I stand corrected. It was my understanding that the wheel bearings are just that, near the wheels (like on the front axle). And that the only axles that have gear oil outside of the actual THIRD MEMBER were the full floaters like the Sterling 10.25", which allows the axles shafts to be partially FILLED with gear oil. Thanks for clearing that up guys, sorry for causing confusion

 

1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, full floating what have ya all get wheel bearing lube from the differential in the rear. However the wheel bearings on full floaters need to be hand packed with grease just like front wheel bearings when first assembled or reassembled to keep them from running dry and burning up before the grease from the diff gets to them.

When turning corners the fluid will run out and fill each of the hubs on a floater and the diff will need toped off again once taken apart and then put back together but its not much.

 

Oh while not as important 1/2 tons rear wheel bearings should also be hand greased some before being installed.

 

the diff is lightly covered in dirt & oil but it doesnt seem like its leaking.ive yet to pressure wash it to determine if it leaks or not. the oil i said i was going to use was royal purple max gear and turns out it is 75w-90 and it DOES have limited slip additive. ive found the bolt that tells you when its full and the fill (the one on top of the pumpkin by some sort of switch?) but i cannot seem to find the drain.do you have to pull off the cover to change it?i would like to pull it off and take a peek at all of it. but if i dont have to i wont. i feel kind of stupid asking these kind of questions because i can fix nearly everything and anything on our atvs.

 

yes pull the cover to drain

 

wow i would kind of think that they would have a drain bolt instead of having to take off the cover.

 

<i>ive found the bolt that tells you when its full and the fill (the one on top of the pumpkin by some sort of switch?)</i>

No I think you have the wrong bolt, the fill plug you're looking for is in front by the drive shaft I believe on the drivers side. Should take a 3/8" drive extension, no socket, to remove it. The bolt at the top is the anti lock sensor, if thats the one you're taking about in your post. Don't fill it that high or it will leak!

And yes as was said pull off the cover to drain it, clean all the junk out of the bottom of it before putting the cover back on.

 

Wow....I can't believe you said it either Andy but he is right.I have worked in a repair shop I have been in diesel mechanical courses and I've even been an oil change monkey.Fullfloaters do recieve gear lube from the pumpkin....yes you grease every bearing no matter if it gets lube or not.The grease is like priming an oil system with a drill on a new engine......there is always an important purpose.And matt......overfilling a crank case does more than cause your seals to swell and leak.....too much oil is just as bad as not enough.To the bottom of the fill hole......also another thing to consider is if your diff gasket is leaking to might want to check your vent tube(s)......the leak is probably caused by heat and the pressure has to go somewhere.....Probly just crud in the line.Later all.

JR

 

i just pressure washed the pumpkin and im just waitin for it to dry. hopefully it doesnt leak. if i do decide to change it should i glob rtv sealer on it or just make a good bead around it?

 

One medium sized bead in the center of the mating surface will do it going to the inside of the bolt holes, no need to glob it all over. lol

Make sure both sides are good and clean, free of grease so it will stick.

 

just a stupid question. how long will this take? i get home from school at 3:30 and dad usually gets hone at 4:30.im guessin it would take bout 30 minutes tops with the god ol air ratchet?o yea is there a torque for the bolts?

 

It might take you a bit longer than that 92... The part that takes me the longest is scraping all of old RTV off of mating surfaces, it can be a real bear. And you don't want to reapply RTV without cleaning the old stuff off or you're asking for leaks. You should apply the bead all the way around the mating surface and make a full circle around each bolt hole, like this:


Good luck. Shouldn't take more than an hour tops if you're efficient enough

 

Well, Chris you're not efficient in the first place.But, 92 he's right hour tops...get all the old gasket off...just like you do with everything else.Luck

JR

 

No doubt. I'm highly INEFFICIENT with most of my truck jobs because (a) I'm doing most of them for the first time and learning as I go and (b) I'm a bit OCD so everything I do has to be done PERFECT and down the MINUTIA. It's really a pain in the a$$ sometimes because what would take most guys 45 minutes takes me about 3 hours

 

Ha Ha Ha....that's why my bosses like me and even a few ex bosses dislike me...I'm a perfectionest when it comes to my work....I'm like a friggin redneck artist....well that's an oximoron statement now isn't it?And do a bead on the diff cover just like Skan posted for ya.Later Bud.


JR