Metal shavings in Rear Diff Plug? Normal?

Did my transfer, front and rear today. Front was milky/black with moderate metal on the drain plug (consistency of muck), transfer was clean as a whistle (like new oil), and rear was black with more muck on the plug like the front. BUT the rear drain plug also had two large metal shavings on it (see picture). Is this normal?

Truck has 31k miles, first gear oil change. I've only owned it since 28k miles.

 

Normal from the rear diff breaking in. The plug is magnetic and meant to attract any shavings.

 

those metal shavings dont look good.... small shavings are normal... big ones like that, may be a little different.

is your truck under warranty?
but honestly, if its not under warranty, that would be a drive it till it breaks type thing. it could go tomorrow, it might last forever. really depends where the shavings come from.

 

They are rather large. If it's under warranty I'd bring it in and have it checked.

 

Under warranty till 7years/100k... Bought the extended from dealer a few months back when I bought the truck certified from Toyota.

They aren't very substantial, very thin metal shavings. Truck drives smooth as butter in all drive modes, locked and open.

 

It depends on what you mean by normal. Normal driving then no it is not normal. Hard driving, yes it may be normal, but even so it is not a good kind of normal. You might want to pull the punkin and clean the housing out as you inspect you third member. To be honest by the picture those look like manufacturing chips. Perhaps the differential housing was not cleaned out properly after it was machined.

 

Would have just about zero idea of what look for if I pulled the cover... Guess I'll see what Toyota thinks. Under warranty, but not optimistic about what their response will be. They always have some bs excuse for everything...

I don't drive it too hard, but do get it dirty and will step on the skinny pedal if needed/wanted. Never really done any hard work in 4WD or locked (since I've owned it). Pretty sure previous owner didn't either as the under body was clean as whistle when I bought her.

 

id take her to the dealer.

think they will hassel you since you did the oil change and not them?

i hate dealerships.

 

Funny you ask, bc I had the maintainence plan as well but when they wouldn't change the gear oils under it (after original dealer said they would) I got the plan cancelled and refunded.

 

Well the search function helps too, which I know, so go easy...

According to the consensus in these threads, it seems to be normal metal shavings from the factory drill tapping that collect on the magnetic plug as they should.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2n...rmal-have-metal-shavings-rear-diff-fluid.html

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2n...xcessive-amount-metal-shavings-rear-diff.html

 

Sorry, corrected post