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Topic: Rear Differential Oil Change and Sway Bar Bushings (Read 173 times) previous topic - next topic
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Rear Differential Oil Change and Sway Bar Bushings
Doing some maintenance. As recommended here, for the differential  I used  Mobil-1 75-140 and Permatex Ultra Black Gasket Maker. I found the best price for the 75-140 at Walmart.

DIFFERENTIAL
Material: Mobil-1 75-140 (5 quarts) and Permatex Ultra Black Gasket Maker.
Access: I lifted the rig 4 1/2" by driving up on six 2x10 ramps. This gives you plenty of room to work under there.
Sway Bar: I removed the sway bar to get better access.
Filling: I used a little pump that you run with a drill motor to fill the housing. (drill motor pump) Attached a piece of garden hose to each end of the pump and sucked the fluid out of each 1 quart container.

SWAY BAR
Sway Bar Removal: Four bolts at the axle and one nut on each end link.
End Link Removal: One bolt at top of end link.
End Link Reinstall: Attach each end link with the single bolt at the top.
* If your end link bushings are in good shape you can leave the end links bolted to the frame.
Sway Bar Reinstall: If you're working alone, just slide the bar onto the end links and put on a washer and nut and let it hang. Then just lift the middle of the bar up to the saddles and install the four bolts.
Torque: I used Larry's recommendation. Torqued the bar-to-axle nuts @ 30# and the end link-to-frame bolts at 60#. As recommended I tightened the end link bushing until they had a slight bulge.

My original sway bar bushings (bar-to-axle) were in excellent shape so I reused them both. The end link bushings were showing wear so I replaced the end links. I have had good luck with RockAuto and Mevotech parts in the past and used them for this job too.

Thanks to Larry for the info and Mark for the info on Poly.
jor

09 27' MB
10  Suby Forester
Re: Rear Differential Oil Change and Sway Bar Bushings
Reply #1 –
To ease the differential filling, I use axle fluid that comes in squeeze bottles and avoid the pump.
Robot or human?

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: Rear Differential Oil Change and Sway Bar Bushings
Reply #2 –
Quote
squeeze bottles

Those might have worked for me. I don't know. The fuel tank is pretty close. Good idea though. Be nice if diff housings had a nice big plug on the bottom!  :D
jor
09 27' MB
10  Suby Forester
 
Re: Rear Differential Oil Change and Sway Bar Bushings
Reply #3 –
Hi JOR;  Another plug to fall out onto the road, causing extremely expensive repairs!  If you don't tow, the change interval is 150,000 miles!  30,000 miles if you do, so somewhere in the interval between 30k and 150k.     RonB
RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB