leaky front differental. is it a concern?

[ausher]

Should I fix it? Why are the differentials oiled anyways?

 

[Zdragon71]

The diffs in rcs are just like a real 1.1 car or truck. Inside the housing you have a ring and pinion gear. On the ring gear you have 4 screws holding the housing for the spider gears. This is the housing that you need diff lube in. And if its leaking you need to break down and rebuild the diff and possibly replace ring and pinion and all bearings. The bearings work as seals. The heavier the lube the better the gears grab. Its good to rebuild and shim diffs on a regular basis to get the best life out of them.

 

[ozziii]

The different thickness of oils that can be put in the diffs make a difference in how they disperse the power, thin oil will let the wheel with less grip or resistance get all the power, while thicker oil will make power go to both wheels, the thicker the oil the more evenly the power is distributed, making them like a limited slip diff in a 1:1 carb, better for traction.
How thick or thin your diff oil is will depend on the type of surface you drive on but the different thicknesses can also effect the way your car handles & corners to.

 

[ausher]

It looks like a pain to fix. Is there a plug that I can fill it from?

 

[Snook Man]

Nope, you would have to remove the diff, dissasemble it and put the oil in the cup.

If its leaking you most likely need to replace the x-ring seals that are inside the cup or it will just continue to leak.

 

[2revo1maxx]

Right^, the bearings are outside the diff and have nothing to do with sealing.

 

[ausher]

OK I tore it all apart and oiled it. I'll see if it starts leaking again. Couldn't I just grease it?