W22 Rear Differential Fluid

[KarolinaTom]

I just found what I believe to be a great deal on rear diff fluid that meets the DANA SHAES 256 Rev C spec needed for the W22 and W24 rear diffs.

Mobil Delvac 1 75w 90 can be purchased for about $8.99 per quart at Summit Racing, with free shipping for orders over $109. The W22 DANA S150 diff takes 12 quarts, and the W24 DANA diff takes just under 7 quarts.

Most off the shelf options at parts stores do not meet the DANA SHAES 256 Rev C spec, with the exception of the Master Pro Synguard at OReilly's for about double the price.

While this oil is good for up to 500k miles in a line haul semi, RVs should change much more frequently than that due to condensation that forms in the gear housing and the long periods of time our rigs spend without moving. Dusty conditions can also greatly reduce lubrication life.

Tom Werner

[MikenDebbie]

Thanks for the heads up!

[Mark_K5LXP]

Figures, I did mine a few weeks ago. Not sure that with shipping I would have saved a lot since I wouldn't hit the free shipping threshold. I've always wondered about the "dusty" condition - where does an RV go that's any more dusty than an OTR truck? And how is all that dust getting in? I have the American axle on my WH with ~65K on the clock, and what came out was a little darker than the new stuff but the OEM goop may have been that way from the start. Will likely be the last change that I'll ever do but I've wondered just what conditions would promote a lot of dust and water ingress. Maybe construction equipment slogged through road construction sites with standing water, short of that I'm not sure what.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

[KarolinaTom]

Per the Dana Spicer Lubrication Manual:

Vehicle Application Definitions
Linehaul (on-highway) (up to 500K between Gear Oil Changes)
• High mileage operation (over 60,000 miles [96,500 km] per year)
• On-highway or good to excellent concrete or asphalt
• More than 30 miles [48 km] between starting and stopping
• 4x2, 6x2, 6x4 tractor/trailer combinations and straight trucks
• Check fluid levels and inspect for leaks at regular preventative
maintenance intervals, not to exceed 12,000 miles

VOCATIONAL (up to 180K miles or 3 years)
• Low mileage operation (under 60,000 miles [96,500 km] per year)
• Off-highway or areas of unstable or loose unimproved road surfaces
• Less than 30 miles [48 km] between starting and stopping
• Heavy-duty, off-road or specialized application type vehicles
• Check fluid levels and inspect for leaks every 50 hours

It would seem that RVs would fall into the "Vocational" category due to long periods of inactivity. I don't know if I would be strict on the 3 year limit, but certainly 5 years seems manageable.

[KarolinaTom]

Here is the Lubrication Manual that the Dana Spicer technical rep provided.

There are quite a few options listed, some of which may be available through a truck supply store.

https://media.spicerparts.com/cfs/fi...store=original

[KarolinaTom]

Here are the technical specs for the Mobile Delvac 1 75W 90 Gear Oil.

Again, there are quite a few oils that meet the DANA SHAES 256 Rev C specification. However, most off the shelf brands at auto parts stores do not meet the DANA SHAES 256 Rev C specs, including the Mobil 1 Synthetic Gear Oil, Valvoline, Pennzoil, etc.

As to whether great harm will come to your rear diff if you use a non DANA SHAES 256 Rev C spec product? Who knows, but the Mobile Delvac 1 brand was 1/2 the price of the other options and arrived in two days.

https://www.mobil.com/en/lubricants/...ear-oil-75w-90

[AKIQPilot]

All good info Tom but one slight correction. I believe the Dana S135 and S150, offered in the W22 and W24 chassis, both have a fluid capacity of 24.5 Pints or 12qts or 11.6 Liters. I know for sure the S150 in my W24 takes 12qts.

The Dana S110 and S130 differentials take just under 7qts of fluid.

But great info on the synthetic lubricant spec from Dana.

Thanks

[1972VWbus]

Here's a better one....


https://amsoilcontent.com/ams/lit/da...tins/g2042.pdf

[KarolinaTom]

Originally Posted by 1972VWbus

Here's a better one....


https://amsoilcontent.com/ams/lit/da...tins/g2042.pdf

Dana SHAES specs are stringent and hard to meet. It is severe duty, and up to 500k miles of usage. Our rigs will never push the diff fluid to those extremes, with the biggest concerns being condensation within the diff housing and dusty conditions on secondary roads. So, change intervals should be based more on time than mileage.

If you prefer Amsoil products, and a lot of people do, have at it. They make excellent products. But, for me, any new synthetic fluid that meets Dana's specs is better than the existing fluid, and the lower cost means that I am likely to change it more frequently than a more expensive option.

You certainly won't go wrong with either the Amsoil or the Delvac1 options. Hopefully others have seen this discussion and will perform this oft-neglected maintenance.

Now, if we really want to get into a heated discussion, we can talk engine oils... I've been known to use Kirkland in my rig... although I use OE filters and keep it at about 3k change intervals.

[1972VWbus]

Originally Posted by KarolinaTom

Dana SHAES specs are stringent and hard to meet. It is severe duty, and up to 500k miles of usage. Our rigs will never push the diff fluid to those extremes, with the biggest concerns being condensation within the diff housing and dusty conditions on secondary roads. So, change intervals should be based more on time than mileage.

If you prefer Amsoil products, and a lot of people do, have at it. They make excellent products. But, for me, any new synthetic fluid that meets Dana's specs is better than the existing fluid, and the lower cost means that I am likely to change it more frequently than a more expensive option.

You certainly won't go wrong with either the Amsoil or the Delvac1 options. Hopefully others have seen this discussion and will perform this oft-neglected maintenance.

Now, if we really want to get into a heated discussion, we can talk engine oils... I've been known to use Kirkland in my rig... although I use OE filters and keep it at about 3k change intervals.

From the link:


AMSOIL Long Life Synthetic Gear Lube, in the correct viscosity grade, is recom-
mended for domestic and foreign applications, including over-the-road trucks; light-,
medium- and heavy-duty trucks; off-road equipment; commercial vehicles; motor
homes; autos; SUVs; emergency vehicles; buses; delivery/utility vehicles and tractors.
Use AMSOIL Long Life Synthetic Gear Lube in differentials, manual transmissions or
other gear applications where one or more of the following standards are specified:
API GL-5 & MT-1, MIL-PRF-2105E, Dana* SHAES* 234 (Formerly Eaton* PS-037) for
250,000 miles, Dana SHAES 256 (Formerly Eaton PS-163) for 500,000 miles, Dana
SHAES 429A, Mack* GO-J & GO-J+, Meritor* 0-76N (75W-90) & 0-80 (80W-140) plus
hypoid gear oil specifications from ZF TE-ML 07A and 08 foreign and domestic manu-
facturers such as GM,* Ford* and Daimler* Chrysler.* It can also be used in rear axles
where API Service GL-4 lubricant is recommended.

[EyezOpen]

Gotta love oil threads, they can be as edgy as political discussion. Delvac 1 has been and always will be the go to oil. It's been a mainstay for 15 yrs...

[KarolinaTom]

Originally Posted by EyezOpen

Gotta love oil threads, they can be as edgy as political discussion. Delvac 1 has been and always will be the go to oil. It's been a mainstay for 15 yrs...

Truth.

[CamJam1]

That is a good price on the Delvac,