Gen 2 Raptor Front Differential Fluid Change (2017–2020)

Who this is for

This is for the Gen 2 Raptor's front axle, 2017 through 2020. It's a smaller fluid service than the rear differential — less fluid, and a fill-only job if your housing doesn't have a separate drain plug — but it uses the same family of Motorcraft gear lubricant Ford specs for the rear axle too. The front axle only does real work when the truck is in 4WD, so it's easy to let this service slide longer than the rear differential if you mostly drive around town, but any owner who spends real time in 4-High or 4-Low, or crosses water on the trail, should treat it with the same seriousness as the rest of the driveline. If your truck has the optional Torsen limited-slip front differential, read the caveat below before you fill it; Ford's figures for that specific setup aren't fully nailed down in what we're working from here, and getting the friction modifier wrong on a limited-slip unit is a real way to end up with a noisy or chattering front end later.

Steps

1. 1

   Pull the fill plug first, then remove the skid plates

   Before anything else, find and loosen the fill plug — if it's seized, you want to discover that before the axle is empty, not after. Then remove the skid plates covering the front differential for access.

   Jump to 0:00 in the video →
2. 2

   Remove the old fluid

   Some Gen 2 front axles have a dedicated drain plug; others don't, and the fluid has to come out through the fill hole instead. The video this page is built around uses an extractor or pump through the fill hole to pull the old fluid out — if your housing has a drain plug, that's the more straightforward route; if it doesn't, extracting through the fill opening is the normal method.

   Jump to 0:36 in the video →
3. 3

   Note anything unusual while it's open

   While the old fluid is out, it's worth a moment's thought about what kind of front axle you have. If your truck has the optional Torsen limited-slip front differential, confirm the fill amount and any friction-modifier requirement in your supplement or with a Ford dealer before refilling — the standard front axle fill figure below doesn't necessarily cover that setup.

4. 4

   Refill with fresh gear lube

   Fill with Motorcraft SAE 75W-85 Premium Synthetic Hypoid Gear Lubricant through the fill hole using a pump or squeeze bottle, to the level your service manual specifies — 1.8 qt (1.7 L) is the figure in Ford's 2017 and 2019 Raptor supplements for the standard front axle, useful as a cross-check on roughly how much should go in.

   Jump to 2:20 in the video →
5. 5

   Reinstall the fill plug and button everything up

   Torque the fill plug to the spec in your service manual, then bring the skid plates back into position and reinstall every fastener you removed.

   Jump to 3:49 in the video →
6. 6

   Check for leaks and confirm the fill level

   Lower the truck, take it for a short drive, then get back underneath and check the fill plug for any seepage. Pour the old fluid into a sealed container and take it to a recycling center.

7. 7

   Plan to redo this after any serious water crossing

   If you've submerged the front axle — a deep water crossing, a boat ramp, anything past the hub — plan on changing this fluid again rather than assuming the seals kept everything out. Ford's own guidance calls for replacing axle lube after submersion, and water that works its way past the seals mixes with the gear oil in a way you won't necessarily see or smell right away. Mentally file that as a trail-damage item rather than a maintenance item: it isn't on any schedule, it's triggered by something that happened, and the truck won't tell you about it.

8. 8

   Do the rear axle in the same session if it's due

   The front and rear axles take the same Motorcraft 75W-85 gear lubricant to the same Ford spec, so if the rear is anywhere near due, doing both while you're already set up underneath with a pan and a pump is far less work than two separate sessions. The quantities differ — the rear 9.75-inch axle takes more than the front — so buy for both rather than assuming one container covers the pair. See the rear differential guide for that job's own access and cover details, which are genuinely different from this one.

Specs

Safety notes

• Never get under a truck supported only by a jack — use rated stands at the correct lift points.
• If your truck has the optional Torsen limited-slip front differential, confirm the fill amount and friction-modifier requirement in your supplement or with a dealer before filling — don't assume the standard-axle figure applies.
• Replace the front axle lube any time the axle has been submerged, such as after a water crossing or boat ramp use.
• Wear nitrile gloves; take the drained fluid to a recycling center, never down a drain.