CHECK YOUR DIFFS!

gemarsh

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Read about 2 others with 3500's that the diff was low on gear lube. One was wiped out at 3000 miles, other was 1.5 qts low.

I checked the '23 2500 this afternoon. ~1.5 qts low on the rear and ~.5 qt low on front diff. Not exact, but it took 2 qts between them.

Front diff had a blue index marker mark on fill plug. Plug was finger loose. Marks were lined up. Either plug was out a full turn or was just marked loose. Has not been in water yet, so not worried about drain and refill. These are not the old school NPT plugs, but use a flat o-ring to seal. So don't bare down on it.

Diffs take full synthetic 75w90 per dealer.

If you can't do it yourself, hire it done!

My '22 3500 drw is still setting on dealers service lot, waiting on engine harness, goingon 5 months. Will have them fill diffs before I pick it up and check myself when she's home.

Will check the '21 1500 this evening when wife gets home.
 

Rear Axle Lubricant Level Inspection
Note: All axle assemblies are filled by volume of fluid during production. They are not filled to reach a certain level. When checking the fluid level on any axle, variations in the readings can be caused by factory fill differences between the minimum and the maximum fluid volume. Also, if a vehicle has just been driven before checking the fluid level, it may appear lower than normal because the fluid has traveled out along the axle tubes and has not drained back to the sump area. Therefore, a reading taken five minutes after the vehicle has been driven will appear to have a lower fluid level than a vehicle that has been stationary for an hour or two. Remember that the rear axle assembly must be supported to get a true reading.
  1. Raise and support the vehicle. Lifting and Jacking the Vehicle
  2. Make sure the vehicle is level.

  3. Inspect the axle lubricant level, it should be 0 – 10 mm (0 – 0.4 in) below the fill plug opening.
  4. If the axle lubricant level is low, add lubricant until the level is 0 – 10 mm (0 – 0.4 in) below the fill plug opening. Use the appropriate axle lubricant.
 

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