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

Anyone?

 

Were you low on oil that you needed to add some?

How much did you add?

The diffs require

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

75W-90, so you'll be fine. Assuming you didn't over fill it.

 

When I swapped out the axles I lost a bit, between a quarter or half of a quart. Just filled it with the 80w90 GL5 I had available until a drop spilled over. I'd say maybe half a quart and i doubt it was that much possibly less.

 

Hi everyone! I have a 2004 double cab tacoma. My son is bugging me to change my differential fluid. I know what's involved but just wonder if this is an easy job for him. He's pretty mechanical but has never done it.

 

If you think he is capable and have the tools then let him get after it. A quality 6pt socket and a breakover bar are ideal. Some use a impact also. Make sure you break the fill plug loose first and then the drain.

 

Quick question: When doing the rear diff, do I still need the LSD additive if I use Mobil 1

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

75W-90 LS oil? I have a 2011 Sport, presumably with LSD.

Thanks in advance.

 

2009 and up don't have mechanical LSD so no additive.

 

Thanks for the write-up, when I did the front diff I put the front end on ramps to give me more room under there, do you think that was ok?

 

Do I need to redo it?

 

Thanks Chris

 

i bought my truck off a friend's lease buyout and before selling the vehicle he had all the fluids flushed and replaced for me. when the service interval came up i decided to change the differential and transfer case fluids and learned that the lube place that did it the last time completely torqued the hell out of the drain plug as well as stripping it beyond function grrrrr.
now i need to conjure up a strategy to remove the plug so i can remove and replace the fluids. anybody that's done this have an idea whether the plug is steel or aluminum? i'll just weld a nut on it if it's steel and replace the plugs on the front and rear.

 

best news of the day! thanks mang.

 

Any thoughts on of this is okay? I don't know when the last time the fluid was changed and I'm almost at 100k.

After

 

Awesome. Thanks for the reply. I just wanted to make sure I didn't have shards breaking off my gears or anything

 

Just did the rear diff thanks to this write-up.

Also got the discount from Advance thanks to this write-up.

Only problem was I ordered online, got the discount and went to pick it up and the girl at the counter had them boxed and ready. I pulled two quarts out of the box and looked at them to make sure it was the right stuff.

Well dumbass me didn't look at all of them (I got 6 to do everything).

Got home and started filling. I got one quart in by just squeezing it in, no need for the pump on the rear diff, IMO. Anyway. I open quart #2 and as I go to get the already snipped cap from the first one I notice it says 90-140!!

FUUUCCCKK!! I already put one quart in and sure enough the other one I just opened is also 90-140. She had given me 3 of each.

I actually thought about draining it back in to the quart container lol. But I just drained it in to the pan and chalked it up to my own stupidity as well as the girl at Advance. There goes my discount.

At least my motorcycle (shaft drive) uses 90-140 for its rear drive so I can use the quart I opened for that. So I wasted one quart.

Other than that it was a piece of cake.

I did have my rear tires up on 3 in. blocks to give me a little more room to work and I got all 3 quarts in without it starting to come out. It's right there at the bottom of the fill hole, just not overflowing yet because of the very slight angle the truck is sitting on. There won't be an issue with that will there? (please say no, please say no)

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