rear gear box oil change tip

for those who change there own oils. I have tested and tried many ways to get a good medium for the rear gear box proper level and think I have it down. As you know the rear gear box needs to be about 20mm below running out the threads. You can use a small wire and try to stick it in and get a right reading, but it can be difficult and not a sure thing, even hard.

The simple way. remove rear driver side tire, drain and fill rear gear box, machine needs to be level, fill it until IT DOES RUN OUT (overfilled). then with the back corner of your Commander still on a jack from removing the tire, take a meausurement fron the ground to the bottom of the rotor or frame or anywhere near the tire you removed. now slowly drop your jack until you have dropped it 3 inches from level. This is just the back left drivers side corner . wait 5 minutes, plug it, tire on you're done. that 3 inch drop allows the correct amount of fluid to come out, resulting in 20mm from run out! ibingo

sweet thanks for the tip :P

Yes it is...beats my slow poke method all to heck... thanx!!

sent from my twin-turboed Razr

Good tip, making sure that your commander is level is really important. A few weeks ago I was getting ready to go ride the Paiute trail and I checked my oil, it appeared to be halfway down between the marks on the stick. I went to top it off and not looking to see what the capacity was I decided to pull in half a quart. When I checked it, I was too high and was thinking how to drain some out, I do not think that I can easily get to the drain plug due to the skid plating I have put on the machine, the dealer talked to me about that when I had them do the ten hour on it. So I went to the hardware store and bought some clear plastic tubing. When I came back I noticed where I had the commander parked was slanted. I pulled out the floor jack and jacked up the front to make the machine level and remeasured the oil, it was way too high. I spent thirty minutes sucking oil into the hose then putting my finger over the end and draining the oil into a drain pan I have. Finally got it down to the correct level, which it was most likely where it was before I added any. I will not make that mistake again. If I left all that extra oil in there I am sure it would have been very expensive to fix the seals.

A great key note here is to have about 6' of small diameter clear tubing to drawn on with your mouth to reduce fluid levels...keep it rolled up in a 1 gallon ziplock for sanitary reasons...if your not equipped in your shop with it, get it.

sent from my twin-turboed Razr