Rear diff drain plug

[Buggle_96]

So everywhere I read says that I should of been able to just change the fluid the same way I did the front. Empty it out the drain plug and fill it back up. My rear diff doesnt have a drain plug....I thought they all had it. Something change in 05? So there I was at 10 pm cleaning up the cover and waiting for the silicone to tack up, didnt have a gasket since I wasnt expecting this.

 

Who else has done this to an 05?

[Ape0r]

So everywhere I read says that I should of been able to just change the fluid the same way I did the front.  Empty it out the drain plug and fill it back up.  My rear diff doesnt have a drain plug....I thought they all had it.  Something change in 05?  So there I was at 10 pm cleaning up the cover and waiting for the silicone to tack up, didnt have a gasket since I wasnt expecting this.

 

Who else has done this to an 05?

 

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It, along with the tranny drain plug and some other things got dumped in the '03 model year update.

 

I did it the old fashioned way, too. Took forever to get all that gasket off.

[95Sierra2500]

Yours wouldn't be the first, GM I think has been phasing the rear axle drain plug out for some time. My friend had a '95 TA that didn't have a rear drain plug. Of course, we were swapping differential covers anyway (put a cast aluminum one on instead of the stamped steel), but yeah...woulda been cleaner w/a drain plug.

[pm26]

Yours wouldn't be the first, GM I think has been phasing the rear axle drain plug out for some time. My friend had a '95 TA that didn't have a rear drain plug. Of course, we were swapping differential covers anyway (put a cast aluminum one on instead of the stamped steel), but yeah...woulda been cleaner w/a drain plug.

 

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Can you imagine the savings on eliminating drain plugs form the transmission and rear differential covers?

[95Sierra2500]

Yours wouldn't be the first, GM I think has been phasing the rear axle drain plug out for some time. My friend had a '95 TA that didn't have a rear drain plug. Of course, we were swapping differential covers anyway (put a cast aluminum one on instead of the stamped steel), but yeah...woulda been cleaner w/a drain plug.

 

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Can you imagine the savings on eliminating drain plugs form the transmission and rear differential covers?

 

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And the money they make (or provide to the industry period) when everyone has to buy a new gasket every time...Yeah I can imagine it. I still think it's retarded, even if it helps them save money.

[heavy4x4]

Yours wouldn't be the first, GM I think has been phasing the rear axle drain plug out for some time. My friend had a '95 TA that didn't have a rear drain plug. Of course, we were swapping differential covers anyway (put a cast aluminum one on instead of the stamped steel), but yeah...woulda been cleaner w/a drain plug.

 

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Can you imagine the savings on eliminating drain plugs form the transmission and rear differential covers?

 

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(Assuming you were being sarcastic, PM26)

 

I'm guessing you're not an engineer or in product development.

 

You would be surprised...modifying the transmission pan and rear axle to remove the threads, and taking two different drain plugs out of inventory, along with the time (however short you may think it is) to install it makes a HUGE difference when you're dealing with thousands of assemblies per year.

 

Cost reduction progams within a company are the only way companies will make their profits in the competitive (and quickly saturating) market of automobiles. The real winner in the long run is the company that can capitalize on cost savings without sacrificing product quality...not easy to do.

 

-Steve

[pm26]

Well, a couple of things. Yes, I was being sarcastic. So cost cutting measures are important. I used to own a '95 Nissan 4X4 V6 pickup. It had 8 drain and fill plugs - yes eight of them: 2 on each differential, 2 on the transfer case, and two on the transmission (5 speed manual). Changing the fluids on that truck was a pleasure. Changing the transmission fluid and rear differential oil on this '06 Chevy truck is a nightmare. A dealer or an independent shop will probably charge one hour labor at $ 90 just to remove the covers and scrape of the old gaskets. Who is saving money now? $ 5 in savings for GM now translates to a $ 180 loss for the owner. Of course the customer has a choice: he can upgrade, at his expense to a nice after market finned aluminum covers for a mere $ 500 and "save" money in the long run.

And the most important thing is: why do they assume that their customers will keep buying their product when they pull cheap stunts like that? Eliminating a drain plug from the transmission and rear differential is an unbelievably stupid idea. I do not believe an engineer could come up with something like this. Some been counter, maybe.

Maybe they think that the customer is stupid and does not notice these little things like absence of drain plugs, crooked bracket on the hitch receiver electric plug, uneven gaps between front fenders and doors, shaking hood because of wrong adjustment

of the stops, scrubbing tires at 3000 miles because somebody blew off the alignment procedure at the factory, gurgling sound coming from the A/C vents, whining bearings on serpentine belt idlers, lack of wheel well liners in the back, no factory splash guards on a 4X4 truck, etc, clunky driveshafts, defective intermediate steering shafts,. Wrong! I seriously doubt I will be buying another GM truck. The quality is simply not there.

[Nice rig]

Praise the lord and pass the ammunition!!

