Couple quick questions:

1) On my 98, I don't see a drain plug at the bottom of the steering knuckle like is shown in the RAVE manual. The flat spot is there where the plug should be, but it wasn't machined in. Is there another way to drain the front, outer axle lube on the 98's?

2) The owners manual says to use 80W 90 at the outer front axle area. But I've also read here where guys say 00 lube is what should be used. Which one to use?

Thanks a bunch!!

Mark G

 

Bunch of threads on which to use. I've got one shot grease in mine currently. But they came with 90w oil. I know some guys remove inner axle seals and let the oil slosh from hub to hub.

Draining them..I guess with out a plug you'd have to remove the stub axle. Then it would fall out the front. Or Un bolt the entire ball but then you'd be draining the axle too.

 

Thanks for the reply.

I did a bunch of reading up on British sites about the no-plug situation at the swivel pin area. Later in development it seems L/R deleted the lower plug (and even the level check plug) and transitioned from gear lube to a semi-viscous lube/grease. Supposedly among the L/R mechanics it's one of the famous debates --which type of lube to use. My vehicle must fall somewhere in the transional period because mine has the level check plugs, but no lower drain plug. In general terms, if one has a leaky seal between the differential and the ball, one would notice a higher than normal differential oil level and also a more grey color liquid.

I don't know if the axle seals on mine were leaking internally or not. I should have checked the level of my differential lube before I drained it. The diff lube was very dark, but I have no idea how old that fluid was either. Presumably it was pretty old. But there aren't any leaks onto the ground.

I haven't decided if I"m going to fill with lube or the 00 grease they would have used. I did find some at a lawn and snow blower equipment parts store. I'm going to remove the fill plug on mine and and see if I can determine what type of fluid is in there and then decide.




Thanks. Anybody else have any thoughts

 

Pretty much what has been said. LR switched to using One Shot grease rather than gear oil in the swivels. Mostly because they all leaked i think. So there was no need for the check and drain holes. My 97 only had the top fill plug. I ended up getting a set of old housings with all three plugs off of an older RRC. Because I really wanted to ability to easily run gear oil in mine.