Diesel Truck 4×4 Suspension
Here in Utah, most diesel trucks are 4 wheel drive. If you’ve driven a diesel truck in a little bit of snow then you know you go absolutely nowhere in 2 wheel drive. Between the excessive weight on the front end and the very light weight on the rear tires makes it a little unbalanced. Once in 4 wheel drive you are good to go.
It is important to keep the 4×4 suspension on your diesel truck in good condition. When we say the 4×4 system, We mean the front differential, transfer case and rear differential. The best way to avoid major problems with the 4×4 suspension on your diesel truck is to service it regularly. We all know that we need to change the oil in our engine regularly but a lot of people don’t know you are also supposed to change out the fluids in your 4×4 suspension. A general rule of thumb is that your 4×4 system is due for its first service at 50k miles and then every 30k miles after that.
Valvoline has actually done extensive studies to prove that if you follow the rule of servicing your differentials and transfer case at 50k miles and then every 30k miles after, you rarely have any mechanical failures. They feel so confident about this that they allow us to offer our customers a limited lifetime warranty on their differentials and transfer case as long as we service their 4×4 system using Valvoline products at the mileage recommendations. We have been utilizing Valvoline products and mileage recommendations for years on our own vehicles and customers’ vehicles with great success.
Other variables to keep in mind about servicing the 4×4 suspension on your diesel truck: Diesel drivers often use their trucks for more extreme work than a normal pickup truck. They often load them up with heavy weight and are often towing an extreme amount of weight. This can cause higher heat, and can break down the fluids in the 4×4 system faster. We recommend having the fluids checked at least every other oil change while the vehicle is up in the air as a precaution.
Moisture is also a huge factor to watch out for when deciding when to perform a 4×4 service. If you are off-roading, driving through deep mud or water, there is a high chance you can get moisture in the differential fluids. This is bad if left over time and highly suggested to service those fluids. Boat launching is another common way to get excessive moisture in your rear differential fluid. If you are using your diesel truck to launch your boat, you need to be checking and servicing that fluid often to avoid driving it around with excessive moisture in the differential fluid.
Contact Shadetree Automotive in Layton, UT to have your 4×4 suspension checked and in excellent condition today!
