CAUTION
Be careful when draining the axle oil. It may be
very hot, and could cause personal injury if it con-
tacts the skin.
3.
Place a drain pan under the rear axle drain plug.
Drain the oil when it is warm. At this tempera-
ture, the oil will run more freely and ensure that
the axle is flushed.
4.
Clean the fill and drain plugs. Change them if
necessary.
4.1
For magnetic plugs, use a piece of key
stock or any other convenient steel slug
to short the two magnetic poles and divert
the magnetic field.
4.2
Clean away the collected material depos-
ited on each pole. Magnets will rapidly
lose their effectiveness as collected mate-
rial bridges the gap between the two
poles.
4.3
After the first oil is changed, inspect the
drain plug each time for large quantities
of metal particles.
4.4
After cleaning, install the drain plug(s)
and tighten to 30 lbf·ft (41 N·m).
5.
Fill the axle with the recommended lubricant.
See
for recommended drive axle lubri-
cants and
for lubricant capacities.
Detroit Drive Axle Lubricants
*
IMPORTANT: Lubricant used in Detroit rear axles must
meet Mercedes-Benz specification 235.20 (mineral) or
235.8 (synthetic). Mobil Delvac
™
Gear Oil A 80W-90 and
Mobilube
™
HD-A Plus 80W-90 meet specification 235.20.
Mobil Delvac 1 Gear Oil 75W-90 and Mobilube 1 SHC
75W-90 meet specification 235.8. For more product
information, see http://bevo.mercedes-benz.com.
Type
Ambient Temperature
SAE
Viscosity
Grade
Mineral Oil
–15°F (–26.1°C) and up
†
80W–90
Synthetic Oil
–40°F (–40°C) and up
†
75W–90
*
Detroit rear axles do not require the use of friction modifiers.
†
There is no upper limit on the ambient temperature, but axle sump tem-
perature must never exceed 250°F (121°C).
Table 1, Detroit Drive Axle Lubricants
NOTE: Some Detroit axles have a small
tapped and plugged hole near and below the
housing oil fill hole. This smaller hole is for a
lubricant temperature indicator only, and
should not be used as a fill or level hole.
5.1
Fill the axle through the oil fill hole. Lubri-
cant should be level with the bottom of
the oil fill hole. To check fluid level, see
5.2
Install and tighten the fill plug 30 lbf·ft (41
N·m).
Detroit Rear Axle Lubricant Capacity
Axle
Oil Capacity:
Quarts (liters)
Forward-Rear
15.9 (15.0)
*
Single and Rearmost Tandem
10.6 (10.0)
*
*
Actual oil capacity might vary slightly depending on gear ratio.
Table 2, Detroit Rear Axle Lubricant Capacity
Meritor®
IMPORTANT: If using synthetic lubricant in an
axle equipped with a pump and filter system,
the lubricant change interval is extended to
500,000 miles (800 000 km).
IMPORTANT: Meritor rear axles do not require
the use of friction modifiers.
1.
Park the vehicle on level ground, apply the park-
ing brakes, and chock the front tires.
f350061a
A
B
08/17/2009
A. Correct (lube level at bottom of fill hole)
B. Incorrect (lube level below fill hole)
Fig. 2, Axle Lubricant Level Inspection
Rear Axle
35
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