Read dif fluid change and now hearing noises when turning.

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mrecooper

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So, about a week ago I took my truck, 2015 ram 1500 lariame 4x4 in for it's oil change. The technician I who did my paperwork said I should have my fluids changes on my front, rear, and some other site for maintenance. Didn't feel like spending $300 , so I just said I'll do the rear since I typically drive in 2-wheel drive majority of the time.

So a few days go by, I start to notice from a stop or slow moving turn, I hear clunking noises. When i turn left is loud and really noticeable and when I turn right it isn't as loud. Today, it seemed to come from the rear axle area, but I could be wrong.

When you change rear dif fluid on these newer dodges is this noise normal, is there an additive that needs to be put in, or is the fluids not in the gears properly?
 

Rampant

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So, about a week ago I took my truck, 2015 ram 1500 lariame 4x4 in for it's oil change. The technician I who did my paperwork said I should have my fluids changes on my front, rear, and some other site for maintenance. Didn't feel like spending $300 , so I just said I'll do the rear since I typically drive in 2-wheel drive majority of the time.

So a few days go by, I start to notice from a stop or slow moving turn, I hear clunking noises. When i turn left is loud and really noticeable and when I turn right it isn't as loud. Today, it seemed to come from the rear axle area, but I could be wrong.

When you change rear dif fluid on these newer dodges is this noise normal, is there an additive that needs to be put in, or is the fluids not in the gears properly?

Assuming you refilled the rearend with the proper gear lube and to the correct level, you'll need something like this:

https://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/gear-lube/slip-lock/?code=ADATB-EA
 
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mrecooper

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I had it done at Jiffy Lube, so I sit here assuming they put the correct amount fluid back in. I'm going up there tomorrow for them to make sure it it is properly filled and if not have their senior mechanic correct the issue.

I would imagine prolong under filled rear dif fluids can damage the gears if not properly filled, correct?
 

Tach_tech

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I’m willing to bet they didn’t put a friction modifier in. It will cause the clutches for the limited slip to chatter when taking corners at low speeds.
 
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HemiStarPower

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Let us know how it turns out, I bet those guys forgot the friction modifier, they probably didn’t even know it was an limited slip.


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Burla

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Next time insist on Redline ester based gear fluid, more then doubles your interval and I have never heard of it needing the anti slip additive. Research esters and you will want them in your gears and tranny bar none. Buy one of the 4 ounce anti slip additives at the parts store, drop one ounce at a time in there until the chatter smooths out. You dont want too much either. It's not really the lube places fault per say, but they must be using some cheap stuff on you. If you take it there, they are just going to dump 4 ounces in there, probably wont hurt anything, but that isn't the way it should be done. Don't wait, and don't take a long trip without them checking it or you putting some in.
 

-B-

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Syn dif oil only helps in super cold and with parasitic loss that is it, it does not nor will ever prolong diff oil change times . Too many people are swilling to much hype, leave any oil in the diff any longer and it become Hygroscopic . heat cycles + open vent are the root cause.

Esters only help in extreme prolonged heat IE engine at full wide open with little to no cooling / turbo applications/ heavy haul towing, it will do little to no good for every day driving beyond what good syn oils already do. PT Barnum applies here
 

Riccochet

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I've always used Valvoline SnyPower gear oil. It comes with the friction modifier already in it. Been using the stuff for years and it's never let me down.

Gear oil is one of those thing I firmly believe that as long as you get a decent brand, and change it every 30k, you'll be ok in the long run.
 

WilliamS

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Im likely late to the party but if you have a clutched differential you need friction modifier.
 

Burla

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Syn dif oil only helps in super cold and with parasitic loss that is it, it does not nor will ever prolong diff oil change times . Too many people are swilling to much hype, leave any oil in the diff any longer and it become Hygroscopic . heat cycles + open vent are the root cause.

Esters only help in extreme prolonged heat IE engine at full wide open with little to no cooling / turbo applications/ heavy haul towing, it will do little to no good for every day driving beyond what good syn oils already do. PT Barnum applies here

I encourage you to research some more on it, machinelube puts life span much longer for true synthetics. An example is the operating temps and what that means to life of an oil, same application. Read the section on Polyol Esters (POEs) , this is what is found in most of your ester based otc fluids.

The test records show the following oil sump temperatures after 300 operating hours:

Mineral oil: 230°F (110°C)
SHC: 194°F (90°C)
PAG: 167°F (75°C)

The life extension factors of synthetic oils as compared to mineral oil are as follows:

Mineral oil = 1
SHC = 9.5 times longer
PAG = 31 times longer

I just say everyone research the info on their own, maybe they will still want to buy the cheap stuff, but no harm in being informed.
 

Jeepwalker

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You can buy the right stuff at the Chrysler parts counter too with or w/o the modifier pre-mixed. That's what I do. Keep your GM ...I mean Mopar, all Mopar.

I would personally always trust the quickie oil change guys to NOT do the 'right' thing. They don't pay well and therefore don't always get the quality of workers we would like ...plus there's a lot of turn-over so it could be a 'trainee' working on your vehicle (even at a dealership!). Having an eye on them and double-checking their work immediately after each oil change you could catch a mistake before it catches up to you. One time they backed my wife's car out of a quickie lube with an oil trail under it ...oil gushing out and swore up and down it was just some left-over dripping oil and everything was ok. They didn't want to bring it back in and have another look. She called me (this was before we were married), and I told her to stay put and INSIST they push it back in and look at it. Sure enough they didn't remove the old filter rubber gasket (double-gasketed). They re-did it and all was well.

