Advice on checking axle fluid 99 XLT

3/8th drive square... a long handle ratchet with about a 6" extension should be near perfect. Be absolutely sure that there is no mud in the square drive hole..... worrying at it until it is unusable will solve nothing and will only serve to make people like me wealthy. In our shop, this plug would have been removed at each and every oil change... if this plug has not been removed for quite some time, expect a lot of resistance... it may come down to a 1/2" breaker bar and a reducer in extreme cases... again, clean all the mud, etc. from the socket in the plug.... it is important to get a good purchase on the plug to avoid problems.

After all that, if you can remember "lefty loosey, righty tighty..." you should be good to go.

Did I mention that it's important to clean out the hole in the plug to avoid rounding the corners??? A word to the wise.... while you might save money today doing a splash and dash, one very real reason for scheduled oil changes is finding little sh*t before it turns into big sh*t. I'm forever amused when I tell someone that their brake pads are getting thin and they reply "They were good this morning...". Rates right up there with "I replaced your fuel filter..." - "Why, was it plugged???" Nope.. it wasn't plugged, but I'm sure the tow truck driver would like me if I left it.

If it's worth changing the engine oil, it has to be worth looking around for real problems..... cars can't help but wear out and break.. to expect otherwise is folly.

The plug has not been removed since I bought the truck 5 years ago. The truck only has 30,000 miles, so I did not think it was necessary to check the axle fluid everytime I changed the oil myself. To be honest ,I never heard of a shop that checks the axle fluid at every oil change but nevertheless,I will be prepared with the 3/8 square drive when I go down under. Thanks for the advice.

Normally, one would expect to see some sign of leakage indicating loss of fluid..... even with vehicles I am familiar with, I refuse to use outward signs as an indication of axle fluid level but I may have to change my thinking..... the new rear axle specs on some of the Ford line-up precuded using the check plug ( the level should be 1/2 litre above the check plug.... I can just see it when KwikeeLoob gets into these - "it was 'overfull' but we fixed that...".

Just remember that "shocking" the plug can often work where steady pressure wont.

You are correct...a breaker bar or ratchet will fit. Pull the plug and feel with your finger....if it gets wet with fluid, that's good enough. It doesn't have to be running out to be full. Now, if you want to fill it, do so with a grease pump and a long hose or nozzle...or have them do it your next trip at Jiffy lube .It doesn't cost any more.

Well, I checked both front and rear difs plus the transfer case. All 3 plugs came out with no problem, and all 3 are full.