Gear oil change

No questions about this procedure, just a bit of shaking my head…

Recently ordered 7 quarts of Ravenol 75/85 gear oil, and 2 quarts of 75w t-case oil. Full dump and refill today was the plan.

Here’s my gripe…. Anyone else think it’s weird that all three gear boxes take different tools? Nothing hard, just weird.

Rear diff needs 24mm socket.
Front diff needs 10mm allen.
T case needs 3/8” square drive.

Again, nothing hard. Just weird that Toyota used a different tool for each when any one of them could have been used universally…

 

It is frustrating . Trying to recall what exactly I did on my 2001 4Runner, but I did convert one of the dissimilar ones to an Allen to match the front diff. I think it was my transfer case.

 

doubtful on the T-case. The T-case uses a tapered thread plug, possibly NPT. Totally different animal than the differentials. The T-case drain and fill plugs are the same, and neither have magnets. At least on my 2018.

Toyota does offer a replacement plug for the rear differentials though. It takes a 10mm Allen, just like the front. We used to use these on our rock crawlers because the short drain plug protection ring would get so deformed that it was hard to get a socket on the original plug. Thread size is M18 x 1.5, so should be an easy swap. Gotta confirm that I can get one with magnet and one without, or may just have both with magnets if a non-mag is t available. Be nice to have things match front and rear…

 

Weld a socket to each one, now you have a common interface

 

If I weld an end wrench to each one, I don’t even need to carry a ratchet!

 

@Chad D. i think you are right . Now I really want to know….I’ll have to ask the new owner.