After I bought my RAM (used) I went to change the oil a few days later. When I went to remove the filter I bumped it with the filter strap wrench ...you know, just bumped it like one might normally do in the process of reaching in there and lining up the wrench ...and the filter moved! My eyes got BIG. Holy crap, I thought! I reached in with a finger and literally unspun it, it was that loose! I can't believe it didn't leak or gush oil. I mean I barely touched it with the wrench, didn't even have it on yet. That was this summer, fresh in my mind. There was paperwork in the cab of the local quick-change oil place that had been changing the filter. I could tell a few more first hand stories but they all come down to shoddy work. And plus, they usually use the lowliest and cheapest oil filters known on the planet. I can buy a nice Mopar oil filter for like $6 at the local farm n barn which has a good neoprene anti-drianback valve and a real spring bypass ..and an element not held together with a measly piece of doily string like some other orange filters ....the mopar is a good quality product! Or buy a nice Bosch/Wix or you name it.

Anyway, I'm sure most of the time these places do an ok job a lot of the times and I understand most people don't want to mess with oil changes. But at least keep a sharp eye on what they're doing and putting in. Check everything they touch!
 
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Burla

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Some people **** "hype", some **** "feelings", some **** "marketing", but I chose to **** science. Wanna pick a gear fluid, hit the lubrication trade journals end of story. Don't listen to anyone except the trade journals I say, everything else is internet noise. The are legitimate arguments for every choice, chose what you value.
 

Jeepwalker

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Syn dif oil only helps in super cold and with parasitic loss that is it, it does not nor will ever prolong diff oil change times . Too many people are swilling to much hype, leave any oil in the diff any longer and it become Hygroscopic . heat cycles + open vent are the root cause.

To the extent a person changes it regularly you're probably right. In real-world use I've never had a diff failure either in 35 years of using regular lube and most vehicles have gone up to 250k miles or more with no problems. Oh I had one Jeep that puked a rear end at 300k but those were known weak anyways. So, I guess if you just keep changing during the proper timeline you'll be fine under 'normal' driving conditions.

On my Jeeps and some vehicles, I do use Walmart synthetic lube (for years). It's almost the same price as other outfits sell their regular lube for. I bet I just made the lube guys gasp!! On my ram I'll probably just get the 'right' lube from the FCA parts dept. Not too bad $ with an account.

Now here's an amazing story for the die-hard oil guys:
Years ago before heading off on a family summer trip out west (Yellowstone) in a 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It probably had 150k miles on it at the time. I changed the oil, checked diffs, topped off any other fluids, checked the brakes and did a good general look-over. I did everything EXCEPT check the xfer case fluid. It got rainy outside at the time and with other projects taking up garage space, I didn't feel like crawling under it in the wet, plus, I was trying to cram in all the overtime stuff for work that got laid at my desk a few days before and it was 10:00 pm by the time I was getting home (and on the computer till after midnight!). I figured it was ok, the xfer case was dry other than the usual drop or two on the bottom. And, I'd changed it maybe a year earlier. But at the last minute I threw in the large pliers ...figured I'd check it part way out or at the hotel. Well, guess what, I never did. It was in the back of my mind the whole time, but with all the family stuff and small kids, I didn't do it. No excuses. I did check it with my hand and it didn't feel hot.

After 2,500-3,000 or so miles we returned home ...the FIRST thing I did was remove the plug because it was really starting to bother me. I don't usually NOT check these things, but this one time I let it go. I pulled the top plug and couldn't feel any fluid ...couldn't even get any on a piece of wire! That concerned me. So, I put the drain pan under and pulled the drain plug ...and about 1/4 cup slowly drizzled out... no more. I kid you not! Holy crap. Well it was getting dark so I topped it off with ATF and sent the wife off to work the next day. Few days later, changed it again, the fluid that came out looked like new. Could't see any shavings on a magnet. We drove that car another 8 years or so till the rear pinion bearing blew. During the rear-end rebuild process I pulled the xfer case and disassembled it because I wanted to see what it looked like inside. I've done a number of xfer case rebuilds and it's pretty easy/quick to split one and inspect. Anyway, I thoroughly inspected the bearings, chain, gear teeth ...they looked super. No heat issues, spalling or wear that I could detect ...and it was about 300k mi on this thing! The rear output bushing had wear, but it was normal for a vehicle with maybe 150k miles. I would have changed it if I had one at the shop. I put new seals on the yokes and put it all back together and she still runs great. You have to remember there's an oil pump on those Select-traks that draws from the bottom so there must have been just enough oil in there to mist the bearings. I don't recommend that maintenance procedure, but just thought I'd relay that story.
 
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-B-

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I encourage you to research some more on it, machinelube puts life span much longer for true synthetics. An example is the operating temps and what that means to life of an oil, same application. Read the section on Polyol Esters (POEs) , this is what is found in most of your ester based otc fluids.

The test records show the following oil sump temperatures after 300 operating hours:

Mineral oil: 230°F (110°C)
SHC: 194°F (90°C)
PAG: 167°F (75°C)

The life extension factors of synthetic oils as compared to mineral oil are as follows:

Mineral oil = 1
SHC = 9.5 times longer
PAG = 31 times longer

I just say everyone research the info on their own, maybe they will still want to buy the cheap stuff, but no harm in being informed.

I have been in synthetic oil/ grease research & development for 30 years. BTW dif oil and engine oil see vastly different environments your quoting engine oil hype for diff fluid is well lack of research. Read the science not the forum post planted by shills
 

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