[95Sierra2500]

Well, a couple of things.  Yes, I was being sarcastic.  So cost cutting measures are important.  I used to own a '95 Nissan  4X4 V6 pickup.  It had 8 drain and fill plugs - yes eight of them: 2 on each differential, 2 on the transfer case, and two on the transmission (5 speed manual).  Changing the fluids on that truck was a pleasure.  Changing the transmission fluid and rear differential oil on this '06 Chevy truck is a nightmare.  A dealer or an independent shop will probably charge one hour labor at $ 90 just to remove the covers and scrape of the old gaskets.  Who is saving money now?  $ 5 in savings for GM now translates to a $ 180 loss for the owner.  Of course the customer has a choice:  he can upgrade, at his expense to a nice after market finned aluminum covers for a mere $ 500 and "save" money in the long run.

 

You have to remember that that is $5*100,000 (just for a figure) of $500,000 in savings for the manufacturer. Once it's out the door, they aren't really concerned with how much YOU spend to do the maintenance. Service shops are LOVING it, however.

 

And the most important thing is: why do they assume that their customers will keep buying their product when they pull cheap stunts like that?  Eliminating a drain plug from the transmission and rear differential is an unbelievably stupid idea.  I do not believe an engineer could come up with something like this.  Some been counter, maybe.

 

That's exactly the problem. The bean counters are in charge. That's why the GTO came to market and disappointed ALOT of people (myself included). That's also why alot of the parts on your truck aren't made in the USA.

 

Maybe they think that the customer is stupid and does not notice these little things like absence of drain plugs, crooked bracket on the hitch receiver electric plug,  uneven gaps between front fenders and doors,  shaking hood because of wrong adjustment

of the stops, scrubbing tires at 3000 miles because somebody blew off the alignment procedure at the factory,  gurgling sound coming from the A/C vents,  whining bearings on serpentine belt idlers,  lack of wheel well liners in the back, no factory splash guards on a 4X4 truck, etc, clunky driveshafts, defective intermediate steering shafts,. 

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The fact that most of us who actually work on our own vehicles miss is that, yes, most of their customers don't realize these problems for a LONG time. Hell most of their customers would NEVER notice the drain plugs being removed. They could remove the engine oil drain plug and most people would never realize it until it cost them $3000 to change the oil (I'm being unrealistic, I know, but I believe my point is made).

[KICK]

figuring most people never change tranny of diff fluids, the lack of a drain plug is probably not noticed by 95 % of vehcile users.

 

my 93 GMC doesn't have any on tranny of diff, in fact I cant remember any GM vehcile I've owned having drain plugs on those two items.

[nitro882]

Not having a drain plug isnt just a GM thing...

 

My 02 Dodge didnt have one

My 84,90,93, 97 and 2000 GM's didnt either.

My mother had a 86 ford tbird, no plug, my fathers 94 bronco didnt have one either.

 

Its just the way it is. Personally i would rather have to take the cover off. That way you can inspect the little magnet in there for chunks of metal that may be an early indicator of a problem.

 

Having to take it off saved my father from a major diff prolem on his 94 bronco. He was chenged the oil and noticed some metal chunks on the magnet. Those chunks were peices of his pinion bearing that was going south( never felt it driving). Since he caught it early it was a $200 bearing job vs a $1000 differential.

[pm26]

4X4 trucks are somewhat different. On these vehicles, changing the diferential oil is recommended at least every 30k miles, depending on the truck's use. If you are a serious off-road entusiast, you want your truck to have fill and drain plugs. Or when using your truck for heavy duty towing, you need to periodically change the rear differential oi. This is what we are talking about. I agree that on rear wheel drive cars and Suvs people never change the rear differential oil. that is not what we are discussing.

 

Also, properly designed drain plugs will have a built-in magnet to trap those metal shavings.

 

FWIW, my '69 6X6 deuce and a half has fill and drain plugs on all three differentials, and a large built-in magnet in the drain plugs. Working on that truck makes working on a Silverado look like a child's play. For one thing, each wheel weighs 200 lbs and the front wheel lug torque spec is 350 ft-lbs. The rear inner wheel lugs need 450 ft-lbs. The engine itself weighs 1600 lbs and holds 22 quarts of oil in the crankcase.

[J45p3r]

So everywhere I read says that I should of been able to just change the fluid the same way I did the front.  Empty it out the drain plug and fill it back up.  My rear diff doesnt have a drain plug....I thought they all had it.  Something change in 05?  So there I was at 10 pm cleaning up the cover and waiting for the silicone to tack up, didnt have a gasket since I wasnt expecting this.

 

Who else has done this to an 05?

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

 

It, along with the tranny drain plug and some other things got dumped in the '03 model year update.

 

I did it the old fashioned way, too. Took forever to get all that gasket off.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

The diff drain was lost in the '03 year, but the transmission drain is still on my 2003.

[OnyxMAX]

welp you undo the fill bolt suck the juice out and put new stuff in.

 

trannys get flushed.

 

i kinda like it keeps the shop floor cleaner.

 

i do agree it totaly sucks for the DIY though.

[RyanbabZ71]

dont forget about them dumping the underhood light too