Ah, the joys of checking out a four wheel drive Jeep that has probably never been used as God meant for it to be used.

After an oil change on my daughter's "new" 2000 Grand Cherokee, I checked fluid levels in the transfer case and the diffs. I had to hit the check plug on the transfer case with some WD-40, because it looked like it had not been removed since the vehicle left the showroom floor. Fortunately, it came out without much of a fight, and while it had fluid in it, it was black. A refill with the ATF+4, and on to the front and rear diffs, both of which were low.

I am now trying to figure out why, since the front diff has the traditional threaded plug, the rear diff makes do with a rubber plug. Was that an idea that followed an engineer's drinking binge or something?

 

I went to jeep for the rear plug. 6 bucks

 

Oh, it doesn't need a new plug. It just seems like a bad idea to use a rubber plug on a diff.

 

The company my dad worked for had a few contracts with Daimler Chrysler back in the late 90s and early 2000s before the .com bubble dilemma. He saw a higher level management employee on a surveillance camera smoking a joint on the job site off around a corner and flipping off the camera. Apparently because of union rules he was one of those folks that could not be fired.

Another time he made a trip up to Detroit the company and a team of designers made some sort of magazine ad that had to be approved in a meeting. During this meeting the guy at the head of the table stood up and said "Look at this guy. He's good-looking, he's smiling, he's wearing a NICE WATCH!!! THAT AIN'T UNION!". About that time the gentleman got called out of the room and he left without saying a word to anyone. They had to go back to the office and wait a month before they flew back up there and finally got paid.

With that being said, these are the same folks that flew to DC in their private jets and symbolically walked through the soup kitchen line wearing their suits and top hats back in 2008 on the American taxpayer's dollar. These are the reasons I am never surprised when I am having to work on my Tried and True Red White and Blue MADE-IN-THE-USA modernized LEMON and see something that makes me wonder what kind of crazy person would go about designing things the way they did.

In 2002-2005 Grand Cherokees the radiator shroud isn't meant to be removed without removing the radiator first. The shroud is in one piece instead of two and the bottom driver's side bolt is tightly tucked beneath the power steering and AC compressor. Every time I throw my socket wrench across the garage and curse the engineer that made that EXECUTIVE DECISION, I remember that somewhere... some guy in Detroit stood up and said "THIS IS A STUPID IDEA" or "WE SHOULDN'T PUT THAT HERE" and a never ending chain of folks that were increasingly too big for their britches made a series of poor decisions for a few decades.

Hope this helps.

 

The reason for a threaded plug in the front diff is because water can be forced into it when driving if it had a rubber plug. Jeeps only used a rubber plug after Chrysler bought out AMC. Jeep still recommends changing the diff fluid after submerging the diffs in water. BTW, check your front diff vent hose. Mine keeps getting pulled out by snow.

My t/case was the same way, black and gritty. I refilled with ATF+4 and changed it again after about 5K miles. It's clean now.

 

Clayto1332, if you want an eye-opener, read Lee Iococca's autobiography. You'll understand a lot of what went on in the automotive industry at the time.

 

That book is also great reading. I read it years ago, and I still have my copy around here somewhere.

I used to write parts pages for Link-Belt Construction Equipment. Dana axles were an option for a number of our machines, so when I was under the Jeep yesterday I found myself smiling when I saw the Dana logo.

 

Yea i thought it was funny as well, i agree with your first post, why a threaded plug up front and rubber in the back,

 

My Jeep also had the stupid one piece fan shroud and I have had to get in there multiple times over the years. During the first attempt it took me only an hour to decide to just cut the ****er out. I drilled four holes on both sides and then when I need to get it in and out I just cut the zip ties, scootch it out, make the repair, scootch it back in and re-zip. Entire process takes less than 5 minutes of "shroud-time" now.

I have decided that anything manufactured past 1992 will have to require some kind of assembly, fitment, machining, or customization to make it perform as *I* intend. I have resolved that in order to do anythign right I have to do it or create it myself. Which means that eventually I will have to invent my own superJeep with quality Auger made CNC machined and 3D Printed parts. I am not even joking.

 

Probably because one is a Dana axle and one is a Chrysler axle.

 

Yeah, Chrysler decided that if a rubber plug works with Dodge trucks, it ought to work with jeeps.

 

Nope, they are both Dana. D35 or D44 in the rear, D30 up front.

 

I believe engineers design for rapid assembly to get the product on the market quickly, that leaves it to us to innovate around their lack of consideration for service and repairs. Fortunately, Jeep enthusiasts capably work around design glitches with some very practical solutions. Kudos to Auger on the shroud modification, I'll be using that one on my '02 WJ. Thx.

 

I started splitting the shroud on my GM trucks. They were molded in 2 pieces and stapled together. I just removed the staples and use sheet metal screws instead. I cut the one in my WJ and mounted aluminum plates with screws to hold the 2 pieces together. The only problem with that is getting those damned screws in and out. I even went with hex heads. I like the wire tie idea.