I didn't notice it starting to come off untill about 1000 miles or so.
and now it is starting to show surface rust.

The fluid is about 1/4 inch below the hole, no vibration, no whine, at lest not now it did have a whine earlyer in it's life (may have been tires)

May just steel brush it and re-paint with some engine black.
Does anyone have this to show up on theirs?
And what did you contribute this too?

Thanks for replays.

 

The paint Dodge uses on the differential covers is pretty lame. I just serviced my differential and sandblasted and repainted the cover. If I were you I would top off the lube level and repaint it in place. Also, put teflon tape on the plug to stop seepage. No need to have the cover self-lubricating.

 

How much time do you actually spend crawling under your truck?? Man, I'd love to have your life if the only thing you need to worry about is diff cover paint.
Grab some tremclad and bomb it on if it makes you happy. Probably woulda took less time than typing this post.

 

Rears are painted at the vendor, not Dodge. My 01 (dana) is still shiny black.

 

I think that all the AAM diffs will turn to rust quickly. Really crappy paint.
Your fluid is supposed to be a little low as per factory specs. Yes this is pretty stupid as with the old setups you knew the fluid was low if it wasn't up to the sight plug. Now you have to figure some way to measure inside that hole...

SPOTS,
Lighten up man! The guy just asked a question that I myself asked not long after I got my truck. Who knows. There could have been some kind of high heat condition that was burning up the differential and causing the paint to burn off! Judging by the number of posts you have made you certainly have a lot of time on your hands.

 

Consider me lightened.
Hey I have lots of posts because I am efficient in my job so I have more leisure time. Also no kids. I think common sense would tell you that you'd hafta have a really funky heat condition to burn paint off a diff. I think you'd hear a howl long b4 you lost your paint job. But what do I know, just the village idiot I guess.

 

Half dozen cans of rustolium flat black layin' around for those moments help with the compusion,does me anyway.Only used two cans so far in a year. Even did the drive shafts.That comment aught to get some response in itself !!! Never had any problems with balance in about , um , 30 years of doing it. If it makes you feel good RHC, do it.....

 

ORDERED IT 1/21/03 AND DROVE IT OF LOT ON 2/20/03 2003 2500

You've had that truck a year and only have put 1000 miles on it? Have you been towing? While breaking in the newer rear ends can generate a lot of heat. My '01 Sierra cooked the rear towing out trailer to texas, we kept smelling something like propane thought I might be down wind of an oil refinery. When I un hitched the trailer I noticed the paint was cooked off the rear end and had it replaced under warranty. If the fluid smells burnt you might want to change it.

 

Thanks for the replys. Spots, this is the only truck i have owned that i can see the rear diff. cover while standing in my driveway without crawling under it. (exception to this is a 1979 chevy 1/2 ton 4x4 with a 6 inch suspension lift and 38 monster mudders that i owned about 20 years ago. and my driveway only has enough fall to the street to drain water.
At frist i thought my rear diff might be heating up too hot but i would have heard sounds by now. It's no big deal, i don't worry about it. Just thought it looks odd to see everything else under there except drive shafts shine, and have this almost rusty part to stand out .


As much as we pay for one of these, i look for gold under there. Never found any though.

 

cumminnotstrokn, at 1000 miles is when i started noticing it.
Don't have to drive it to work so it stays in the garge most of the time. We are looking at campers now. Pulled a friends 30 foot w/slide to Atlanta Motor Speed Way last year only about 500 mile round trip.

Oh and i have a whooping problem free 9165 miles on her now

Light towing 14 ft utility trailer 2 atvs.

Thanks for the replys you never know when a reply will give a person an insight to something he/she missed.

 

This is a good lesson in DON'T Judge A Book By the Cover, This is a information forum..
Last time I CHECKED!!!SPOTS, Don't let me ask for some insight that has been discussed before, I might forget what I have delt with

 

Last long trip, I actually crawled under the truck to feel the Diff.... Call me weird after 40k

 

Wow!. Just to add my .02. I too had the paint come off the diff.. I asked the dealer about heat and they repainted the thing. They did not seem concerned. I asked mainly because I had just blown the rear end out of a 2000 Dodge halfton with the "offroad" package. It got so hot, the oil boiled when I stopped to get fuel. The oil was only 1 month old and had the additive in it. This was after only 55 miles of driving up and over Cajon pass. Yes, I was pulling a trailer. My .02 is that the paint on the diff was fine. When I saw the paint coming off my new CTD's diff it made me wonder. Knowing what these things get put through, I can't believe they last as long as they do. It's no wonder NASCAR has a pump back there.

 

What?.......You didn't spring for the extra $5,000 rear diff paint sealant?

 

Search button dude. Search button. Jack was nice enough to include it with your free subscription to this site.