How often should I be replace the differential fluid on my truck? The dealership said that I should change it every 15,000 miles. I have 17,000 on my truck right now. The cost of doing this is almost $300!

I consulted the manual and Schedule B doesn't even mention replacing the differential fluid (front and rear axle fluid, is what I assume this is). Schedule A lists a replacement every 15,000 miles. $300 every 15,000 miles is going to add up.

I've only towed my 6000 lbs travel trailer maybe 2,000 miles out of my 17,000. Other than that, the truck is a commuter vehicle during the winter.

 

Also, what about the front differential? I rarely use 4 wheel drive. Only a few times during the winter to get me out of the snow. It seems like a waste to replace it every 15,000 miles. It would be cheaper if I just replaced the rear.

 

The front diff is turning whenever your driving wether your in 4 wheel drive or not. This is a very easy do it yourself project. About 90.00$ for both axles. I look at it this way. Its a near 40,000$ truck is it really worth skimping on 90$ ??? I'll also add that the first change is the most important because it had to break in and you need to get any metal shavings out of there.

 

Yeah, I'll go ahead and do it myself. It doesn't look too hard. Does anyone have suggestions on which fluid I should use?

 

When I bought my truck, it had 90,000 miles on it, so I promptly changed EVERYTHING. I went AMSOIL all the way. Here is a list of what I used.

Motor Oil AME 15/W40 Severe Duty Diesel Marine OIL
NV 5600 Transmission MTF Synchromesh Transmission Fluid
Transfer Case ATF Automatic Transmission Fluid
Differentials SVG 75W/90 Sever Gear Lube

Cant remember the quanities, but it is cheap insurance if you value your truck!

 

I used mobil 1 It's reasonably priced and meets all requirments. It's also synthetic.

 

Amsoil is the way to go. Lighter weight for no towing to light towing & heavier weight for everything else.

 

How many quarts/gallons of the axle fluid should I pick up when replacing both the front and rear? The manual doesn't seem to specify.

 

7 quarts... 4 in back, 3 in front. last time I got 8 and cracked the 8th for about 2~3 oz... but I was on a slight incline.

 

Thanks. What do you think about the Mag-hytec or PML differential cover? I was thinking about replacing the stock cover with one of these. They're kind of expensive though, but it looks as if it might make future fluid changes easier.