SFA front diff very thick oil when drained

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geoff.nell
High Range 2WD
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Vehicle: 1995 2.4 hilux
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SFA front diff very thick oil when drained

Post by geoff.nell »

hi all

I drained the front diff oil today and was horrified at how thick and black the oil was.
I am thinking that the grease that I put into the swivel hubs might be getting into the front axle and the diff?
Is this possible?

Another question is should I refill the front diff with 80W90 or match the rear diff oil at 85W140?
I see no reason why the front and rear diff should run different oil?
What am I missing?
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niclemaitre
LR 4WD Full Lockers
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Re: SFA front diff very thick oil when drained

Post by niclemaitre »

Yes, the grease from the swivel hubs gets into the diff oil. The oil seal on the end of the axle housing at the knuckle wears and then the oil runs into the steering hubs and combines with the grease. You can usually see it dripping off the bolts on the bottom of the hub.

The diffs run different oil because they are different diffs, the front is a Toyota diff and the rear is (usually) a Gearmax locally made diff. It may also relate to the front diff only working in 4x4, whereas the rear runs all the time.
Happy trails
Nic

SFA '97 DC - affirmatively shopped
SFA '87 DC "Rooies" - sold
IFS '99 DC "Benny"
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Tim86
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Re: SFA front diff very thick oil when drained

Post by Tim86 »

Front Diff - 80W90
Rear Diff (Gearmax) - 85W140
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