Diff Gear Wear In?
Thread Starter
JK Freak
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 723
Likes: 2
From: Murrieta, CA
Diff Gear Wear In?
I read several discussions about breaking in differential gears after replacement.
My owners manual said nothing about a wear-in period for the new vehicle's differential gears. I am pretty sure neither the dealer nor the factory drives all the vehicles around for 500 miles and reset the odometers. Do they wear in the gears when building the axle assemblies or do they just factor the risk into the warranty?
My owners manual said nothing about a wear-in period for the new vehicle's differential gears. I am pretty sure neither the dealer nor the factory drives all the vehicles around for 500 miles and reset the odometers. Do they wear in the gears when building the axle assemblies or do they just factor the risk into the warranty?
JK Jedi Master
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 12,907
Likes: 185
From: Maine
The 2011 owner's manual does, indirectly, address ring and pinion break-in.
This is from the manual:
CAUTION!
• Do not tow a trailer at all during the first 500 miles
(805 km) the new vehicle is driven. The engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
• Then, during the first 500 miles (805 km) that a
trailer is towed, do not drive over 50 mph
(80 km/h) and do not make starts at full throttle.
This helps the engine and other parts of the
vehicle wear in at the heavier loads.
Jeep may get the axles already assembled. If so, the axle manufacturer may have already lapped the ring and pinion gears after assembly, at least to some degree. This would reduce the need for the consumer to wear in the gears on a new vehicle.
This is from the manual:
CAUTION!
• Do not tow a trailer at all during the first 500 miles
(805 km) the new vehicle is driven. The engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
• Then, during the first 500 miles (805 km) that a
trailer is towed, do not drive over 50 mph
(80 km/h) and do not make starts at full throttle.
This helps the engine and other parts of the
vehicle wear in at the heavier loads.
Jeep may get the axles already assembled. If so, the axle manufacturer may have already lapped the ring and pinion gears after assembly, at least to some degree. This would reduce the need for the consumer to wear in the gears on a new vehicle.
JK Freak
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 906
Likes: 3
From: Dallas, TX
I went ahead and changed my diff fluid to synthetic at 8k miles... there was a bunch of metal on the magnetic drain plug. So I say if you are even halfway worried about it go ahead and change the fluid and then you can probably not worry for 2 or 3 years.