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Differential oil change

Mike8194

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I did my first change with Royal Purple 75-90 on the rear at 5k. I have the tow package, but rarely tow, and at most, a utility trailer. Mine's been perfect. The original was pretty black at 5 K so I'm glad I got it done.

G.
Likely not 75W-140, more likely 80/85W-90 based upon the UOAs I did on my Rubicon which has the towing package and should have been 75W-140, but it wasn't.
Thanks, good to know. Think I will go ahead and do mine now. I found this video, that looks to be a pretty good tutorial.

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DanW

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I just changed rear gear lube after break-in with 4.56 rings/pinions. Out came the 80w90 and in went a mixed brew of 1 quart 75w90 Valvoline and 0.6 quarts of Wally World Supertech full syn 75w140. I did the mix just to get rid of old stock from my stash. I'll run it for about 5k and then swap it out for probably Valvoline 75w140. I had about 1300 miles on the break-in lube.

With the FAD, do the front ring/pinion gears move when in 2wd? If not, then I'm going to wait a good while to change out the break in gear lube up front.

Back to the rear.....there were A LOT of iron shavings on the magnets. With the ARB cover, there is a drain plug with a VERY powerful magnet, along with the stock drain plug and its magnet. Here are the pics.....

Stock plug:

Jeep Wrangler JL Differential oil change PXL_20210829_213318069


And ARB plug..... It is not ball shaped. That's just a ball of iron shavings!

Jeep Wrangler JL Differential oil change PXL_20210829_214349424
 

mwilk012

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With the FAD, do the front ring/pinion gears move when in 2wd? If not, then I'm going to wait a good while to change out the break in gear lube up front.
If they move at all, it is not under any load. However, the spider gears are spinning like hell all the time.
 

DanW

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If they move at all, it is not under any load. However, the spider gears are spinning like hell all the time.
Ok, I'm trying to decide when to change the break-in gear oil in the front differential. I'm guessing that means the bearings are turning all the time if the spider gears are? (I don't know much about how differentials work)
 

mwilk012

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Ok, I'm trying to decide when to change the break-in gear oil in the front differential. I'm guessing that means the bearings are turning all the time if the spider gears are? (I don't know much about how differentials work)
Nope. The left and right spider gears are splined onto the axle shaft. In the front, wheel and axle bearings will be the only ones turning under normal operation. The carrier and pinion bearings will sit relatively still.

For break in, find a nice long straight road and put it in 4H. Drive normally. Take out of 4wd to turn.
 

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DanW

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Nope. The left and right spider gears are splined onto the axle shaft. In the front, wheel and axle bearings will be the only ones turning under normal operation. The carrier and pinion bearings will sit relatively still.

For break in, find a nice long straight road and put it in 4H. Drive normally. Take out of 4wd to turn.
Got it. I did exactly that on a gravel road a couple times. I'm going to leave it in there until after the first off-road trip where I'm in 4wd for awhile. Thank you!
 

CarbonSteel

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Got it. I did exactly that on a gravel road a couple times. I'm going to leave it in there until after the first off-road trip where I'm in 4wd for awhile. Thank you!
@DanW - I have also read that you can pull the front driveshaft and drive it in 4H. The FAD will engage and both axle shafts will turn including the ring and pinion gears. While it will not be under powered load, it is better than occasional jaunts in 4H under load. The good news is the front axle break-in is not nearly as critical as the rear because it never sees the heat and load levels the rear one does.

Although I did not much care for the issues that I had with mine (both axles and driveshaft turning even in 2h), I do like the fact that it did break-in for about 1000 miles. I had my gears REM isotropic polished so (as we chatted about), I am waiting to see if the break-in metals are reduced from what the OEM was to know if the process lives up to the hype.
 

DanW

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@DanW - I have also read that you can pull the front driveshaft and drive it in 4H. The FAD will engage and both axle shafts will turn including the ring and pinion gears. While it will not be under powered load, it is better than occasional jaunts in 4H under load. The good news is the front axle break-in is not nearly as critical as the rear because it never sees the heat and load levels the rear one does.

