Differential Questions

[67Customs]

I am in the middle of doing my 30K service to my 2005 KJ. I have already completed everything but the rear differential fluid change.

Now, I have searched Jeep KJ and LOST KJ up and down, but I can't find a definite answer to my first question. On the rear differential, what is the proper fluid level? 1/2" below the fill hole, or fluid running out of the fill hole?

I know the front is 1/2" below the fill hole. The Owners Manual is clear about that. What it isn't clear about is the rear. It has "Rear" in the heading, but only talks about the changing of the front.

My second question is about the front differential. Before I changed the fluid, when I put the KJ in 4 full-time, I would feel a little extra shake in the steering wheel upon slighly heavy acceleration. Nothing major, so I didn't worry about it. I thought it was a Jeep 4-wheel drive thing. After changing the fluid, I feel the shake more. Nothing horrible, but I am a little concerned now that it has gotten worse. Why would changing the fluid accentuate this feeling and since it has accentuated it, has the new fluid uncovered a problem? I filled it to 1/2" below the fill hole and used Mobil 1 75-140 as I do some towing occasionaly and use 4 full-time fairly often. What might be the problem or is this something common with the Liberty 4-wheel drive? I sort of feel that it insn't enough of a shake to be a problem and that I am overworrying myself, but I would like to make sure.

BTW, I canged the fluid in the front diff, but had not changed the t-case nor the read diff when I felt this problem.

Just a little rant, I find it extremely difficult to search anything on LOST. You can't really refine your searches enough. I use connector words, but I still get too much. Also, you can't search post topics, only post bodies. AND, when you try to back up to the search page, it has either expired or gives you another message. I know I can aleviate that problem by opening each searched thread in a new window, but that is not the way I serf. When I search on LOST I feel a little, well, lost. /rant.

 

[belvedere]

The service manual I have says to fill the rear diff to the bottom of the fill hole.

 

[Corwyyn]

On the first question the '05 FSM gives a capacity of 2.08L (4.4 pts). Not sure where that would fill it to but there it is. On the second question I have no ideas - sorry.

 

[KJ04]

Just fill untill it dribbles out and put the plug back in.

 

[tommudd]

Just fill untill it dribbles out and put the plug back in.

as easy and simple as that

 

[offrovering]

I filled both diffs and tcase until fluid was dribbling out, then sealed up.

Your second question is hard to answer since it is something you are feeling/comparing. I would have guessed it would have gotten better with new fluid, maybe be sure you have enough in there?

 

[JeepJeepster]

Ive always felt and heard that extra noise and felt a slight vibration under load while in Full Time. Normal.. Its even worse/louder in our XJ, I kinda like it.

If you used good gear oil and filled it to the proper levels then I wouldnt worry about it.

 

[67Customs]

The service manual I have says to fill the rear diff to the bottom of the fill hole.

Is that a Haynes service manual? I wish the ones for the '05-'07's were out.

Thanks so much. That's what I was looking for.

Ive always felt and heard that extra noise and felt a slight vibration under load while in Full Time. Normal.. Its even worse/louder in our XJ, I kinda like it.

If you used good gear oil and filled it to the proper levels then I wouldnt worry about it.

I thought it might be normal, I just needed to hear it from someone else. The extra noise and vibration from the change could just be in my head since I was looking for it after the change.

My brother is in town for Christmas break, so I may take his '06 KJ for a spin to compare.

Yeah, I used good gear oil (well, for $18/quart it had better be good) and filled it to the specified level.

Thanks everyone.

 

[icarl]

Just a little rant, I find it extremely difficult to search anything on LOST. You can't really refine your searches enough. I use connector words, but I still get too much. Also, you can't search post topics, only post bodies. AND, when you try to back up to the search page, it has either expired or gives you another message. I know I can aleviate that problem by opening each searched thread in a new window, but that is not the way I serf. When I search on LOST I feel a little, well, lost. /rant.

Tip: I discovered if that you connect words with 'and' you can refine your search. for example a search for 'used arb bumpers' would yield 12 billion hits but if you typed 'used and arb and bumpers' then you would have a few hundred. This is because the first type of search looks for everything that has any of those words but the last search looks for threads that have to have all of those words included.

The first search is like you typed 'used or arb or bumpers'. They should really default the search to the 'and' query instead of the 'or'.

 

[belvedere]

Is that a Haynes service manual? I wish the ones for the '05-'07's were out.

I have a FSM on CD-ROM that I bought on EBay. It's labeled 02-07, but I suspect it does not cover the later years completely. Still, a good reference.

 

[67Customs]

Tip: I discovered if that you connect words with 'and' you can refine your search. for example a search for 'used arb bumpers' would yield 12 billion hits but if you typed 'used and arb and bumpers' then you would have a few hundred. This is because the first type of search looks for everything that has any of those words but the last search looks for threads that have to have all of those words included.

The first search is like you typed 'used or arb or bumpers'. They should really default the search to the 'and' query instead of the 'or'.

I do use the connector words, it just finds them in different posts.

For example, I searched "Rear and Differential and fluid and level". I got some threads that didn't have one of the words in it and not one post I read had all of them together.

It's just frustrating. I wouldn't mind having all of those posts to go through if I could hit back and get to them again.

I have a FSM on CD-ROM that I bought on EBay. It's labeled 02-07, but I suspect it does not cover the later years completely. Still, a good reference.

I will look into it. I need something to reference.

 

[tjkj2002]

Each year of the KJ is slightly different(wiring mostly) so a FSM for a '04 KJ will not really work for a '07 KJ.There massive differences between the '02 KJ's and later '03 KJ's,same goes for '06KJ's compared to other years and '07's are even more different.

 

[67Customs]

Each year of the KJ is slightly different(wiring mostly) so a FSM for a '04 KJ will not really work for a '07 KJ.There massive differences between the '02 KJ's and later '03 KJ's,same goes for '06KJ's compared to other years and '07's are even more different.

I thought that was the case. I need to find one for the '05.

 

[belvedere]

Yes, I argued with the EBay sell back and forth for awhile, telling him that the CD couldn't apply to all years, but finally it wasn't worth it anymore...the price of the CD was pretty reasonable, and it's a good general reference. It does, however, have sections on the 2.4, 3.7, and 2.8 CRD, so it does cover more than one year. ???

 

[tjkj2002]

Yes, I argued with the EBay sell back and forth for awhile, telling him that the CD couldn't apply to all years, but finally it wasn't worth it anymore...the price of the CD was pretty reasonable, and it's a good general reference. It does, however, have sections on the 2.4, 3.7, and 2.8 CRD, so it does cover more than one year. ???

A few years they did offer all of those engines in a KJ,some just not sold in the US.That disc doesn't cover all the years since a 2.5 CRD was offered also before the 2.8,again just not for the US.

 

[belvedere]

Thanks for the info. Interesting about the 2.5 CRD - I didn't know that.