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Rear axle severe duty maintenance

It was likely just a can of BG poured in the tank
Yeah that’s what I’m thinking. Or Mopar’s brand of fuel system cleaner. $500 to pour $5 worth of fuel system cleaner in the tank, and then dealerships complain because no one will take their vehicles there for work. There are few things I despise more than this kind of shady business practice. The owner could have purchased almost 4 sets of fuel filters for the cost of a gimmick like that.
 
Damn!! Reading the above I thought, "I've really been screwed. How did I fall for that!" So I ran and pulled out the invoice for the work and breathed a small sigh of relief.
The transfer case and differential fluid replacements totaled $708. I had forgotten I also had other services done:
1. Brake System Fluid Exchange - $201
2. 3-Part Fuel System Cleaning - $435
3. Replace Engine Air Filter - $59
4. Rear Differential Service - $250
5. Transfer Case Service - $257
6. Front Differential Service - $200
7. Synthetic Lube, Oil and Filter Service - $148
8. Fees - $70
9. Tax - $167
10. Total - $1,787

Sorry to have jumped to conclusions and misrepresenting the cost of the fluid replacements. Not as bad as I thought, but still higher than others have said it should have been.
Still way too much! Heck you could do all that and not hit $300 for everything
 
Some people think everything should be dirt cheap......

Jim, prices look fine to me except the fuel system cleaning service - depending on what that actually means. Hemi is port injected so any carbon cleaning that you should do periodically like on a direct injected vehicle is not needed so I'm unsure of what their cleaning entails.... I disagree with the 30 60 90k interval services in "doing it all" and would rather follow the maintenance train according to fluid/component condition. I wouldn't feel too bad about 1700 bucks for all that especially if they pulled the diff covers to do the services properly.
 
Some people think everything should be dirt cheap......

Jim, prices look fine to me except the fuel system cleaning service - depending on what that actually means. Hemi is port injected so any carbon cleaning that you should do periodically like on a direct injected vehicle is not needed so I'm unsure of what their cleaning entails.... I disagree with the 30 60 90k interval services in "doing it all" and would rather follow the maintenance train according to fluid/component condition. I wouldn't feel too bad about 1700 bucks for all that especially if they pulled the diff covers to do the services properly.
You have to pull the diff covers on these trucks there is no drain plug but with the reusable gasket it does not take long i can do both in 1hr start to finish without rushing. But as we all know dealers always charge large amounts compared to any indy or franchise would
 
You have to pull the diff covers on these trucks there is no drain plug but with the reusable gasket it does not take long i can do both in 1hr start to finish without rushing. But as we all know dealers always charge large amounts compared to any indy or franchise would
I guess I was implying that some places just remove the fill plug and shove a sucker tube in as deep as possible and let it suck what it can out - calling it a "service"
 
I guess I was implying that some places just remove the fill plug and shove a sucker tube in as deep as possible and let it suck what it can out - calling it a "service"
That i have never seen done anywhere that would do that should be out of business!
 
The sucker hose was the diff service at Jiffy Lube in the early nineties. Don't know what they do now. I worked in the pit and did hundreds of diff services. It was only $19.99 to change out about 90% of the fluid.
 
I took my truck in for a 30K mile service and was told the fluid in the 4-wheel drive transfer case and both front and rear differentials should to be replaced to the tune of $1700.
That caught me off guard, so I said go ahead. Now I'm wondering if that was necessary.

There's one born everyday.

Sorry, my friend.
 
Damn!! Reading the above I thought, "I've really been screwed. How did I fall for that!" So I ran and pulled out the invoice for the work and breathed a small sigh of relief.
The transfer case and differential fluid replacements totaled $708. I had forgotten I also had other services done:
1. Brake System Fluid Exchange - $201
2. 3-Part Fuel System Cleaning - $435
3. Replace Engine Air Filter - $59
4. Rear Differential Service - $250
5. Transfer Case Service - $257
6. Front Differential Service - $200
7. Synthetic Lube, Oil and Filter Service - $148
8. Fees - $70
9. Tax - $167
10. Total - $1,787

Sorry to have jumped to conclusions and misrepresenting the cost of the fluid replacements. Not as bad as I thought, but still higher than others have said it should have been.


OMG

This is even worse.
 
I always thought the rear axles didn't need maintenance except maybe 50 or 100k miles. Got really bored and was reading through the owners manual and for my 3500 it says if using for "severe service" the rear axle fluid needs to be changed every 20k miles. Does anyone else actually do this? Seems excessive, but am I in for something bad happening if I don't?

The OEM fluid isn’t known to last that long, thou it’s better than it was before 2019.

I dumped mine OE diff fluid and at my first 12 month service, 13.7K miles, and won’t do it again for a while. I used Amsoil SVG 75w-90 which is rated for 50K severe and 100K normal use. I ran 50K mile intervals on my 05 3500 and still do 100K mile intervals on the 03 4Runner. The fluid never looks/feels like it’s been in there too long, and much better than the OE fluid did at 13.7K miles… a lot of which is break-in and why I dump the OE fill early.
 
I know it's rare. But my 21 HO Aisin trashed the rear end at 75,000 miles. Lost a carrier bearing and took out the R&P in the process. I lucked out because I had an important race coming up and the RAM CEO helped get ti fixed in record time. Air freighted a whole assembly from somewhere. Dealer was blown away. I did my Diff oil every 30K and there was no question about it being covered. They might be asking for proof. Just sayin...........
 
I know it's rare. But my 21 HO Aisin trashed the rear end at 75,000 miles. Lost a carrier bearing and took out the R&P in the process. I lucked out because I had an important race coming up and the RAM CEO helped get ti fixed in record time. Air freighted a whole assembly from somewhere. Dealer was blown away. I did my Diff oil every 30K and there was no question about it being covered. They might be asking for proof. Just sayin...........
You could have never changed the gear oil and it would have been covered as the carrier bearing was the cause
 
I changed my rear diff oil at 18K and the front at 19K. Towing around 60% of the time. I wanted to meet the OEM interval of 20K, and also get the OEM fluid out after break-in. Filled both with Amsoil 75w-90, and will likely follow their 50K severe service interval going forward.
 
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