Mopar Front Axle Fluid is extremely expensive

[mfifield01]

I changed my rear differential fluid on 2013 Ram a few years ago (at 30k). I plan to change the front with Mopar fluid soon (MOPAR GL-5 Synthetic Axle Lubricant SAE 75W-85). I called the local dealership to ask about price and they stated it was $110/quart. This seems crazy. I paid $26.77/quart for the rear. Are there any good places online to get the Mopar fluid online?

 

[DILLIGAF]

Just run Amsoil like the rest of us.

 

[Bigskyroadglide]

Or redline

 

[caulk04]

It's just gear lube, pick up something at the parts store or Walmart.

 

[mfifield01]

I have been thinking about using Redline. I can find it locally. I have the MaxCare Lifetime warranty, so I prefer to use Mopar fluids. It limits any questions if something happens.

Amsoil doesn't make the stock weight.

 

[Jeepwalker]

The key words there were: "I called the dealership..." . Did you price the same thing online?

But yeah, I just use regular synthetic gear lube (but Mopar fluids everywhere else).

 

[mfifield01]

The key words there were: "I called the dealership..." . Did you price the same thing online?

That is my question in the initial post. If I put my vehicle into "check my fit" it doesn't come up with the oil listed in the manual. I think it's in short supply right now. The rear differential fluid from the dealer was only $27, but that was in 2019.

 

[Jeepwalker]

Is THIS the part number they quoted? It's still really expensive $79.99! (???)

75W-90 Valvoline and Mobil-1 are $12.60 and $15.50 respectively on Amazon/Qt. You can get Valvoline at a lot of parts stores...that's what I would consider ..just because of it's availability. Unless you tow a low, then go with something higher-performance.

I see blinker fluid has gone up quite a bit too lately I see it's good for 100,000 blinks now (if you need that). Anybody know if that would be the synthetic formula? LOL

 

[EdGs]

75w-85 GL-5 Mopar p/n 68210057AB is $31.61 on Amazon

 

[mfifield01]

I called two other dealerships. One quoted it at $110 and the other at $62.35. Got a part number from one (68083381AA). It shows as $47.69 on Amazon.

 

[mfifield01]

I think the dealers are using whatever "Mopar" 75w-85 GL-5 they can get. Just called another dealership. He quoted it at $110 with a different part number (05136035AD). It's $70-116 online. It makes no sense. I'll either buy Redline locally or order the cheapest Mopar 75w-85 GL-5 online.

 

[Wild one]

I think the dealers are using whatever "Mopar" 75w-85 GL-5 they can get. Just called another dealership. He quoted it at $110 with a different part number (05136035AD). It's $70-116 online. It makes no sense. I'll either buy Redline locally or order the cheapest Mopar 75w-85 GL-5 online.

Buy the Redline fluid.Mopar sources their oils and fluids from the cheapest bidder

 

[mfifield01]

Buy the Redline fluid.Mopar sources their oils and fluids from the cheapest bidder

Good insight. This is probably why there are many different part numbers at different prices. I just ordered 2 quart of Redline from O'reilly for pickup later today.

 

[Jeepwalker]

Buy the Redline fluid.Mopar sources their oils and fluids from the cheapest bidder

You make it sound like they're changing companies like I change underwear(ever couple yrs! ). More than likely they have a long-term contract with a 'trusted vendor' which has known quality and can supply a lot of fluids and lubes. That's generally how automotive contracts work. I've worked with a number of plant managers of companies who were OEM manufacturers for just about all the major car companies (doing engineering/contracting work). I've had plenty of earful's about auto contracts over the years.

Yes the contracts go out for bids now and then, and the vendor is under pressure to keep their numbers very competitive, but the tusted incumbent vendor (who is in good standing - key phrase there) generally gets 'last-look'. Or even the Car company tells them kind of where they need to be, money-wise. And if you have a nice big contract, as a vendor you DON'T want to lose a big chunk of revenue, and you do what it takes to keep it. Yer beholden to shareholders or the company board to meet revenue targets. Where would you go to pick up a multi-million dollar steady contract? So you do whatever it takes to keep it the bid. There's usually a bit of back and fourth and push-back on both sides to end up with what they feel is the best price. If all works right, the car company gets a better price and can stick with their trusted (preferred vendor) ...for a LONG time my guess is. And even so, Chrysler has a spec out on ever fluid that needs to be met.

So it's not like the car companies are changing fluid companies all the time. That wouldn't make a lot of sense. They would have to go and re-test (verify) a new vendor's lubes meet spec. Thats costly extra work. A vendor also needs to have the capacity and ability to understand and be ok with payment terms. Maybe integrate with the auto mfgrs software, be able to meet delivery targets, perhaps on a global scale (or pay a penalty), and a host of other things that go beyond bottom dollar price. It wouldn't do the car company any good to go with Ka-boing-Lubricants Inc ...a mom and pop company in shang-dang, then in 6 months change to Ker-Pow-Fluid Technologies, nestled between bamboo huts in the jungles of Laos ....because they were .005 cents cheaper. They probably wont be able to deliver on time or run into quality issues. Pretty soon you have a cluster-screw of who's supplying what..

They (Mopar) probably stick to the same vendor as much as they can, and it would need to meet spec anyway.

