MAINTENANCE: Jeep JK Wrangler Differential Fluid Service Write-Up
Changing the fluid in your Jeep JK Wrangler’s differentials is an important part of routine maintenance. New gear oil will insure your differentials will be well lubricated and function properly. And, unlike previous Jeep Wranglers, it will not be necessary remove the differential cover in order to do this. Granted, I do recommend that you do so anyway from time to time (every other fluid change) as it will give you a chance to inspect your gears and catch any damage or unsual wear. Click on the link below for instructions on how to service your differentials.
MAINTENANCE: Jeep JK Wrangler Differential Fluid Service Write-Up
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DO NOT be tempted to fill up your differential with any more gear oil than it needs as it will just end up getting pumped out of the breather tube and make a big stinking mess.
Lol I did this filling up the front diff =) Funny thing was the stinking left it made was in my friends driveway =)
You the Man Eddie.
thanks
Also any thoughts on Amsoil products from anybody?
Amsoil products are great
Dana 30
Dana 44
it´s the same quantity ?
The Dana 30 is what you will have as a front axle if you have an X or Sahara. A Dana 44 is what you will have as a rear axle on all but a handfull of 2-Door JK’s made in early 2006. Rubicon’s will have Dana 44 front and rear axles and they are a stronger.
Eddie
Just did this…Great write up. Its sooo easy to do, i will never have anybody do this for me again
Thanks
I just did this and I didn’t need as much oil as was listed. I filled until it came out the fill hole but only had about 1qt for the front and about 2 for the rear. Has anyone else noticed this? Just want to make sure that I put enough in there.
Thanks for the info.
Jim
Hi Jim, with factory diff covers, this would be correct and you have the exact amount that you need in.
Eddie
yup, i just finished mine on my 07 2 Door. required about 1 qt on front and 2 qt on rear.
Hey there!
Just to clarify; I have a X with Rubicon axles. so D44 front and rear.
I assume they will have the same capacity? just want to be sure i buy enough at the store.
Thx Craig
if you have an x, you should still have a d30 front and the capacity is about the same. just get the same amount of fluid and fill the same way.
I too was barely able to put 1qt in the front and 2qts in the rear. I have an X by-the-way. Would it be a big problem if there wasnt enough fluid in the diffs? Also, are you supposed to cut the top off the Royal Purple bottle cap? I couldnt figure out any other way to pour it. And do you have to squeeze the hell out of it to pour. …this is why I am not a mechanic.
that sound about right especially since you have a dana30 up front.
Hi,
is it really necessary to change the differential oil every15k miles?
ffs
hey ffs, no, it is not but if you drive your jeep hard and follow the schedule B service guidelines, it is recommended that you do
I just drained my rear d44 and the oil is black and the magnetic drain plug has about 1/8″ to 1/4″ sludge on it. The history: I had 5.13s in for about 500km and then put my old gear set back in. It’s been 7000km since then and after reading this article I decided to take a look. I’m worried that the gears were installed wrong although they are dead silent. Are my gears OK?
yeah, what you are seeing is totally normal especially after changing gears - even if it’s the orginal set again. after installing gears, they will create new wear patterns and will shed metal.
For Rubicons that have Dana 44 front and rear, are the oil capacities the same for front and rear axles?
no. not exactly. but, if you are still running factory covers, just fill the diff till it starts to ooze out of the fill hole and you are good to go.
I just went in for an oil/lube service at the dealership and they informed me that it was time to change out the oil in the diff’s and it was going to run 179 for the front and 169 for the rear. I told him he was crazy and I would do it myself. He said that I could but the oil would cost around $90, about $10 for the aditive and another 15 to 20 for the sealer and gasket. Oh yeah. . . that’s just for one Diff. Do I have to get this stuff from them or can I get it over the counter some where else?
no, you do not need to get this stuff from the dealer. you can get mobil 1 synthetic or royal purple for less.
Outstanding! Thanks again.
Quick question. . . just changed out the diff oil and everything went well. Very little metal shavings on the rear Diff drain plug (good deal). On the front plug, there was quite a bit more, may be between 1/8″ and 1/4″. The oil looked almost new up front (to be expected, haven’t had it 4wd much compared to 2wd). Is this normal? There is about 21k on the JK and this is the first Diff oil change. Without a dought, it will get done every 15k for now on. Wish I would have found this forum sooner. The dealership will have you thing they are the only way. Spent about $80 verses the almost $375 the dealership wanted. My hat’s off to you and this awesome Forum!!!
