differential fluid type?
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 117
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differential fluid type?
I have a 1993 ranger 4 x 4. I am wanting to change the fluid in both differentials. I am assuming that they are both limited slip since it is a 4 x 4. of course the owners manual says to use ford fluid xyz type or whatever. I really like mobil 1 synthetic. can i use that without hurting the limited slip? or do i have to buy the fluid from Ford? I don't want to risk hurting anything but i hate to buy fluid from them because it's bound to be expensive. has anyone used the mobil 1? i have in other vehicles without posi and it just runs so clean with little wear. any advice appreciated, kent
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 117
Likes: 2
so my ranger only has positrack in the rear?? just wondering. it seems so hard to turn when it's locked in that i thought it must have it front and rear. i never knew that. i don't see how they can call it 4 wheel drive, they should call it 3 wheel drive!!
Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 819
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From: Northern Maine
If you had limited slip on the front, you wouldnt be able to steer it. The inside tire would try to spin to keep up with the outside one, which is covering more ground. That is why they have those locker switches on the off road trucks, so they can switch them off in order to steer on hard surfaces. Just use a quality SAE 80-90 in both (Synthetic is fine) , with friction modifier additive in the rear.
Last edited by Dan Robertson; Mar 29, 2005 at 06:37 AM.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 389
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From: Rochester, NY
Originally Posted by Dan Robertson
If you had limited slip on the front, you wouldnt be able to steer it. The inside tire would try to spin to keep up with the outside one, which is covering more ground.
But anyway, you can still steer a truck with a front LSD. You can even still steer a truck with a front locker, but that starts to get more difficult. Also, even if it is locked, the inside doesn't spin to keep up with the outside. The outside is held back to the speed of the slower turning inside wheel. The slower turning will always hold back the faster turning one. This results in the outside scrubbing and hopping rather then the inside spinning.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 389
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From: Rochester, NY
Sure, 75W-90, 80W-90, etc are fine for axle oils. The important thing is that it's a hypoid gear oil - this is required by the ring and pinion gears. This applies to any traditional axle, not just in a Ranger. Beyond that, specific weight and grade are more dependant on usage, conditions and operator preference. I typically tell people to use an equivalent of what the owner's manual specifies (doesn't have to be Ford branded).
