Change your rear diff oil if you haven't yet and clean those lockers!

[Halligan]

I've done my rear diff fluid early on my last few trucks. The ring and pinion gears establish their contact patch with each other over the first 500-1000 miles and you end up with quite a bit wear metal. After the initial drain and fill you won't see that kind of metal again unless you have a problem.

Also, I'm almost positive the rear diff cover has a line etched into it about 1/2 inch below the fill plug and that is the fill line. Filling until the fluid comes out the plug means you overfilled the diff. That could result in oil leaking at your axle seals on each side.

 

[Maligator]

I've done my rear diff fluid early on my last few trucks. The ring and pinion gears establish their contact patch with each other over the first 500-1000 miles and you end up with quite a bit wear metal. After the initial drain and fill you won't see that kind of metal again unless you have a problem.

Also, I'm almost positive the rear diff cover has a line etched into it about 1/2 inch below the fill plug and that is the fill line. Filling until the fluid comes out the plug means you overfilled the diff. That could result in oil leaking at your axle seals on each side.

That's pretty much how Marcus explained it to me on Facebook. He recommends always changing the rear diff before 1500 miles. I made a little dipstick out of wire I used to try and hit that line. I went maybe an 1/8" higher than the line judging by my "dipstick"

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[G. Mcpherson]

People install aftermarket diff covers that hold 8 qts. A little over on the fill isn't going to hurt. The little bit extra on a stock cover really won't cause any issues.

 

[olyelr]

People install aftermarket diff covers that hold 8 qts. A little over on the fill isn't going to hurt. The little bit extra on a stock cover really won't cause any issues.

Just because people do things doesn't mean its right or good.

Have you watched Bank’s videos on oil levels and aftermarket diff covers? Proper fluid level definitely is important. But yes, a smidge higher with the factory cover probably does not pose too much of a concern.

 

[ALRedneck]

I’ve only changed diff fluids in farm equipment, tractors and outboards and have always just measured the amount of fluid to put back in based on specs. Sounds like the full line isn’t visible so would there be any foreseen problems by just refilling the spec volume Ram recommends?

 

[Maligator]

I’ve only changed diff fluids in farm equipment, tractors and outboards and have always just measured the amount of fluid to put back in based on specs. Sounds like the full line isn’t visible so would there be any foreseen problems by just refilling the spec volume Ram recommends?

I found alot of conflicting info as far as capacities. This is what I did take it for what it's worth. I drained my oil into a pan, cleaned and buttoned up the cover. After I added a quart of fresh oil I would use that same container and dump my old oil into it as I went along. I got about 3 quarts out of my diff. I had also made myself a little dipstick. The fill line on the cover was roughly 5/8" to 3/4" below the fill hole. I bent a piece of wire to 90° and cut to 3/4" from the 90. I continued to add a little and would check my "dipstick". I ended up putting back in about 3.2quarts. I was probably about a 1/16 to 1/8" up my dipstick on my last check. I figured I would measure what came out and use that as a gauge of how much I needed to add.

I had read a few guys putting in 4+ quarts and I'm thinking that amount would probably fill it till it weeps out of the fill hole. I kept mine at the line as I read Overly high oil level can cause foaming, and higher oil temps due to fluid friction. Now I don't want to take this as gospel but I figured I would get it as close to the fill line as possible, as it was probably put there for a reason

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[Halligan]

Overfilling a rear diff can cause two issue's. First could be oil foaming. The second has to due with wheel bearing lubrication. When the oil level is at the proper height it is right at the bottom of the axle tube. When you go into turns or one rear wheel is higher than the other it allow "some" oil to flow down the tubes and lubricate the wheel bearings. When the differential is overfilled oil is always sitting in the axle tubes and weeping past your axle seals.

On the Power Wagon rear diff the fill line in the cover is at the bottom of the axle tubes. I don't know why they just don't lower the plug a 1/2 inch but the don't.

 

[Maligator]

Overfilling a rear diff can cause two issue's. First could be oil foaming. The second has to due with wheel bearing lubrication. When the oil level is at the proper height it is right at the bottom of the axle tube. When you go into turns or one rear wheel is higher than the other it allow "some" oil to flow down the tubes and lubricate the wheel bearings. When the differential is overfilled oil is always sitting in the axle tubes and weeping past your axle seals.

On the Power Wagon rear diff the fill line in the cover is at the bottom of the axle tubes. I don't know why they just don't lower the plug a 1/2 inch but the don't.

Good post! Thank you!

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[ALRedneck]

Overfilling a rear diff can cause two issue's. First could be oil foaming. The second has to due with wheel bearing lubrication. When the oil level is at the proper height it is right at the bottom of the axle tube. When you go into turns or one rear wheel is higher than the other it allow "some" oil to flow down the tubes and lubricate the wheel bearings. When the differential is overfilled oil is always sitting in the axle tubes and weeping past your axle seals.

