"Click and Clack" talk about Liberty

midwest · **Joined:** Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:03 am **Posts:** 173

My newspaper carries the sydicated column by Click and Clack. A reader wrote to them about the 12k front and rear differential fluid change her dealer socked her with.

Their opinion is the same as mine, a complete waste of money UNLESS you tow HEAVY REGULARLY or dip them under water.

BVCRD · **Posted:** Tue Feb 06, 2007 2:33 pm

midwest wrote:

My newspaper carries the sydicated column by Click and Clack. A reader wrote to them about the 12k front and rear differential fluid change her dealer socked her with.

Their opinion is the same as mine, a complete waste of money UNLESS you tow HEAVY REGULARLY or dip them under water.

I was told by a CRD tech, that the new synthetic fluids absorb water out of the air, in the same way that brake fluid does. That is the reasoning behind the frequent changes. So, if you live in the high desert like I do with humidity levels struggling to get abouve 10%, does that mean I can go 20K miles between changes?

midwest · **Joined:** Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:03 am **Posts:** 173

BVCRD wrote:

midwest wrote:

My newspaper carries the sydicated column by Click and Clack. A reader wrote to them about the 12k front and rear differential fluid change her dealer socked her with.

Their opinion is the same as mine, a complete waste of money UNLESS you tow HEAVY REGULARLY or dip them under water.

I was told by a CRD tech, that the new synthetic fluids absorb water out of the air, in the same way that brake fluid does. That is the reasoning behind the frequent changes. So, if you live in the high desert like I do with humidity levels struggling to get abouve 10%, does that mean I can go 20K miles between changes?

It was their opinion 99% of drivers don't need this service. It is listed as 150k service on my F250 superduty regardless of conditions.

BVCRD · **Posted:** Tue Feb 06, 2007 3:06 pm

Does your Ford have synthetic fluid in the rearends? If so, then this would warrant further insite. When I changed mine at 14000 miles, it was noticeably discolored, meaning it wasn't "like new". I didn't see a hint of water in it though. No foam, or yellowing like oil gets when water is present. Maybe it was on a molecular level. I do live in the dry though. That might help some. If time is an issue, what about Kjs that sat on the lot for a spell. They may be a year old now. Do they need changing with 12 miles on them?

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Tue Feb 06, 2007 4:45 pm

Heavy Duty DOT 5 ( silicon based ) does not absorb water like the older Dot 3 brake fluids.

As for synthetic oils...the polyglycol oils are water soluable and are derived from ethylene obtained when "cracking" petroleum products. So in theory you would think you have to worry about water combining with your synthetic oil...but only thru contamination would this happen with our vehicles. I mean that water would need to be introduced into your pumpkin and "foamed" in to the mix. On the other hand "hydrosopicity" which is water saturation from the air... will depend of course on relative humidity, temps, ect but with our syntheic based oils you are looking at about 3% contamination at the maximum. The good part is that the rate of water absorbtion will be dependant upon the volume of moist air against the volume of lubricant. In a closed system like a pumpkin it will not really be a concern. A small closed area like a pumpkin and the movement that takes place in that confined space will make it very unlikely that "hydrosopicity or water absorbtion from the air" will cause any problems.

Bonehead · **Posted:** Tue Feb 06, 2007 11:46 pm

My diffs have 50K on them and it will be another 30K before I intend to touch them

oldnavy · **Posted:** Wed Feb 07, 2007 11:09 am

I changed both mine out early to Mobil 1 synthetic gear oil front and rear and don't plan to service again for a couple years unless a leak is spotted. I changed these fluids out 3 time in a 175,000 miles in our old Jeep and the current owner changed it agsin at about 250,000 miles and it is still running just fine.

The tech's statement was what I call a DA statement by the uninformed.

BVCRD · **Posted:** Wed Feb 07, 2007 11:33 am

oldnavy wrote:

I changed both mine out early to Mobil 1 synthetic gear oil front and rear and don't plan to service again for a couple years unless a leak is spotted. I changed these fluids out 3 time in a 175,000 miles and the current owner changed it agsin at about 250,000 miles and it is still running just fine.

The tech's statement was what I call a DA statement by the uninformed.

I am beginning to question his advise. He had been solid as a rock on most things, but why does DCX require gear oil to be replaced at 12,000 intervals? Just to keep the techs busy? Has the conspiracy come to that?

oldnavy · **Posted:** Wed Feb 07, 2007 2:40 pm

BVCRD wrote:

oldnavy wrote:

I changed both mine out early to Mobil 1 synthetic gear oil front and rear and don't plan to service again for a couple years unless a leak is spotted. I changed these fluids out 3 time in a 175,000 miles and the current owner changed it agsin at about 250,000 miles and it is still running just fine.

