Stupid question time - Do any of you guys bother jacking up each side of the diff to get out all of the old oil out ??

 

If it is really dirty and thin, then yes. I just drain and fill.
Mike

 

Thats why I was asking....the truck is new to me so Im not sure when it was last changed. Problem is my floor jack is 3 hours away. I should maybe change it and then change it again before winter.

 

It is probably better to change it again, then.
Mike

 

When I did both of the rear diffs on mine, I jacked each side up but didn't get much more out of them. The front might be a different story though.

 

There is no fluid in the tubes in a solid front axle.

 

If it was me I would just change it as usual. Then in about a month check the fluid for color and the magnet on the plug for chips (if you got one). I would take it out and run the truck for about 10-15 miles to heat up the fluid good so it will drain out fully. This will reduce the waiting time for you.

After the change its a good idea to go out to a large parking lot and do a few figure 8's to get fresh oil back in to the bearings on the rear axle. As for thew front the axle tubes don't have any oil in them...