front and rear differential covers

[mikkelstuff]

2002 4WD Ranger XLT: Do the front and rear differentials (8.8 in) use the same cover?

Anyone offer replacement differential covers with a drain plug other than the $100+ covers which I do not need?

 

[97RangerXLT]

I do believe that they are different. try a junkyard? get a stock one out of a trashed ranger and take it to a shop and have them weld a drain hole to it. swap it out.

AJ

 

[pjtoledo]

they are different.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Front diff is a Dana 35, rear is a Ford 8.8.

Very different covers.

 

[sgtsandman]

There are all kinds of options for the Ford 8.8. The Dana 35 SLA in the front, nothing. There isn't enough room between the cover and the cross member for anything other than the factory cover. Like mentioned above, get another cover and get a bung welded to it for a drain plug. Of course, you'll need to drop the axle to do the cover swap. Not enough room to clear the ring gear with the factory cover either.

 

[JohnnyO]

There are all kinds of options for the Ford 8.8. The Dana 35 SLA in the front, nothing. There isn't enough room between the cover and the cross member for anything other than the factory cover. Like mentioned above, get another cover and get a bung welded to it for a drain plug. Of course, you'll need to drop the axle to do the cover swap. Not enough room to clear the ring gear with the factory cover either.

This -----^
Honestly I just take mine to the Valvoline Qwicky Lube every 50k and have them do the front with their suction machine. Easily worth the $59.99.
Gen 2 Sport Tracs have a drain plug on the rear axle so I do that and the transfer case myself and fill them with an $8 transfer pump from Harbor Freight.
And no, a suction gun or transfer pump will not suck the lube out of the front axle. Trust me, that's been tried.

 

[mikkelstuff]

Well I was thinking I should change out the original differential lube and replacing with a synthetic - until I read this and crawled under to look. Sheez! No clearance whatever to remove the front differential cover.

Now my mechanic tells me Ford loaded those differentials with a synthetic lube. Can that be correct in 2002?

Great solution there JohnnyO. I did not know the Qwicky Lube place could do that.

 

[adsm08]

Yeah, late 90s, early 2000s Ford started moving all their axles to 75-140 synthetic. That was when the 8.8s started having pinion bearing problems.

 

[JohnnyO]

Now my mechanic tells me Ford loaded those differentials with a synthetic lube. Can that be correct in 2002?

Yes. I used to own a 2002 Ranger that I got new.

Great solution there JohnnyO. I did not know the Qwicky Lube place could do that.

Valvoline does, I'm not sure about the other places.

Most of the wear occurs early on when the parts are new and breaking in. I have Valvoline do the front every 50k and do the t-case and rear axle myself every 30k. The first time you change the t-case lube even on a new vehicle with 30,000 miles it will look like tar. The rear isn't much better. At 60k it's a little cleaner and by 90k it will drain out fairly clean. I used Mobil 1 ATF in the t-case until the last time when I saw that Valvoline has a synthetic transfer case fluid so I tried that. Mobil 1 75w-140 in the rear axle. At 150k both drained out clean so I went 50k the last time and just changed them a few weeks ago at 200k and the t-case fluid was still pink and the rear axle lube was still gold. Mobil 1 and Valvoline Synpower both say that they have friction modifier already in them so you don't need to add it if you have a limited-slip.

 

[MikeG]

I think I put some Mobil-1 gear oil in the rear diff of my 97 when Billy was still president.... hope it's all still there

Probably only has 250,000 or so miles on that gear oil change!