The tech's statement was what I call a DA statement by the uninformed.

I am beginning to question his advise. He had been solid as a rock on most things, but why does DCX require gear oil to be replaced at 12,000 intervals? Just to keep the techs busy? Has the conspiracy come to that?

My guess is yes, or they are suffering from the same thing mfg's and dealers have for years, and that is the old hype about the 3000 mile oil changes and the use of 10w30 oils almost 10 years after the requirements were changed or supposed to be changed.

Sometimes some people will just not let go of the old ways for what ever reason.

Metal Man · **Posted:** Thu Feb 08, 2007 12:04 am

What makes no sense to me is that on their schedule "A" there is no mention of changing it in 100,000 miles, but the "B" schedule is every 12,500. I think you would have to be totally abusing the Jeep to justify the 12,500 change.

Drewd · **Joined:** Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:24 pm **Posts:** 902

The short diff OCI is a gimme from DC to their dealers to increase their revenue. Its bogus.

I would at minimum change it every 50k if you do offroading or towing and 100k if you don't. I had a 20 year old Bronco that never had its fluid changed

SCKJCRD · **Posted:** Thu Feb 08, 2007 10:52 pm

Here's what happens if you wait too long :wink:

oldnavy · **Posted:** Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:36 pm

That is one that had water in the oil from backing down boat ramps or crossing creeks. I saw a '02 Dodge PU today that was like this but may have worse. There was so much metal spinning around loose in the differential housing that it had eaten up the inside of the differential housing bad enough that only thing they could salvage was the axles, the whole rear housing was junk. $1200 to do one from a junk yard or $1900 for a new on with 7/70,000 mile warranty. The guys a oil pipeline worker.

SCKJCRD · **Posted:** Fri Feb 09, 2007 12:03 am

Actually, it's a mixture of axle grease, water, and Carolina red clay. The picture is of the rear axle in my son's K5 Blazer, about 2 weeks after he got it stuck in a mud pit. When it started puking that stuff out the pinion seal he knew he had a problem. Some lessons are best learned firsthand.

kjfishman · **Posted:** Fri Feb 09, 2007 9:11 am

BVCRD wrote:

midwest wrote:

My newspaper carries the sydicated column by Click and Clack. A reader wrote to them about the 12k front and rear differential fluid change her dealer socked her with.

Their opinion is the same as mine, a complete waste of money UNLESS you tow HEAVY REGULARLY or dip them under water.

I was told by a CRD tech, that the new synthetic fluids absorb water out of the air, in the same way that brake fluid does. That is the reasoning behind the frequent changes. So, if you live in the high desert like I do with humidity levels struggling to get abouve 10%, does that mean I can go 20K miles between changes?

Synthetic last longer, and we didn't get synthetic gear lube from the factory. Not even with the trailer tow package gives you synthetic gear lube anymore. That said we don't need to change the fluid near as often as they suggest.

BVCRD · **Posted:** Fri Feb 09, 2007 9:31 am

kjfishman wrote:

BVCRD wrote:

midwest wrote:

My newspaper carries the sydicated column by Click and Clack. A reader wrote to them about the 12k front and rear differential fluid change her dealer socked her with.

Their opinion is the same as mine, a complete waste of money UNLESS you tow HEAVY REGULARLY or dip them under water.

I was told by a CRD tech, that the new synthetic fluids absorb water out of the air, in the same way that brake fluid does. That is the reasoning behind the frequent changes. So, if you live in the high desert like I do with humidity levels struggling to get abouve 10%, does that mean I can go 20K miles between changes?

Synthetic last longer, and we didn't get synthetic gear lube from the factory. Not even with the trailer tow package gives you synthetic gear lube anymore. That said we don't need to change the fluid near as often as they suggest.

Yes we did.

G-funk · **Posted:** Fri Feb 09, 2007 2:11 pm

SCKJCRD wrote:

Here's what happens if you wait too long :wink:

you mean it's not suposed to look like that? :lol:

that's why it's a good idea to extend your breathers if you go through water. My friend old XJ looked just like that after one season pulling his boat. we extended the breathers front and rear and last fluid change it looked a lot better.

oldnavy · **Posted:** Fri Feb 09, 2007 2:26 pm

My 86 CJ had the extenders that went up high under the body and I have thought about moding the KJ that way later in the spring.

"Click and Clack" talk about Liberty

Who is online