Changing differential fluid - A step by step "HOW TO"

I'm kind of confused. First post is contradicting.i have a 09 sr5 do I need lsd additive?

 

doesn't it depend on if he has a LSD?

 

2009 and newer trd sports do not have mechanical LSD's. They use the brakes to act as a LS.

 

oh i see, i thought he had a regular sr5, and even then i think you're right

 

Every 30 thousand miles it says to replace it but in parentheses it says for 4wd and prerunners with lsd's only. I looked all the way up to 120k miles and it has that every time. It just says to inspect it every 30k miles.

 

Well I found my way to oriellys today. Picked up motor oil and I picked up 7 bottles of this. Look good?

 

I changed the front and rear differential fluid and x-fer case fluid today in my 09 TRD OR. I had 29555 miles on it when I changed it. Used Mobil-1

$29 75W-90 Synthetic Gear Lube - 1 Quart (Pack of 2)

75W-90. Thanks to Chris 4X4 and brianr fro putting this thread together and hanging with everyone's questions through 55 pages - of which I read every one. It took more time to read through it all than to do the actual work. The rear looked good, the x-fer case looked new, but the front looked like crap. I know you can't judge by looks....

The front bolts were put on by some gorilla, but the rear and x-fer case came off easily. The magnets had the typical crud on them, nothing to get worked up about. Put new crush washers on while I was at it. All told, I spent about $53.00 for the materials. Advance Auto Parts gave me a 20% discount. Sweet!

Thanks again for the great thread and keep up the great work guys.

 

Where did you get the crush gaskets?

 

The local dealership. The p/n's and quantities are:

$14 12157-10010 Toyota Oil Drain Plug Crushable Steel Gaskets Set of 10 OEM 12157-10010

12157-10010 - Need 3 2 for rear diff and 1 for front diff fill plug.
90430-18008 - Need 2 both for the T Case.

$3 90430-24003 Front Differential Drain Plug Gasket

90430-24003 - Need 1 for front diff drain plug.

 

Thanks for that. Ill be going to the dealer tomorrow to get those tomorrow. I dont want to go to put fluid in and see my washers are crap and have no way to get to dealer.

 

Should I use that synthetic oil I bought or save some money take it back and get dino oil? i paid 100$ for 7 bottles

 

I changed the rear and the transfer case today. Oil looked pretty good in both. I had to use an impact wrench to get the filler plug off rear differential.

When I tried to fill the rear, it only took about 2.7 quarts after about a half hour of filling. My manual says:
short chassis: 2.8 quarts
xtra long chassis: 3.1 quarts

I have an extended cab- 2 doors, front seats slide forward to access 2 small seats behind. Is this a short or extra long chassis?

I thought maybe the oil needed to work in a bit, so capped the plug and drove up and down the street a few times. I definitely heard some growling when shifting.

Do I need more oil in the rear? I used Valvoline 75w90...

 

Were you on level / flat surface?

If yes....Was the oil coming out of the fill hole?

You can't and shouldn't put more in the diff after it starts oozing out of the fill hole. That's why the fill hole is located where it is...so you can't over fill it.

What do you mean by 'growling' in the rear? You have a 2004 and no LSD.....

 

I let it sit another half hour while I ate lunch, then removed the fill plug again. Case is full of oil. I tightened everything up and took another test drive on the highway. No problems. I thought I heard/felt something before, (growling briefly when going to second the first time and downshifting back into first when slowing to a stop), but nothing the second time.

I was on flat ground/level. Oil was coming out of the hole. I added less than 2.8 quarts. Guess I don't have an extra long chassis...

When folks changed the front, did you use the pump to fill or were you able to do it out of the bottle?

Cheers

 

Dude, I spent $48.88 on Mobile-1, full syn. I used Advance Auto Parts online with a A123 discount code. That knocked $20.00 off the original price. Unless the oil you bought has gold in it, take it back. And make sure you get the correct type of oil and additive, if needed. All that information is on page 1 of this post.

 

I use a 'thingy' lol that I bought from the auto store. It's a clear hose about 12" (a guess) long. It should screw directly onto the bottles of oil. Gives you the ability to tilt the bottle upwards.

 

Love the technical name

 

i used amsoil... it worked really well