.

 

[Wild one]

You make it sound like they're changing companies like I change underwear(ever couple yrs! ). More than likely they have a long-term contract with a 'trusted vendor' which has known quality and can supply a lot of fluids and lubes. That's generally how automotive contracts work. I've worked with a number of plant managers of companies who were OEM manufacturers for just about all the major car companies (doing engineering/contracting work). I've had plenty of earful's about auto contracts over the years.

Yes the contracts go out for bids now and then, and the vendor is under pressure to keep their numbers very competitive, but the tusted incumbent vendor (who is in good standing - key phrase there) generally gets 'last-look'. Or even the Car company tells them kind of where they need to be, money-wise. And if you have a nice big contract, as a vendor you DON'T want to lose a big chunk of revenue, and you do what it takes to keep it. Yer beholden to shareholders or the company board to meet revenue targets. Where would you go to pick up a multi-million dollar steady contract? So you do whatever it takes to keep it the bid. There's usually a bit of back and fourth and push-back on both sides to end up with what they feel is the best price. If all works right, the car company gets a better price and can stick with their trusted (preferred vendor) ...for a LONG time my guess is. And even so, Chrysler has a spec out on ever fluid that needs to be met.

So it's not like the car companies are changing fluid companies all the time. That wouldn't make a lot of sense. They would have to go and re-test (verify) a new vendor's lubes meet spec. Thats costly extra work. A vendor also needs to have the capacity and ability to understand and be ok with payment terms. Maybe integrate with the auto mfgrs software, be able to meet delivery targets, perhaps on a global scale (or pay a penalty), and a host of other things that go beyond bottom dollar price. It wouldn't do the car company any good to go with Ka-boing-Lubricants Inc ...a mom and pop company in shang-dang, then in 6 months change to Ker-Pow-Fluid Technologies, nestled between bamboo huts in the jungles of Laos ....because they were .005 cents cheaper. They probably wont be able to deliver on time or run into quality issues. Pretty soon you have a cluster-screw of who's supplying what..

They (Mopar) probably stick to the same vendor as much as they can, and it would need to meet spec anyway.

.

Mopar has changed fluid vendors several times in the last dozen years,used to be Shell,now its Pennzoil,and before Shell i think it was Mobil.They have a mininium spec on fluids,the cheapest vendor that meets those mininiums gets the contract. Looking out for the consumer is not on their agenda,looking out for the corporations agenda and profit margin is all they care about.
You give way to much credit to them looking out for the consumer,bottom line is they look out for the profit margins,that's all that matters to them. I know a couple of the upper echelon in Chryco Canada,and Chrysler grinds their jobbers and suppliers harder then Wallmart does,lol.
When they dropped from a 100,000 mile warrenty down to a 50,000 mile warrenty,the quality of their vehicles and replacement parts also dropped

 

[mikeru]

I see blinker fluid has gone up quite a bit too lately I see it's good for 100,000 blinks now (if you need that). Anybody know if that would be the synthetic formula? LOL
View attachment 549288

There's no way I'd ever let my blinker fluid go past 50k blinks no matter what the jug says!

 

[EdGs]

There's no way I'd ever let my blinker fluid go past 50k blinks no matter what the jug says!

You got a part # for that blinker fluid?

 

[Jeepwalker]

...You give way to much credit to them looking out for the consumer,bottom line is they look out for the profit margins,that's all that matters to them.

Like I used to tell customers when I was working at a big corporation...Fortune-75, ..we were the most expensive game in town, but we hired and trained the best & most experienced guys too (top guys earn more). I used to tell them when they would bark about our prices, that our ultimate responsibility is to them, our customer/s. If we give away too much free work (all customers want free stuff!), undersell products, or aren't competitive, we, our experience techs (and I) won't be around when they (the customer) needs us. No company can sustain that. So it's our responsibility to make a reasonable profit, just like they or any successful company does.

I know that sounds like corporate-speak...and it kind of is. But it's true. But yeah, some of the prices auto companies come up with does boggle the mind sometimes. What is "reasonable". The company I workedd for, we used to sell a small 12" long wire harness with special cable ends that consisted of about $1 worth of materials (you could order the connectors off Digikey and make your own) to connect to our equipment, for an absorbiant $280!! Even WE thought that was a rip-off! And it bugged us to even tell customers. So we bought the connectors and made our own up in-office for a lot less. But some customers would buy the expensive cable b/c it was an OEM part and they didn't want the 'risk'. So I agree with you on some prices, but am sympathetic too on the need for companies to make money.

Note: The cost of industrial parts makes car/truck part prices look cheap.

 

[mikeru]

You got a part # for that blinker fluid?

Right, like I'm gonna let you lure me into yet another blinker fluid thread.

 

[BenchTest]

Walmart - Valvoline 75W90 Full Synthetic. $16/qt. Change it every 30k miles or more often if you do extreme 4x4 shhtuff. I have hundreds of thousands of miles on Valvoline gear oil. Work trucks, personal vehicles. They are the #1 maker of gear oil (not saying it's the #1 product in the category, just the highest volume selling gear oil). There is a TON of it in circulation for a reason. Or buy Mopar Rainbow Unicorn Extract for $125/qt.