Would you recommend using 75w140 in the dana 44 axles if your running new gears with larger tires, example 35’s or 37’s?
Or is the 75w140 only if your doing lots of towing?
hi trevor, metal shavings in general is normal and not that big of a deal. chunks of metal is a real problem. needless to say, you should be just fine.
LAHAL, i have run both and you should be fine with either. if you are running 5.13’s, 75w140 would be adviseable.
Just did mine today with Mobil 1 75W-90. Quicker and easier than an engine oil change. Had the same issue as others have written about above. 0nly 1 quart in the front Dana 30 and just under 2 quarts in the rear Dana 44 before the oil spilled out of the fill holes.
I can’t imagine the amount of oil in the diffs to be absolutely critical. As long as the level is up to fill hole there should be plenty for the gears to splash in.
Is that aaumption correct?
unless you’ve rotated your pinions up, yes, your assumption is correct.
Am i correct to assume that if you use Royal Purple Gear oil , you DO NOT need tracklock Additive ?
correct, you will NOT need to add anything else.
This is awesome! Dealer told me today it would be $279. do you know of any instructions out there for changing the transfer case fluid for jeep wrangler 08? Thanks!
yup, check out the write-up link and you should find one that i did.
My manual says to use 80W-90. That is what I used (Valvoline). Is there much difference between 75W-90 and 80W-90?
naw, it’s pretty much the same
I did this over the weekend and it was real easy. My experience was similar to others here as far as only 1 quart up front and just over 2 quarts in the rear.
Question: From the factory, the plugs were apparently installed with teflon tape on the threads. (This was the first change performed on the front. The dealer had to replace the rear diff. gasket. I can’t tell if the dealer used tape on it or if the residue on the plugs was from the factory.) Anyhow, your write-up doesn’t say anything about using teflon tape. Is it OK without it? I haven’t noticed anything leaking in the last couple of days. What do you think? It’s not as easy to check the level in the diff as compared to motor oil or transmission fluid and I would hate for it to get low and lead to a costly repair. Thanks!
you’ll be fine without the teflon and the plug should not leak if it’s on to the proper torque setting.
I spoke with the dealership and they quoted me $240, but they remove the covers “to make sure all the metal shaving are out”. They said that not all the metal shavings will stick to the drain plug. How detrimental would this be if there are still some shavings and at the bottom of the diff? Thanks in advance!
unless you are doing a routine fluid service after doing a gear install, no, you do not need to pull the cover off to do a thorough fluid change. if after you pull the drain plug you find chunks of metal stuck to it, pull the cover at that time to see what’s going on. but, i seriously doubt that will be the case.
Has anyone put Mobil 1 75-140 in a D44 rear with limited slip? If so, did you have to add the LS additive from Mopar to prevent diff chatter, or was the straight Mobil 1 ok?
I want to do this my self, but I’m not a mechanic, and don’t know what the LSD needs to be happy. I think my Sahara Unlimited tow package from the factory came with Mopar Syn 75-140 with LS additive added.
you can run 75-140 without any problems and you will NOT need the additive.
Thanks Eddie!
Dealership wanted $350 to do it but I was able to do it, thanks to your write-up, for $54 & 45 minutes of my time.
Excellent write up. Going to do mine this week. Thanks !
good write up I use royal purple in all my diffs,f250,jeep and honda 4whlr no problems, amsol is great but expensive. glad to hear about not using additive
hi, i got two questions. is an aditive needed for rubi axles? only asking cus the dealership said that it was required, but it only would make sense for diffs with limited slip. and the second is the oil capacity with the riddler covers. they look a little bigger than the stock. should i put the normal amount in or a little extra? thanks
you’re dealership is blowing smoke up your rear end or doesn’t know what the hell they are talking about. the additive is only needed for limited slip diffs and just about every synth gear oil i have seen has the additive in it already anyway.
awesome, thanks.
Just wanted to mention that doing the front diff will require a bottle pump. There was no way to get the bottle nozzle over the track bar in order to fill the Diff. Thankfully I had one that I was going to use for the transfer case.
