Replacing Front Diff Fluid IFS D35

[ozziemo27]

Hey guys, can somebody walk me through the process of dropping the front diff so i can replace the diff fluid, a thing that i should do because im constantly running my truck through deep water... i am well acqainted with the wheel hub assembly but i havent been any farther than that and the 4wd hubs. Do i need to threadlock anything?

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

On which truck? the 99 or 84?

 

[triumphrider-1]

I'm assuming hes talking about his '99 since he mentioned IFS and not the TTB (I know their both independent type suspensions).

When I did mine there was 3 or 4 bolts holding the housing up. Once those are out it should drop down until the shafts interfere with the suspension. If that isn't enough room you could remove the drive shaft and clock the housing (maybe, maybe not its been a few years since I did mine). You should be able to get to all of the bolts to remove the cover.

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

I'm thinking the '99 too...since most if not all the time, IFS means 98+ and TTB means 97 and down. You really don't see people calling TTB 'IFS'. If that makes sense. lol.



Since you know about the hub BS on the PVH, it's pretty smooth sailing. Remove hubs to expose CV shaft ends. Unbolt upper shock mount, upper ball joint, sway bar end links(like they're still there anyway lol), and possibly the tierod end from the knuckle. This will allow you to tilt the knuckle outward to slide out the CV shaft from the knuckle. Yank out the CV shafts from the axle. Usually a yank is all that's needed, sometimes you'll need some pursuasion via screwdriver or prybar between the housing and the fat part of the CV..just be careful of the seal. Then you've got 3 bolts(might be 4, been a year or so for me) then the diff drops right out.

I know I've removed it without fully removing the CV's, but it's been so long, that I'm totally unsure of how I did it. lol.

 

[AllanD]

I'm assuming hes talking about his '99 since he mentioned IFS and not the TTB (I know their both independent type suspensions).

This is why use "IFS" is frowned upon.

the proper terms for the 1998-up suspension
are "SLA", "Torsion Bar", "Double A-Arm", "Wishbone"
or variations thereof.

AD

 

[Jon4x4]

Why can't you do it while its still on the truck? It looks like it would be pretty easy...

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

Why can't you do it while its still on the truck? It looks like it would be pretty easy...

Can't get the diff cover off. Gotta do that for a proper full fluid flush.

 

[ozziemo27]

what a complete BONER! thanks ford! lol. sorry for the confusion, i got to take the wheel hub off? the fancy new ones i just put in! and pull EVERYTHING apart?

 

[tanbuddy]

I just bought a syphen to get the old oil out, i didnt think it was worth all the work to drop the diff just to get every drop of oil out.

 

[exbass94]

I just bought a syphen to get the old oil out, i didnt think it was worth all the work to drop the diff just to get every drop of oil out.

+1. I just sucked all the fluid out through the fill hole too. Not as good as taking the cover off, but it wasn't worth the hassle to me. Especially since I was just doing it as regular maintenance, not because of water contamination.

 

[dennis461]

easy button

+1. I just sucked all the fluid out through the fill hole too. Not as good as taking the cover off, but it wasn't worth the hassle to me. Especially since I was just doing it as regular maintenance, not because of water contamination.

+2
get a solid metal toilet supply line from the plumbing section of walmart (see other threads regarding hating walmart).
Bend it into a wide curve like a letter c about 6-8 inches tall.
connect 3/8 inch hose from the the tube to a shop vac with Duct tape and your almost home.

 

[Jon4x4]

I just bought a syphen to get the old oil out, i didnt think it was worth all the work to drop the diff just to get every drop of oil out.

thats what i would do too. i would just do it twice, once for about 20 miles then do it again to make sure all is gone. just a stupid waste of time.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Or drill and tap yourself a drain in the bottom of the aluminum housing......

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

Which I'm still kicking myself for not doing that when I did my gear swap.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

You could still easily do it now as well. When I did mine, I just drilled the hole when the diff was fill so the oil would push any shavings of aluminum out with it.