On the Power Wagon rear diff the fill line in the cover is at the bottom of the axle tubes. I don't know why they just don't lower the plug a 1/2 inch but the don't.

Putting the top plug at the full line is how the foot of my outboards work so it’s impossible to overfill. I know overfilling can be worse than underfilling in many implement gear boxes so I will be very cautious to fill it “just right”. Thanks for the explanation on how the rear differential works as I honestly had no idea.

 

[ALRedneck]

I found alot of conflicting info as far as capacities. This is what I did take it for what it's worth. I drained my oil into a pan, cleaned and buttoned up the cover. After I added a quart of fresh oil I would use that same container and dump my old oil into it as I went along. I got about 3 quarts out of my diff. I had also made myself a little dipstick. The fill line on the cover was roughly 5/8" to 3/4" below the fill hole. I bent a piece of wire to 90° and cut to 3/4" from the 90. I continued to add a little and would check my "dipstick". I ended up putting back in about 3.2quarts. I was probably about a 1/16 to 1/8" up my dipstick on my last check. I figured I would measure what came out and use that as a gauge of how much I needed to add.

I had read a few guys putting in 4+ quarts and I'm thinking that amount would probably fill it till it weeps out of the fill hole. I kept mine at the line as I read Overly high oil level can cause foaming, and higher oil temps due to fluid friction. Now I don't want to take this as gospel but I figured I would get it as close to the fill line as possible, as it was probably put there for a reason

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Putting the top plug at the full line is how the foot of my outboards work so it’s impossible to overfill. I know overfilling can be worse than underfilling in many implement gear boxes so I will be very cautious to fill it “just right”. Thanks for the explanation on how the rear differential works as I honestly had no idea.

I found alot of conflicting info as far as capacities. This is what I did take it for what it's worth. I drained my oil into a pan, cleaned and buttoned up the cover. After I added a quart of fresh oil I would use that same container and dump my old oil into it as I went along. I got about 3 quarts out of my diff. I had also made myself a little dipstick. The fill line on the cover was roughly 5/8" to 3/4" below the fill hole. I bent a piece of wire to 90° and cut to 3/4" from the 90. I continued to add a little and would check my "dipstick". I ended up putting back in about 3.2quarts. I was probably about a 1/16 to 1/8" up my dipstick on my last check. I figured I would measure what came out and use that as a gauge of how much I needed to add.

I had read a few guys putting in 4+ quarts and I'm thinking that amount would probably fill it till it weeps out of the fill hole. I kept mine at the line as I read Overly high oil level can cause foaming, and higher oil temps due to fluid friction. Now I don't want to take this as gospel but I figured I would get it as close to the fill line as possible, as it was probably put there for a reason
I’m going to do the same as it basically double checks yourself-same volume back in and dipstick confirms fill line. Thanks for the description
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[ALRedneck]

Sorry about that last post! Obviously screwed that up. Meant to just comment on Maligator’s post on how you measured fluid out and created a dip stick. I’ll do the same.

 

[ttusomeone]

That's pretty much how Marcus explained it to me on Facebook. He recommends always changing the rear diff before 1500 miles. I made a little dipstick out of wire I used to try and hit that line. I went maybe an 1/8" higher than the line judging by my "dipstick"

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I've been having a problem where my Axle Unlock light blinks - mainly in the first 10 mins of the drive (you may have seen my other thread on it). It's been doing it since the test drive, and it went several weeks without doing it and now it's back. It's more consistent now (just about every drive). This thread makes me wonder if the diff oil needs to be changed and more specifically, if metal residue on the magnet is causing the light to blink (maybe the locker can't verify it's unlocked when you drive), and maybe the oil heating up from driving has something to do with it stopping blinking. That's my prevailing theory anyway. I've got a service appointment next Friday and I'm leaning towards making them try this fix first. I wanted to get this group's collective wisdom though on if that seems logical. Regardless, based on this thread it seems like changing the diff oil now is a good things regardless (I have about 2k miles on the truck).

 

[Maligator]

I've been having a problem where my Axle Unlock light blinks - mainly in the first 10 mins of the drive (you may have seen my other thread on it). It's been doing it since the test drive, and it went several weeks without doing it and now it's back. It's more consistent now (just about every drive). This thread makes me wonder if the diff oil needs to be changed and more specifically, if metal residue on the magnet is causing the light to blink (maybe the locker can't verify it's unlocked when you drive), and maybe the oil heating up from driving has something to do with it stopping blinking. That's my prevailing theory anyway. I've got a service appointment next Friday and I'm leaning towards making them try this fix first. I wanted to get this group's collective wisdom though on if that seems logical. Regardless, based on this thread it seems like changing the diff oil now is a good things regardless (I have about 2k miles on the truck).

It's worth a shot! I always had trouble with my rear lockers engaging. Would always have to drive it in a "s" pattern to engage them. Now it engages pretty quickly.