I too just filled my 08 Sahara rear diff with 3inch teraflex lift. It looks like the diff is tilted upward so that the fill hole may me in a lower position than if it had now lift. Because of this I was only able to put in 1.75 qts before it runs out. What should I do? get a pump or am I fine where it is?
so long as the amount of fluid level inside your diff is at least a bit over the bottom of the axle tubes, you should be okay. otherwise, a new diff cover with a higher fill hole is a good solution to this problem as it trying to jack up your rear end to get more in.
I changed my front diff cover for an ARB one on my 2010 rubicon and the dealer ask me to put LSD additive with mopar 75w140 sythetic oil so that’s what did… I read here that it’s not necessary to use the LSD additive but is it just “not necessary” or I have to drain it and refill WITHOUT additive?
it’s just not necessary. if it’s in there, no harm will be done.
Hey! LOVE this place! I had to get the seal replaced on my rear diff which was covered by the warranty, fluid was not… anyhow they wanted to change to front for $129. I was under it and saw how they were changing the back…I am not dumb and I love tools. Sooo, I want to change the front myself. My questions: Do I really need to take the cover off? What do I buy for a seal if so? And can I use the recommended 80/90 diff fluid from the local store? If I do not take the cover off I simply drain and replace? No flushing? I am full of questions I know… thanks for this site though I love it!
if you have a JK, no, you do not need to take the cover off just to change the oil. there is a drain plug on the bottom of your differential just like this write-up shows.
Ok so please anyone..Bought a 2007JK…has 18 inch rims so previous owner did that I guess as an upgrade..I want to clean the diffs and add new oil etc. How do I know if I have a limited slip or not without jacking the rear up? It is an X version and I have heard it can be either? Help! Thanks
So as long as you use gear oil like Valvoline 80w-90 that says ok for for hyphoid limited slip you do not need the additive??
Working on this now…great instructions! Only thing I would add is that there is a little “nipple” on the top of the Royal Purple…take it off before you go anywhere near your fill hole on the diff! I was going in for a test pour, just to check the angle (my first time doing this) and that little piece fell into the front diff! So I am now doing the complete fluid change on the front! Already did the rear, but am waiting for someone to come give me a ride to store for RTV! D’OH!
Went in today for a 9.95 oil change and was told I need to do a fluid change in my differentials. Estimated cost from the dealership: $360.00!!!!
Thanks to this community and you regulars here, I did the whole job for under a 100.00 bucks with Royal Purple. Not only did I save money, but I did some of my first maintenance my my Jeep. So cool.
This is an amazing resource. Thanks for those of you who put time into this.
Just bought a used ‘08 Wrangler Rubicon right at 30K miles - so I was due for all of this. Dealer wanted $240 - mine - less than $90.00. Thanks so much for the clear instructions and pictures. And it’s fun to work under my Jeep for a while. This Forum ROCKS - thanks much!
I am replacing both of my diff covers with ARB covers. I have a 2 door JK with a 3 1/2 lift. Two questions:
1) Will the fuild amounts increase, decrease or stay the same with the ARB covers? They seem to have a larger cavity.
2) Does the 3 1/2 lift tilt the diff enough that is rotates the diff drain bolt down. Should additional fluid be added?
Marty
it should be about the same and, being that you have an arb cover, all you really need to do is use the dip stick to see where you’re at. all you really need is to have your fluid be a bit above the bottom of your axle tubes. any more than that and you will have over filled your diff and can expect a stinkin mess.
Great write up! You’d be surprised how many guys out there don’t know that you even have to change the differential oil. Did mine today and it was a snap. But damn is that oil stinky! Wow!
Anyway, my question…I put 5.13 gears in and went through the break-in process and changed the oil as required at 500 miles after install. I put in Mobil 1 75W90 synthetic (has the LSD additive). I just read that you guys recommend 75W140 for 5.13s. I’m guessing I’ll be fine, but I want to make sure.
Thanks!
ok followed the write up but i also changed to riddler covers and they don’t have the recess that the factory covers do so i went with the old fashion fill it until its full theory so the front was a little more but the rear took almost 4 quarts! the front was about 2 1/4 of royal purple and since this stuff is like gold I am a little concerned that now i am smelling gear oil on the interstate and am seeing wet spots but nothing coming from the actual covers should i be concerned or will it all blow out the vent? I have a stock jk rubicon unlimited.
the old method of filling till it’s full only applies to diff covers with a fill hole at factory height. your fill hole is too high and you way overfilled your diff. regardless of diff cover, you should only put in as much fluid as is recommended by the owners manual or, to a point just a bit above the bottom of your axle tube.
