This following is how you do a differential gear oil change. This is something that you can have done at a place like Oil Changers, and they will charge you a pretty penny! Or, you can spend a very small amount of money and do it yourself. The pictures and info are of my 01 double cab 4x4. If you have a prerunner, you do not have a front diff.. The specs for the gear oil can be found in your owners manual, or maybe even on a tag on the axle. My axle had a small paper tag that said you should use 75W-90 oil, with a minimum GL5 rating. Since this is a paper tag, it didn't last long! According to the owners manual, the front differential has a capacity of 1.2 quarts. The rear has a capacity of 3.1 quarts. The truck should be level when you perform the service. |
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The
drain plug for the rear axle is under the rear differential. It
is protected by a small "washer" that is welded to the bottom
of the differential so that rocks can not hit the plug. Once
your drain pan is in place, you can remove the plug and drain the gear
oil out.
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While
you are waiting for the gear oil to change, you can remove the fill plug
on the rear of the diff.
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Once
the oil has drained out, install the drain plug. Then you
simply fill the diff until gear oil starts running back out of the fill
hole. Once that happens you can put the fill plug back in,
clean everything up and you are done with the rear diff.
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The
front drain plug (if you have a 4x4) is shown here on the bottom of the
front differential. The procedure is the same as the rear. Get
you catch pan in place, then remove the drain plug and let the gear oil
drain out.
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Once
the oil has all drained out, install the drain plug and remove the fill
plug and add new gear oil until the oil runs out of the fill hole. Once
that happens, put the fill plug back in, clean everything up and you are
done!
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6-28-2004 |