So since it was finally warm and sunny (and sorta dry) on a weekend, I spent a while rolling around under my new Ranger yesterday.

Maybe I missed it...but I didn't see a drain plug for the front axle...and it didn't look like there was space to remove the cover with the axle in the truck (at least not easily).

Since this truck has the hubs locked in all the time (and thus spins the front axle all the time), I'm figuring I'll probably want to change that oil every 30k or so...and it looks like it'll be a PITA to do so.

Did I miss the "easy" way to do it?

i use a small hand pump, the same one i use to pump fluid into my manual transmission, i just stick the suction end into the diff through the fill hole and try to hit the bottom, pump it out until no more can come out, hopefully most will be removed. you mighit drive it breifly before doing the job just so it will flow better and anything settling in the bottom is stirred up and in suspention with the fluid. you could probly go a easy 50K miles on a front diff change, most of what ive read lists 100K for rear axle fluid serviceing, its the same fluid. and if you ever happen to pull the front diff for a seal change or other work, its a easy 15 min job to drill and tap the bottom of the case for a pipe plug for drainage purposes. you could even do it now on the truck, but id personally rater do it with the diff removed just so you can be darn sure there are no metal shavings inside. we did this to my dad's '94 F250 when we pulled the front axle to replace u-joins and seals. ON EDIT: just read your signature, im not sure about the "newer" rangers as far as the front axle is concerned, i was thinking about my TTB setup, but the draining it with a hand pump should still be do-able, its gotta still have a fill/check level hole right?

It could be sealed like those transmission. No dipstick to check em....
Hey the fail barge is out side, why dont you drive your car on it?

If it's sealed (an ultra fail on Ford's part) I'd go real easy on that front end lol

racsan said:

i use a small hand pump, the same one i use to pump fluid into my manual transmission

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Yeah...that may be the best way of doing it.

Pretty sure my front axle is different than yours, though- you've got the TTB, I assume, while I've got the fully-independent A-arm and torsion bar setup.

TexasRho83 said:

If it's sealed (an ultra fail on Ford's part) I'd go real easy on that front end lol

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I don't think it's sealed- it's got a cover on the front of the pumpkin just the the one on the back of the rear end...didn't look like it'd be too easy to take off without dropping the axle down out of the truck some, but it also didn't look like a "sealed" design, to me.

*I go easy on all the parts of all my trucks. I expect them to do what needs done, but I was taught at a young age not to beat on equipment, ever, and that lesson stuck hard.

Check around the sides of the housing on 9 inch rears its on the side of the case by the pinion.