Great write up, I got 1 qt in the front and about two in the rear with my rubi 44s. Looks like other people had the same. Thanks for the write up, made it nice and easy to do for the first time.
I might have overlooked this answer, but in my vehicle book it calls for 75W-140. Any reason why I can get away with 75W-90? Thanks…
Great write up! Dealer wanted to charge me $400 to do this….I did it myself for $90. Quick question though….what is the easiest way to get the oil to the front diff? Made a MESS as the bottles would not find in the gap to the fill hole, and ended up needing to get a small flexible tube, and even then, took FOREVER to fill. Any suggestions?
pls, help me if you can. I hear knocking in my back diff,and when I open it and drain the oil I notice one spider gear have a small chip . I just hear this when i backing up never hear when i drive forward. you think is better change this spider gear for safe? thanks for your help..
I just pick up valvoline 75-90 it says limited slip on the bottle, I have 07 X will that work? I don’t tow anything
Thank you for this forum, great info. I will be trying to change my SD Fluids this weekend very excited. My local dealer wanted to get me for $240.
I’m glad I don’t need them. Thanks again.
my dealer told me to put 70w140 the thing is ther is a big difrence in tempeatur between 90 and 140
FWIW… Some previous wranglers also have the drain plug. My ‘06 LJ Rubicon does.
Thanks Eddie! Did it today. Followed your instructions to a T and it was a piece of cake. Also saved a ton of money. Keep the write ups coming. Thanks again!
Thanks,…I managed to complete both front and rear, and I am not a very skilled mechanic. I did run into one issue. In removing the drain plug on the front diff, using a ratchet with 3″ extension, I managed to get the tool wedge between the bracket immediately across from the drain plug,.. and the diff.,it was a very tight fit. The ratchet head I used was not very slim, but I was curious, is a low profile ratchet head the trick, or is there something I was missing. (I eventually had to cut the tool in half with an angle grinder, to dislodge it) I have an ‘09 X 2 Dr BTW
you can always use a 3″ ratchet extension to make things easier.
Hey Eddie - Great write up. I recently talked to the Stealership and as everyone else stated. They wanted about $360 for the Diff oil change. I am going to do this within the next month and just wanted to give a shout out and thanks for all various How-To’s.
Evo35
I have a ‘10 JKU sport W/O the tow package so the gears should be the 3.73 gears. My question is this, I live in Germany (stationed with the Army here) and I am ready to change the Diff fluid, Is there a problem with using the Royal Purple 75W-140? The Army store does not have the 75W-90 and they have no idea when it will come in. I could get the right stuff from the dealership here in Germany, but I will end up paying about $45 qt as compared to the $18 per qt from the Army store. Any ideas on this? Will it hurt it to run the 140? What about just running the 140 in the rear? The reason I want to change is I am right around 40k miles and am feeling a bit of roughness in the drive line and want to also inspect the gears. Any help with this would be appriciated. Thanks.
I know this was written a while ago, so I hope that someone can answer my question…I have a ‘08 Rubicon (4″ lift, 35’s) I had to change out the rear differential seal yesterday(THANKS FOR THE DIRECTIONS!). I bought 4qts of AMSOIL 75w-140. I used just under 2qts for the rear and since I have 2qt left over I was thinking about changing the front fluid. QUESTION>>>Manual says to use 75w-90 for front, what are your thoughts on using the 75w-140 that i have on hand?
it won’t be a problem
Eddie,
I have a 2012 JKUR. The maintenance schedule in the owners manual only has one schedule (no plan B) which seems odd and it recommends the first diff oil change at 24000. Do you know if they have extended this from 18000 or am I missing something. Thanks for all the great write-ups. Quite an collection of good stuff.
Eddie (Great name by the way) Lol
Easiest $ ever saved. Thanks!!
I have a stock 2011 JK Rubi. Used Castrol Syntrax 75w90. I got a bit over 1qt up front and right around 2 in the back.
I am typically in 2wd, as this is the daily driver - 100% city. I’ll do some minor off road soon.
Is the Castrol blend above OK to leave, or do I need to drain/replace with something better? Do those levels sound about right?? Both front and back did start oozing out - that’s when I plugged them both and called it done. I’m not the most mechanic, first time diff job, and always 2nd guess myself on new stuff like this. I just want to be safer than sorry here and avoid a costly repair.
Thanks again for this right up!