How you guys breaking in your new gearsets?

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cruiser88

cruiser88

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I have been doing 15 minute or so driving then parking. I have changed the gear oil 2 twice in 25 miles. ....excessive?

When first installed I had all 4 up and ran it for a little while before driving.....so that will make 3 gear oil changes.
 
Geez, ya that's a lot of gear oil.

There are a ton of pages out on the Internet about gear break-in. I typically run the first time about 15 miles tops, low speed, very easy on the gas. Stop and check the temp, you should barely be able to hold your hand on the axle cover. Let it cool all the way down, then do that a couple more times. Make each trip a little longer, a little faster, a little less gentle. First lube change should be about 500 miles, look closely for large chunks (check the magnet in the plug). A slight silver sheen in the oil is OK.

After about 500 miles, drive it like you mean it. If it lasted this long, then it should last many thousands of miles.
 
KLF said:
Geez, ya that's a lot of gear oil.

There are a ton of pages out on the Internet about gear break-in. I typically run the first time about 15 miles tops, low speed, very easy on the gas. Stop and check the temp, you should barely be able to hold your hand on the axle cover. Let it cool all the way down, then do that a couple more times. Make each trip a little longer, a little faster, a little less gentle. First lube change should be about 500 miles, look closely for large chunks (check the magnet in the plug). A slight silver sheen in the oil is OK.

After about 500 miles, drive it like you mean it. If it lasted this long, then it should last many thousands of miles.
Click to expand...
Ok...I figured I was been anal. No chunks...just a nice smotth silver on the magnet.:beer:
 
That would be excessive to me.:hillbilly: The biggest deals are no sustained high speeds, keep loads to a minimum (no towing, etc), keep an eye (hand) on the temp, if it's high, allow to cool. I usually pay close attention for the first ~50 miles, then keep highway trips short (-10mi) and low loads until 500 miles, then dump the oil.
 
Good advice in this thread. :wrench:

Another issue that comes up is how to break in the front gears. I usually do the front at the same time by locking the hubs, and running in 2WD, and check the front as you would check the rear. Then after about 100 miles, I unlock the hubs, and run it in 4WD Hi for about 100 miles. This way, you break in the coast and drive sides of the teeth, without actually running in full 4WD on pavement.
 
I drove about 5 miles, had lunch, and then drove another 10 or 15 miles, fairly gentle. I then drove 200 miles to the beach. The axle wasn't any hotter after those 200 miles than the first 5 miles. Changed the diff fluid when we got back (~500 miles total). Just some fines on the magnets. Of course this experience was with factory set-up TRD elockers so I wasn't concerned about whether or not they were set up correctly.

You know, if the gears are set up perfectly then break-in should occur very quickly and with minimal heat build up. New cars, for example, don't have the differentials broken in before they are delivered to the dealer. I think where people run into trouble is where they regear and things aren't quite perfect. Then you can really build up some heat until the gears remove enough metal to "correct" the alignment. Obviously it doesn't hurt to be over careful but three oil changes in 25 miles is a bit OTT!
 
drive 500 miles mix city/hwy, but not exceeding 60-ish mph. change fluid...i break in with dino oil then switch to synth. for the front, i just drove a logging road in 4H a few times...then swapped it out. in a PT 4wd system...front diff wont be used as much as the rear...so going 1-200 miles then swapping out the fluids is fine...again i swapped em out with synth after break in...
 
WarDamnEagle said:
... New cars, for example, don't have the differentials broken in before they are delivered to the dealer. ...
Click to expand...

Very true, but I have always been careful with new cars, watched them closely for the first 500mi or so. Off-roaders often setup their diffs tighter for strength, so extra break in care is worth it. If there is a problem and it's found early, most times it can be fixed with just an adjustment, so some care early is worth it.
 
wow, you guys are anal.. :grinpimp:

I just drive it for 100 miles or so, front un locked but in gear.
change oil and call it good.
next oil change at about a year of wheeling.
I do check it, any burning and I pull the plug, if there is a lot of stuff stuck to it I take it back to the builder, that is what makes it worth the 100.00 to have some one else set it up.

but around here I am the toyota guy, so if I say your shop is not doing good work you will not see any more toyota's. If I say that your shop is aw some.. you will be snowed under by toyota's.
I have had people loan me their shop to just learn about the toyota's. I don't have a shop and it is sure nice to use a shop when the weather sucks. I hate my gravel drive way.
 
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