06 Tundra, Front Diff, Amsoil SVG, 28.5K mi - BAD!

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btanchors

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Here are the results from UOA number three of the front differential of my 2006 Toyota Tundra Limited Double-Cab 4WD. As you can see, wear metals have shot WAY UP. I have not noticed any noises from the diff, nor have I experienced any problems. At first, I was thinking perhaps I may have made a sampling error - I draw the sample with a sampling pump and plastic tubing, the same way I draw all the samples in this vehicle. I was thinking perhaps I pushed the tubing in too far, pulling wear metal sediments from the bottom of the case. The problem with that theory is that it wouldn't account for the viscosity being high.

Note that I have a Toyota extended warranty on this vehicle - all the way to 7 years or 100K miles. If this were your vehicle, what would you do? I doubt the dealer would do anything since I am not experiencing any operational problems or noises. My tentative plan of action (barring any better suggestions from this forum) is to draw another sample earlier, perhaps after the fluid has only 15K on it. Interestingly, I couldn't remove the drain plug this time, I had to siphon all the old fluid out when I changed it. That's never happened to me before...But I am pretty sure I got all the old fluid out. Lube capacity of this unit is 1.2 quarts, and that's about what came out.

Comments? Suggestions?

D96819.jpg
 
I certainly wouldn't think it's the Amsoil. Do you have a solid front axle? Maybe a bearing is going south or the ring and pinion weren't setup properely at the factory?
 
Virgin SVG viscosity is 16.7 cSt. It hardly changed.

I would flush it out. Refill with any GL-5 XW-90 gear lube brand of your choice. Run another UOA and see what happens.

It's interesting that your rear diff is near perfect - not really pointing at a lube problem.
 
No way do I think it's the Amsoil.

I like Pablo's idea of flushing the unit. It turns out that I have 1.5 quarts of SVG left over, which is just enough - so perhaps I will wait a few hundred miles, then change it again.
 
my wifes superdutys rear end had 998 iron with all the other numbers looking good . I would get some ofresh oil in there and retest at your intervals. I would show the report to the Toyota dealer and have them write it up. It is weird the front axle shows wear do you drive with it "locked up" much?
 
I would either pull the cover and look for wear myself and/or take the oil analysis results to the dealer and have them open it up and look. perhaps the reason will be visible. if not, at least you will have documentation.
 
Pablo -

The SVG that was installed in the Front Diff for this UOA was delivered in the same order that the SVG for the Rear Diff and Transfer Case was delivered in. Although I no longer have the bottles the Gear Lube came in to confirm, I strongly suspect they were from the same batch. Are you suspecting it might be a lube problem? I really don't think it's the Lube; I think something is going on that also may have caused the lube to overheat a bit, causing the slight increase in viscosity.

I do occasionally tow a small trailer (max weight about 1200 pounds) with this truck. But the truck has the tow package installed and is rated to tow over 6,000 pounds. Plus, when I do tow, it's only for a few miles at a time, at slow speeds in residential areas (Trailer loaded with Lawn Mowers for my son's Lawn Mowing business). Given the good shape of other lubricants in this vehicle, including engine, rear diff, and transmission, I do not think it is a service problem or environmental problem either.

I am going to order a replacement drain plug for the front differential, and when it arrives, I am going to make a determined effort to remove the drain plug, and flush the unit with the Amsoil SVG that I have left. Then I will install new SVG and re-sample in perhaps 10,000 miles or so.
 
Steve S and tomcat27 -

The vehicle sees very little use of 4 wheel drive - in fact, I run it periodically just to "exercise" it and make sure it still works.

Pulling the cover off would not be a trivial exercise - if it was, I'd be inclined to do it. I doubt the dealer would do this for free.

For the time being, given the amount of mileage (40K miles) I have left on the warranty, I plan to take a more conservative approach, to flush the unit and resample at a shorter interval.
 
Originally Posted By: btanchors
Pablo -

The SVG that was installed in the Front Diff for this UOA was delivered in the same order that the SVG for the Rear Diff and Transfer Case was delivered in. Although I no longer have the bottles the Gear Lube came in to confirm, I strongly suspect they were from the same batch. Are you suspecting it might be a lube problem? I really don't think it's the Lube; I think something is going on that also may have caused the lube to overheat a bit, causing the slight increase in viscosity.

I do occasionally tow a small trailer (max weight about 1200 pounds) with this truck. But the truck has the tow package installed and is rated to tow over 6,000 pounds. Plus, when I do tow, it's only for a few miles at a time, at slow speeds in residential areas (Trailer loaded with Lawn Mowers for my son's Lawn Mowing business). Given the good shape of other lubricants in this vehicle, including engine, rear diff, and transmission, I do not think it is a service problem or environmental problem either.



I think we pretty much eliminated the lube as the problem, or rather that it was a bad batch. Never actually have seen that happen, but just want some assurance. I highly doubt a slight heating in a front differential has anything to do with a ~.5 cSt increase in viscosity. That is nothing, in fact if it was highly abused the tendency would be to shear a little (per all other SVG UOA's). I suspect a suspect component or just sampling....don't really know, hence the repeat with a UOA after a flush.
 
Steve S -

Typically, when I "exercise" the 4WD, it is on wet pavement. When I do this, I don't leave it in 4WD for more than a mile or two, and I do it only on "straight" roads, to avoid turns while in 4WD mode.
 
I have a 2000 Tundra and the manual specifically staes to use 4WD a minimum of 10 miles/month to ensure adequate periodic lubrication to internal parts and seals. I suspect that you aren't using your componenets enough and rust may be developing as a result.

Do not try to make hard turns with 4WD engaged on dry pavement or you will experience binding and/or component damage as a result.

Running a 1000 mile Auto-Rx run with a conventional 75W-90 GL5 may be in order before you move on to an expensive synthetic.
 
You sampled right off the magnet, and not off the bottom!!!!

I would definitely pull the drain plug ASAP and make sure that nothing BIG is on the magnet.

Unless there is a 'failure', there is nothing you can do concerning the warranty.

Replace the drainplug. You need a new magnet to pick up the iron.

Shorten the next interval.

Manual hubs..... why did they ever get rid of them????
 
I can only imagine the bad things that would have been said here if the OP had been using RL gear oil.
crackmeup2.gif
Alas its SVG, bitogs current gear oil queen. No one dare point the finger at her...... Not that i am in this situation, just find the boards sometimes one sidedness as laughable....

As others may have stated, at that level there is something wrong, everything else being equal.
 
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I didn't slam Amsoil because of the consistency of the rear end and transfer case oil's UOAs, since most likely this is the same batch of gear oil. So, something else is going on here. Now, if this was the lone UOA, I'd destroy 'em!

Using the 4wd is to lubricate the xfer case. Since the hubs are always locked, the front end is always working but with NO LOAD. This is why the CV's up front don't last too long.

I wonder if you'd benefit from adding the LSD additive to the front end and transfer case. Maybe you'll benefit from a sliding friction reduction on the gears? Toss an ounce into the transfer case since that has very consistent UOAs.
 
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