Although I did not much care for the issues that I had with mine (both axles and driveshaft turning even in 2h), I do like the fact that it did break-in for about 1000 miles. I had my gears REM isotropic polished so (as we chatted about), I am waiting to see if the break-in metals are reduced from what the OEM was to know if the process lives up to the hype.
Good to know! I think I'm going to go off-road this weekend down at Turkey Bay in Land Between the Lakes, KY, so it'll get a day's worth of crawling around in 4h and 4L, then I may swap the gear lube out on my return. Then I'll leave that oil in there (Probably more of my leftover Supertech Syn 75w90) and then take the October trip to the VT/NH/ME part of the Appalachian Byway. We'll get lots of 4H running up there, then change it again when I get home and go to 30k intervals for the front from there on out. I'll be doing 15k intervals on the rear.

I'm really curious to see the break-in metal shavings on the magnet up front. That ARB magnet in the rear is a beast! I wish I had that up front, too. Anyway, I've only been in 4H for very short periods, so the actual miles in 4H might be around 10, at best. Hopefully after this weekend it'll be 150 to 200 miles. Overall, I think I'm over 1500 miles since the new rings/pinions with mostly commuting to/from work. They've had an ideal break-in driving profile, so far.
 

CarbonSteel

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Good to know! I think I'm going to go off-road this weekend down at Turkey Bay in Land Between the Lakes, KY, so it'll get a day's worth of crawling around in 4h and 4L, then I may swap the gear lube out on my return. Then I'll leave that oil in there (Probably more of my leftover Supertech Syn 75w90) and then take the October trip to the VT/NH/ME part of the Appalachian Byway. We'll get lots of 4H running up there, then change it again when I get home and go to 30k intervals for the front from there on out. I'll be doing 15k intervals on the rear.

I'm really curious to see the break-in metal shavings on the magnet up front. That ARB magnet in the rear is a beast! I wish I had that up front, too. Anyway, I've only been in 4H for very short periods, so the actual miles in 4H might be around 10, at best. Hopefully after this weekend it'll be 150 to 200 miles. Overall, I think I'm over 1500 miles since the new rings/pinions with mostly commuting to/from work. They've had an ideal break-in driving profile, so far.
I had a few shavings in the front, but none in the rear. The front is attributed to the DS axle shaft issues that I was having (some galling on the pilot shaft). Subsequent changes (I have performed two total thus far) had very little metal on either plug.

Front:
Jeep Wrangler JL Differential oil change Front Plu


Rear:

Jeep Wrangler JL Differential oil change Rear Plu
 

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Fanboy alert: Flexfill gear oil pouches... Valvoline, Amsoil and other's offer...........

I want to one more time..... to one more time..... tell all you guys and gals that have never used a Gear Oil that comes in a Flexfill pouch when doing your diff fluid changes on a JK, JL, JT.... that well, you are really missing the boat so to speak..

You try/use a pouch and you will never ever ever want to use gear oil in a regular squeeze bottle or gear oil you pump in with a pump again.... NEVER........

With a pouch you can do even fill the front diff off in say less then say 3-4 mins... and with no contortions, no spilling, no mess, no swearing and no fluid on your hands..

Why am I posting this.... well over the last 4 days I have done diff fluid changes on multiple (5), JL's and Jk's.... used Flexfill's and geeeeeeez, doing all those difto fs was just so easy do, compared to doing them with a hand or power pump or squeeze bottle like in the old days so to speak.. Made a messy job.... a pleasure job of sorts that took way way less time and cleanup.

Do buy FlexFills.... Save the empty Flexfills .... as they are refillable. You can then take plain old squeeze bottle product/gear oil and pour it into a Flexfill at a later date and use....

.
 

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mwilk012

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Fanboy alert: Flexfill gear oil pouches... Valvoline, Amsoil and other's offer...........

I want to one more time..... to one more time..... tell all you guys and gals that have never used a Gear Oil that comes in a Flexfill pouch when doing your diff fluid changes on a JK, JL, JT.... that well, you are really missing the boat so to speak..