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[ttusomeone]

It's worth a shot! I always had trouble with my rear lockers engaging. Would always have to drive it in a "s" pattern to engage them. Now it engages pretty quickly.

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Thanks! The couple times I've engaged the lockers they've engaged quickly. The only issue is the random light blinking, which never corresponds to using the lockers. The blinking is steady, which make me think it isn't a bad switch. I've checked and all the connections are solid, and I even put some silicone around where the wires go into the connector. Diff fluid and magnet build-up seems to me like the next thing to check off the troubleshooting checklist.

 

[Halligan]

I've been having a problem where my Axle Unlock light blinks - mainly in the first 10 mins of the drive (you may have seen my other thread on it). It's been doing it since the test drive, and it went several weeks without doing it and now it's back. It's more consistent now (just about every drive). This thread makes me wonder if the diff oil needs to be changed and more specifically, if metal residue on the magnet is causing the light to blink (maybe the locker can't verify it's unlocked when you drive), and maybe the oil heating up from driving has something to do with it stopping blinking. That's my prevailing theory anyway. I've got a service appointment next Friday and I'm leaning towards making them try this fix first. I wanted to get this group's collective wisdom though on if that seems logical. Regardless, based on this thread it seems like changing the diff oil now is a good things regardless (I have about 2k miles on the truck).

Changing the diff oil can't hurt. However, if what you describing with your axle locker light blinking is happening during normal daily driving and not when trying to lock your axle then I doubt oil is your problem. However, if the light is blinking when trying to engage the lockers then yes a fluid change and magnet cleaning may very well solve the issue. Good luck....

 

[ttusomeone]

Changing the diff oil can't hurt. However, if what you describing with your axle locker light blinking is happening during normal daily driving and not when trying to lock your axle then I doubt oil is your problem. However, if the light is blinking when trying to engage the lockers then yes a fluid change and magnet cleaning may very well solve the issue. Good luck....

It's happening during every day driving. Most often when I first start it up and start driving, whether it's been sitting overnight or somewhere an hour or two. My thought was that build-up on the magnet could be preventing it from verifying the diff is unlocked when you start it up - maybe that's not a thing though.

 

[Halligan]

It's happening during every day driving. Most often when I first start it up and start driving, whether it's been sitting overnight or somewhere an hour or two. My thought was that build-up on the magnet could be preventing it from verifying the diff is unlocked when you start it up - maybe that's not a thing though.

I'm going to say probably not the reason. Sounds more like an electrical glitch or problem. Either way it will get fixed and you'll be good to go.

 

[Maligator]

It's happening during every day driving. Most often when I first start it up and start driving, whether it's been sitting overnight or somewhere an hour or two. My thought was that build-up on the magnet could be preventing it from verifying the diff is unlocked when you start it up - maybe that's not a thing though.

Yeah it doesn't quite sound like an issue being caused by any metal build up. Regardless getting those break-in shavings outta there early is good practice.

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[Travelin Ram]

I've been having a problem where my Axle Unlock light blinks - mainly in the first 10 mins of the drive (you may have seen my other thread on it). It's been doing it since the test drive, and it went several weeks without doing it and now it's back. It's more consistent now (just about every drive). This thread makes me wonder if the diff oil needs to be changed and more specifically, if metal residue on the magnet is causing the light to blink (maybe the locker can't verify it's unlocked when you drive), and maybe the oil heating up from driving has something to do with it stopping blinking. That's my prevailing theory anyway. I've got a service appointment next Friday and I'm leaning towards making them try this fix first. I wanted to get this group's collective wisdom though on if that seems logical. Regardless, based on this thread it seems like changing the diff oil now is a good things regardless (I have about 2k miles on the truck).

Interesting- mine started doing almost the same thing at around 300 miles. From my testing, I can tell the lock and unlock function works, it’s just the unlock light won’t stop flashing sometimes. I too, am on the fence whether to take it in for service or change the oil first and see if that clears it up.

I’ve found with mine I can clear the condition by going into 4wd and cycling through the lock - unlock positions while moving forwards and backwards turning in a partial circle. In other words putting more pressure on the gears and locking mechanism. That indicates to me it’s probably some mechanical stiction issue rather than electrical.

 

[ttusomeone]

Interesting- mine started doing almost the same thing at around 300 miles. From my testing, I can tell the lock and unlock function works, it’s just the unlock light won’t stop flashing sometimes. I too, am on the fence whether to take it in for service or change the oil first and see if that clears it up.

I’ve found with mine I can clear the condition by going into 4wd and cycling through the lock - unlock positions while moving forwards and backwards turning in a partial circle. In other words putting more pressure on the gears and locking mechanism. That indicates to me it’s probably some mechanical stiction issue rather than electrical.

Mine typically stops once the vehicle comes to a stop which also makes me think it’s isn’t electrical. I’ve never noticed it blinking when I’m stopped.