Casanova956

Yesterday I changed the front and rear Dana 44 on my 08 Rubicon and i have a question.

The specs call for 2 quarts of fluid in each axle. However when i drained them, the back had 1.5 quarts and the front 1.

I inspected the ring and pinion gears and no damage on the teeth, no shavings etc.

At first i thought they had been improperly filled by the last owner but when i went to refill sure enough the back took 1.5qt plus 4oz anti slip and the front 1qt.

Should I leave them like that since they been like that with no damage for a while or should I buy a new cover with a higher drain plug?

I have a very mild 2.5" lift with 35's and i tried to compensate for the change in angle by doing it on my slanted driveway but there's no way I'm fitting 2 quarts in there.

Anyone got advice on this?

resharp001

Where are you seeing the "2qts in each" spec? The front should be 1.35qts and the rear 2.375qts. The reason for the difference is the seals in the front are at the pumpkin, while the seals in the rear are out at the end of the shafts (therefore the oil gets sloshed up in the tubes). Maybe there is a chance someone had aftermarket diff covers on previously that changed the capacity for their use at the time, then when putting factory covers back on they were just so used to what they typically poured in that they underfilled. I'd stick with the specs above.

Casanova956

I looked up online and it said but i confirmed with the guy at oreilly when i bought the oil.

1 qt front and 1.5 back is all the oil that fits before it starts coming out of the filler hole.

So then should i get different diff covers? or maybe jack up the back of the jeep and fill it so it all goes in?

Looking at my front one it does look like the filler hole is lower than the back.

jedg

Yeah... your online source and the oreilly guy are wrong.

Resharp gave you the correct quantities... and really, you just fill until it just begins to run out of the filler hole....

resharp001

Only thing that is a little odd is you hit the fill holes with less oil than necessary. Even the old Project JK and Wayalife write-ups are using factory covers still, and using the proper capacity specs. Kinda strange. The front isn't a huge difference, but that is a pretty big difference of over 3/4" bottle in the rear, and considering that is traveling down the tubes some, would think that would leave things a bit low in the pumpkin.....but if it's coming out the fill hole as you say....idk. Odd.

jadmt

I have never gotten close to 2 qts in the back D44 on 4 different JK's. I am closer to 1.5Q than 2qts. I stopped worrying about and just fill til it comes out the fill plug.

resharp001

That's interesting. I've been aftermarket cover for so long....not sure I ever filled with factory even.

If jadmt hasn't blown up yet running that way, it's a pretty good track record. put the plug in and roll on

tjkamp

I would say go with it if it is running out the fill hole. If you are worried, check it in a couple of days while it is cool. If it is still full good to go.

Rednroll

I use the zip tie dip stick method. Not sure how many courts that is, since I never kept track.