Differential oil (front & rear) replacement schedule?

I have 57K on my 2010 Tacoma 4x4 (6-cyl). The dealer reported replacing both differential oils at 30K. I don't tow/haul or use my truck off-road, only occasional use of 4WD in snow or on my steep back yard. Do those fluids really need to be replaced at 60K? Dealer will charge an extra $200 for 60K service with fluid change. Service rep said a lot of owners wait till 100K.

Thoughts on this? Thanks!

 

I just did mine at 28k and it took less than an hour to do them all.

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

75w-90 Mobil 1 synthetic gear oil from Amazon - $9/quart

6 pack of cold ones - $10

knowing it was done right - priceless

 

I would say to have them done. Diffs are one of the most neglected items on a truck, and one of the most important. I have always changed my gear oil every 30k and I've never experienced a problem with them on any car/truck I've owned. Don't forget the T-case too, just need oil and a handful of crushwashers.

 

30k - front diff, rear diff, and transfer case with amsoil severe gear.

I change my tranny fluid during this service as well.

 

Maybe I'm too lazy or cheap but when I change mine, I just wrap the threads of the plug with some Teflon tape. I've never replaced the crush washers and I don't have an seepage......well, on my truck anyway.

 

+1 for Amsoil Severe Gear 75W-90.

 

I changed mine early too with Redline 75W-90. I also re-used the gaskets with no leaks. Next one will get new gaskets.

Here is the complete six gasket set for $8.

$15 GENUINE TOYOTA GASKET KIT FOR TRANSFER AND DIFFERENTIAL SERVICE

https://www.amazon.com/GENUINE-TOYO...=1485954069&sr=8-2&keywords=toyota+gasket+kit

 

30K Redline 75-90 front, Redline 75-110 rear.
just FYI, one aggravation to doing this work is crappy hand pumps and the mess. I finally bought one of these: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200596412_200596412

Best $20 I ever spent. You just need to go slow near the end, or you will get a lot of drain back.

 

Do it yourself, it really is basic and easy. I use Mobil-1, I change my rear every 30K and I did the front and transfer at 60K. Front was pretty nasty but the transfer looked pretty fresh. The rear is always dirty after 30K.

I put 900-1,200 miles on in 4WD so far this winter so i'll probably change my front again before next winter.

 

It's really easy, just do yourself a favor and order all the washers. I ended up ordering all my service parts from Camel Toyota(a vender here) to get me through 90k.

I will say I am buying one of these for next time: https://www.motiveproducts.com/coll...tractors/products/powerfill-pro-1-gallon-tank

Saves on the mess and it'll still save money.

 

My dealership just quoted 460 for front and rear diff “service”. Is this just the oil change or do they do something else along with that? Way too much money for such a simple process.

 

Save your money and do it yourself so you can do more mods and or maintenance.....Go Team TW!

 

what else is there to do? I would think that’s just the fluid change. Doesn’t even include the t-case???

 

Do it your self

Buy the correct gear oil as mentioned

One quart hand pump

Just be sure you remove the fill plug first

Don't drain then can't for some reason get fill plug loose

New crush gaskets are a good idea...especially the drain

 

I don’t even know what else there is I was just so surprised by how high the quote was I thought there was something more. Definitely doing it myself!

 

And knowing it was actually done.

 

FWIW, my '06 2nd Gen has fluid service intervals as follows:

30K front & rear diffs, transfer case fluid change
100K Automatic Transmission fluid/filter change

These tasks are simple DIY jobs. Just takes some time, fluids with a few gaskets and a filter.


I would consider pushing the diffs and Xfer case to 33K, then these will match the Auto Tranny service interval.

 

I did the first tranny “drain and fill” at 17k (right after I purchased the truck used). The fluid (~4 quarts) looked in really good shape so that seemed to be too early of an interval. I performed the next “drain and fill” 30k miles later. For me that seems to be the correct interval for my peace of mind. But I don’t tow anything and seldom have >500 pound loads in the bed. I never sent the fluid to the lab for analysis, so I just went by color and smell. Part of my transmission anxiety comes from owning Hondas, with the tranny being one of their weaker links, so my fluid exchange interval is likely more extreme than most folks on this forum.

Since there is no dipstick the “drain and fill” process requires getting the tranny fluid up to a specific temperature then opening up the overflow drain port. If you search this forum you’ll find instructions how to do that.