You try/use a pouch and you will never ever ever want to use gear oil in a regular squeeze bottle or gear oil you pump in with a pump again.... NEVER........

With a pouch you can do even fill the front diff off in say less then say 3-4 mins... and with no contortions, no spilling, no mess, no swearing and no fluid on your hands..

Why am I posting this.... well over the last 4 days I have done diff fluid changes on multiple (5), JL's and Jk's.... used Flexfill's and geeeeeeez, doing all those difto fs was just so easy do, compared to doing them with a hand or power pump or squeeze bottle like in the old days so to speak.. Made a messy job.... a pleasure job of sorts that took way way less time and cleanup.

Do buy FlexFills.... Save the empty Flexfills .... as they are refillable. You can then take plain old squeeze bottle product/gear oil and pour it into a Flexfill at a later date and use....

.
Or just stick a hose on a normal bottle, it’s not a complicated thing.
 

Rhinebeck01

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Most of my posts are aimed at young guys/gals and other's that are not set in their ways so to speak.... that would benefit from learning current ways of doing things... that want to know an easy way that is aok to do..

I don't usually make one sentence comments that do nothing to help anyone so to speak.

Your comment tells me... that you don't do ... have not done many, diff oil changes....

I probably do 10 diff fluid changes on Jeeps per month in the Summer months and have done so for years and years.

Sure, as I mentioned ... you can use a pump or a squeeze bottle.... I did that for 50+ years.... but no way is it easier to do with either of those, then it is to do the deed with a pouch.

With a hose on a bottle, or a pump, probably 75% of the time +- you end up with a mess....(hose pops loose cause fluid is real thick, slippery or....) you clean up the mess and also have to clean up the hose and store a hose, yada yada... Not so with a pouch... In the end why not buy fluid in a pouch or save a pouch for next time use...

To each his own... personally I don't care what guys / gals do... personal choice..
 

mwilk012

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Most of my posts are aimed at young guys/gals and other's that are not set in their ways so to speak.... that would benefit from learning current ways of doing things... that want to know an easy way that is aok to do..

I don't usually make one sentence comments that do nothing to help anyone so to speak.

Your comment tells me... that you don't do ... have not done many, diff oil changes....

I probably do 10 diff fluid changes on Jeeps per month in the Summer months and have done so for years and years.

Sure, as I mentioned ... you can use a pump or a squeeze bottle.... I did that for 50+ years.... but no way is it easier to do with either of those, then it is to do the deed with a pouch.

With a hose on a bottle, or a pump, probably 75% of the time +- you end up with a mess....(hose pops loose cause fluid is real thick, slippery or....) you clean up the mess and also have to clean up the hose and store a hose, yada yada... Not so with a pouch... In the end why not buy fluid in a pouch or save a pouch for next time use...

To each his own... personally I don't care what guys / gals do... personal choice..
The normal bottles are available in all brands and weights. If you have them on hand, it’s an easy mess free way to get the fluid in the fill hole.
 

R3TRO

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Well you guys talked me into doing this and it was super easy with the pouches and took 30min max. I have the Willys with the LSD so wanted to get this done sooner than later. Thanks again to all you forum members! Btw the Autozone by me always seem to have these gear oil pouches in stock and multiple weights.

Jeep Wrangler JL Differential oil change 20210823_123552
 

Heimkehr

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I have ‘21 JLU Willys (m220 LSD & Tow Package) and just hit 5k miles. I wish there was a way to tell what fluid came in my Jeep from the factory.
That's easy. Capture a mid-drain sample of the gear oil, when warm, using a clean bottle. Use a separate one for each axle, if relevant. Send the bottle(s) to Blackstone Labs for analysis. Better yet, request a free sample kit or two in advance so you do everything right.

By way of example, Blackstone determined that the factory oil fill in my new JLU was "closer to 5W-20", which I found curious since the only specification for the 2.0T is 5W-30.
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