Front Diff and Transfer Case Oil Change Howto

Do u need to add lsd additive to the front diff? Thanks in advance

 

No.

 

you should have ATRAC, which is way better than LSD for offroad... ATRAC uses your brakes independently to slow any wheel that's spinning excessively, allowing the other wheels to grip.

 

Does anyone know if the rear differential drain plug needs a new washer for a 2014 Tacoma V-6? I had to replace the washer on my 2001 Tacoma V-6, but couldnt find anything about a washer replacement.

Thanks!

 

So I did the change over the weekend using Royal Purple 75w90:

Rear diff was a bit milky...easy to change went smoothly.
Transfer case oil was clean and the change was painless.
Front diff I could not budge the drain plug. Way over-torqued from factory and I've ordered a replacement plug and now I'm trying to decide if I'll try again or just take it someplace with a lift and let them do it.

 

just about any drain plug has a crush washer.. most of these are copper, and are intended to be single use, but I've read you can anneal them and reuse them in a pinch.

 

Look at post #868, I listed what style of washer and its part # for which diff and transfer case and their torque specs. I have a 2013, I'm not 100% sure on your 2014, but I can't imagine they would be different. Unfortunately 3 different types are used. 2 are aluminum (transfer case) 2 are crush on the rear diff, and the front diff fill plug takes a crush style and the front diff drain plug takes a copper washer. Amazon has the cheapest prices I could find and if I'm not mistaken I think they have a "bundle" package with all 3 types. I did both diffs and transfer case and replaced all washers, just for my piece of mind. Probably not a big deal for the aluminum or the copper washers, as they are just flat, but the crush are just that, they "crush" down when you torque them correctly creating a type of seal so you don't develop a leak. Hope this helps

 

The 2016 manual says 75w85 GL-5 for the diffs and 75w for the T-case. I'm guessing any 75w90 GL-5 is ok in the diffs (like Royal Purple, Mobil 1) and what about the T-CASE? Are you guys running the 75w90 oil in the T-cases as well? Or was there a specification change in 2016?

I did notice the manual wasn't too specific about grade or qualifications of the 75w oil in the T-case... i.e no GL-5 etc. I'm guessing the T-case is not that picky.

 

I finally got my front diff drain plug out and the oil changed. New plug and all is good. The dealer declined to pay for the new plug/gasket even though it was way over torqued from factory.

 

Just finished my second front/rear differential and transfer case fluid change on my 2012 - 94,000 miles. The rear oil was dark and the others slightly dark. Used Mobel 1 for both changes. This time I purchased a drill powered fluid pump off of Amazon and the thing is awesome (hated the little plastic bottle top hand pumps). Check for this pump "master ratchet fluid pump" made by PBT, comes with hoses and case. You need to buy the cordless drill sleeve/holder as well. This pump works great and makes the job quick and who doesn't like to buy a new tool.

 

^^That pump looks pretty damn cool. However, for as often as we do this... I'll stick with the $10 pain in the ass pump.

 

I plan on doing my 2013 4 cyl Tacoma Prerunner this weekend...I think the manual calls for 75w-85w gear oil, but it seems hard to find. Is 75w-90w ok to use?

 

I used

$30 75w-90 Synthetic Gear Lube - 1 Quart (Pack of 2)

75w-90 Mobil 1 in my rear diff, Lucas 75w-90 in my transfer case, and Royal Purple 75w-90 in my front diff. Only used 3 different types because that's all they had. I think 75w-90 is fine to use if you can't find the 75w-85 the manual calls for. I'm no expert or certified mechanic though, might wanna get more opinions

 

Thanks Fox...any friction modifiers need to be added or just straight Mobile 1

$30 75w-90 Synthetic Gear Lube - 1 Quart (Pack of 2)

75w-90 ?

 

the differential oil should be GL-5 rated 75W90. LiquiMoly or Redline would be my choices.

 

Not from everything I have read. My TRD OR 4x4 w/ ATRAC and rear locking diff doesn't require any additive. Check with your dealer (not my first suggestion) or check the manual. Also BamaToy is a great source of knowledge and could answer more definitively. I believe with the newer models no additives or special blends are required, but again, that's just what I have read, I advise doing some research on your model, as I have been wrong (ask my wife) before

 

Just did both differentials and transfer case on my 4x4 2.7L. I bought the car with 68k miles and its currently at 73k miles. No idea if previous owner ever changed the oil so I decided to flush them for peace of mind.

I went out and bought 6 replacement washers from toyota, 6 qts of

$30 Mobil 1 75w90 Mobil 1 104361 75W-90 Synthetic Gear Lube - 1 Quart (Pack of 2)

Mobil 1 75w90 oil, a cheap pump from AutoZone, and a breaker bar in case the bolts were tricky. Whole job took me about 3 hours taking my time. I had no problem loosening the bolts with my torque wrench. Rear differential and transfer case oil looked totally fine. The front was very dark with some sludge.

If your hesitant about doing this, don't be. Its a super easy job that anyone who can loosen/tighten bolts can perform. I highly advise getting a cheap pump for the oil. I attempted to use a funnel and made a huge mess.

 

Did the rest diff this evening. Easy job

 

Taking the rear nut wasn't easy but got it done. It didn't look bad at all. No metal shavings. The fluid from the transfer case looks brand new. I decided to hold off the front since I didn't want to deal with taking off the skid plate. The guy at Toyota said I don't need to do it this early since I don't 4 wheel that often. After seeing the fluid from the transfer case, that's the only thing holding me back from doing the front.

 

When I did mine the font fluid was by far the dirtiest with the most sludge.