Checked my manual, and no were does it state not to use the spare or restrict the use to 2wd on a 4wd vehicle. I would document the event to best that you can, have the fluid drained in 1000 miles check condition and for metal, and then if good let it go for 10,000 say, depends on how **** you want to be with it, I would also see if they will cover the first change/check, if not do it yourself, hope you have the lifetime warranty.*

 

Thanks for all the replys!!!Get this,I drive into work this mornining and my truck smells like @#$T so i called the dealer at 7.30AM as soon as they opened and asked to talk to the service manager,I explained to him what had happened and what the tech told me last night!! He said he explained it to you wrong it is not the transfer case that spewed the oil its the front differential WTF!!! THATS THE FIRST TIME ANYONE MENTIONED THE FRONT DIFF! I asked him if thats the case why did it happen, His reply because i have a factory spare on the drivers front and it is different from the other side it caused the diff to act like a pump and pushed all the oil out,i asked him to hold on and i went outside to get the tire size spare size P235 85 R17 other 3 tire size P265 70 R17 i SAI D THERE IS NOT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE IN THE SIZE! and driving at 40-80k in 4x4lock is going to screw up my front diff and he replyed thats all it could be, so then i told him when i got home after picking up the truck i lifted the hood and they didnt even shampoo the engine compartment and now when i drive all i smell is burning oil, the oil is on my winshield and its damaged my wipers,he said to bring it in tomorrow and they will clean the engine and exaust and replace my wipers at no cost, Still confused on the now diff issue, my next step is to call another dealer and see what there answer could be!! thanks frustrated as Hell!!

 

hopefully they inspected the diff when they removed the cover. I would also have them replace the battery blanket and whatever else is damaged by this event, and make them own up to a free fluid change/check in say 1-3000 miles of the diff. This may have to be a recall issue for the spare on the truck? just a thought, if this is the result.

 

thanks rolltide,I will ask for that in the am!!

 

In 4wd with slightly mismatched tires, nothing in the diff should be spinning any faster than normal 4wd operation (no matter if it is in low range or high range).

The carrier and spider gears would be doing a slow speed version of what happens when you are going around a corner (carrier causing one side gear to spin faster than the other).

Over heated gear oil being pumped out of the diff actually points to a bad gear setup that wouldn't come into play until the truck was in 4wd. Unless you were driving on dry pavement in 4x4 lock, in which case the front gears might also overheat.

 

At a minimum the front cover should be pulled and the gears visually inspected for bluing or other damage. If it were my truck, I'd demand that they check the pattern on the gears.

 

According to this link:

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

there is a 1.1" difference in diameter of the two tires. Don't know if that makes enough difference to cause a problem.

How did that odd size spare get on the truck in the first place? If OEM I would raise hell about that too.

 

You should NEVER drive with 2 sized tires on a running dif. If you get a flat ont he back, swap out to the front but do not use 4x4. Most vehicles now do not have a spare the size of the tires, dummy spares etc. they go with a smaller size to keep weight and size down. Same as on a FWD car, if you blow a front tire, put the spare on the back and swap a full size to the front, driving with the dummy can/will kill the transaxle. Same thing here. Diffs are not meant to turn at different speeds side to side for extended periods of time. It will get extremely hot and boil the oil, not Dodges fault, just the way it is.

 

Shouldn't there be a statement/warning sticker of some sort on the jack????
I would have never known this
Jim

 

BS. That's like saying that you shouldn't make turns or go around in a circle for very long. The carrier, carrier bearings and pinion bearing are traveling at a constant speed regardless of differential action. The spiders and side gears are constantly spinning even with matched tires due to small variations in tires, hitting bumps, changing lanes, etc. The diff in a truck is not so fragile that a difference in tire size will cause overheating or damage (unless you have a limited slip, in which case the clutches will wear). God help you if you supscribe to this theory and race on an oval or circle track.