of cat litter*

 

This is amazing btw. I don't own a torque wrench tho. Can I just give it a good push and hope for the best or do I really need a two?

 

I sold motorcycles for years and we always told guys that once you go synthetic you have to stay synthetic. No clue where this started but had to do with slipping. Don't really remember how you could tell at the time of changing it if it was synthetic or not I think someone told me it was milky or something like that. No clue if any of that holds true. I'd be afraid to run synthetic this time and forget next time and f something up.

 

I’m a huge fan of Redline, I use all of their oils. Full synthetic polyol Ester base stocks, not much is comparable except maybe Motul.

You can get their gear oils for around $17, which I know is expensive for a lot of owners.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...MIocrDuY7q4AIVVYezCh0QLw0OEAQYASABEgL8D_D_BwE

The most affordable is Walmart Super Tech for less than $6.

 

@Frankenstein09 get some of this, and you'll be fine. follow the above directions, and you'll have no problems. Easy first wrenching job on your Taco

Mobil 1™ Synthetic Gear Lube LS

 

Get one of these, too

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fluid-Tran...382727997620?_trksid=p2385738.m4383.l4275.c10

 

I don't know about Mobil One or Royal Purple or any of the other synthetic gear oils, but there is no mistaken for Redline, either new or used.

 

@Frankenstein09 definitely look at what Grossomotto is recommending you buy. That lil hand pump will simplify the job quite a bit. Tilting a fluid bottle under your truck without spillage isn't very easy to do, unless you have access to a lift.

 

Brand doesn't matter

 

I’d get a torque wrench and a long breaker bar if I were you. The rear diff bolts can be pretty snug and might require a bit of leverage to remove. Harbor Freight always has $10 torque wrench deals. I use my 1/2” drive torque wrench solely as a ratcheting breaker bar, then use my 3/8” drive torque wrench to snug the bolts back on.

 

Explain me another logical reason why it leaked when no other factors else changed. Since there are a “million”

Truck is at 89403 miles as I write this and the fluid has been changed 4 times due to time moreso than any other factor— which so many people overlook.

Also explain to me why toyota’s fluid that comes in the little metal cans is conventional? Coincidence?

A company that sells people $2500 locker and gear assemblies (per axle) says I should run a certain fluid, which I can purchase by the case for less than $7 a quart, I don’t question it. Especially when I, myself had to purchase one of those $2000 differentials— although unexpectedly, it would sting even if I had planned it. You can see my interest in protecting my investment and possibly passing their good word on.

No reason for you to belittle it just because something different worked for you.

Whats the saying? “Your mileage may vary?”

 

All these folks are right....real easy to do. I used Mobil1 synthetic and it seems to do fine. Toyota's oil is super expensive. I had around 240K miles when I changed mine and when it started draining I wished I hadn't. The oil I drained looked like new oil. But it did have 240K miles.

 

I reckon so.

 

Yes, I do. When Installed my ARBs and lower gears at around 50,000 miles I installed a temperature probe because there were signs of overheating evident on the parts we removed. I tried a number of synthetics and dino oils. The differences between the various synthetics were small, but they were all over 20 degrees cooler than the dino oils. I tested these at the same ambient temp, and after carefully driving the same moderate mountain pass at the same 55 mph speed. The harder the diff is pushed, the greater the difference. These diffs are small for the power they transmit, and they are prone to heat build up. I also used an infrared thermometer, but the probe gave minute by minute accuracy. No way I'd run dino oil in this diff, or any modern diff. The really old cast diffs (like from the 60's and 70's) would often weep synthetic oil right through the casting. Modern castings and seals don't leak unless something else is wrong.

 

I think I'll invest in a harbor freight torque wrench but I'm to cheap to buy a one time use pump. I've got a little hillbilly in my bloodline so I have a good sense of red neck engineering.

 

Question for you guys. I have a 2015 TRD Sport, and was wondering if using the the Mobil 1 Synthetic LS gear lube would be an issue? I know there isn't an LS label on my rear differential as I've seen on some other posts.

 

You dont need a pump for the rear if you lower your spare tire. The pump is pretty much mandatory to fill a front diff though.

 

Everytime you drove it was the same temperature outside?

 

I was hoping someone was gonna post this. And I bet no one has taken the time to really read it, because it's an excellent document. I trust ECGS as the authority on all things differential, since that's kinda their thing.