stupid question, how to check front diff. fluid

[01t4rnr]

I see what im thinking is the drain plug on bottom pass. side but how do i check the fluid? is there a writeup anywhere? did the rear axle late last year but never got around to front end

 

[01t4rnr]

not a dumb question. checking the level would be hard if not impossible. for your efforts you would do much better to just change it. remember to open up the fill plug first just to be sure you can get it open before you drain it. google has the capacity and procedure somewhere but the fill plug is the one on the side thats a huge allen head bolt.

thanks for the quick reply. i was able to find a real good writeup for anyone else interested:

4Runners.org - Changing Your Front, Rear, Tranny & Transfer Case Fluids

 

[Singtoe]

Why in the world would you want to change the front diff fluid? It get used very sparingly and even if you used 4wd all winter long, how many total miles did you really put on it?


I would not even bother checking it unless you actually see it leaking.

 

[Dous]

If you dont like it you can GET out!

 

[01t4rnr]

If you dont like it you can GET out!

thats a 2 way street bud, id appreciate it if you dont have anything to add to the topic keep it to yourself. this 4th grade bulls**t is ridiculous

 

[Singtoe]

only on this forum would you possibly find this as a serious reply....

Really! I understand the the idea of preventative maintenance and am a true believer of it but why replace something that doesn't need replacing.

What wears out with oil?

I can only think of 2 reasons:

1. It is full of contaminates. IE Dirt, water, carbon, metal shavings
2 Is for viscosity break down.

Since the oil in the diff does not get used , there is no shearing action of gears meshing together, the viscosity is the same as the day it was filled from the factory. The diff breather is mounting up high in the engine compartment so water contamination will be non-existent. And if there were metal shavings present, then something is wrong with the diff and probably needs more than just an oil change.

I am doing is trying to save a brother some coin and time.
Change fluids that you have to change Ie Brake fluid, power steering fluid, atf, transfer case, engine and etc.

 

[steezemcqueen]

Really! I understand the the idea of preventative maintenance and am a true believer of it but why replace something that doesn't need replacing.

What wears out with oil?

I can only think of 2 reasons:

1. It is full of contaminates. IE Dirt, water, carbon, metal shavings
2 Is for viscosity break down.

Since the oil in the diff does not get used , there is no shearing action of gears meshing together, the viscosity is the same as the day it was filled from the factory. The diff breather is mounting up high in the engine compartment so water contamination will be non-existent. And if there were metal shavings present, then something is wrong with the diff and probably needs more than just an oil change.

I am doing is trying to save a brother some coin and time.
Change fluids that you have to change Ie Brake fluid, power steering fluid, atf, transfer case, engine and etc.

The spider gears spin whenever you are moving.

 

[LodeRunner]

FWIW, I set out to change my front diff fluid this past weekend, and my plugs were NOT 10mm and 12mm hex as noted in the writeup that's linked in another reply. The drain plug on my '97 is a T-60 torx bolt, and the fill is a T-55 torx bolt. I was able to get the fill plug out with no problem, however the drain plug wouldn't budge. I tried a number of things, and ended up stripping it out. I'm going to have a shop air chisel it out later this week when they put on new tires...

I was able to do the rear diff and transfer case, though. Rear diff fill plug was a bit of a b*tch to get loose, but i finally got it with tons of PB blaster and a breaker bar.

 

[brian2sun]

You can check the front diff fluid level and condition of the oil by sticking your pinky finger into the fill hole. If you don't get any fluid on your finger then the level is too low. If it looks milky, burnt, or blackish then it's time to change it. And like steeze said, the diff still turns passively in 2wd (just not the ring and pinion) so the oil will still break down over time. I believe oil breaks down over time even when it's sitting in a bottle so it should be inspected/changed when you do your rear diff and t-case.