Replacing the front differential fluid in a 2006 Jeep Commander is pretty straightforward—once you know how to do it. You’ll want to use fully-synthetic 75W-140 gear oil, such as the one made by Mopar.

A Jeep is a great car for adventure and all-terrain driving, just so long as you take proper care of it. One important bit of

car maintenance

that often gets overlooked is replacing the front differential fluid.

Since it’s not required very often, a lot of Jeep owners have never had to change their differential fluid before. That’s why

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The best 2006 Jeep Commander front differential fluid

The very best front differential fluid for a 2006 Jeep Commander is

Mopar Synthetic Gear & Axle Lubricant SAE 75W-140

. That’s the OEM lubricant that Jeep recommends you use. You can purchase it at most auto parts stores or order it online.

If you can’t find the recommended brand, or if you’re looking for a cheaper option, there are a few alternative fluids that you can use. Any fully-synthetic gear lubricant with the same viscosity should work just fine. The fluid’s viscosity is denoted by the characters 75W-140. If you find another brand of synthetic differential fluid with that same viscosity rating, it should work for your 2006 Jeep Commander.

Here are a few of the best alternative fluids that you can use:

Mobil 1 SAE 75W-140 API GL 5 Limited Slip Differential Fluid

Motorcraft SAE 75W-140 Synthetic API GL-5 Differential Fluid

Red Line SAE 75W-140 Full Synthetic API GL-5 Gear Oil

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How to build a custom Jeep Commander

What is rear differential fluid—and why does your Jeep need it?

You might be wondering what exactly front

differential fluid

is, and why it needs to be replaced. Basically, differential fluid is a special oil that lubricates your front and rear axles, gears, bearings, and a few other internal parts. This keeps these components cool and running smoothly.

Without fresh differential fluid, your gears will begin grinding together and your wheels will have trouble spinning at different speeds. This will make it increasingly difficult to maintain control of your Jeep—especially on uneven, slippery, or off-road conditions. Not to mention, the friction will cause gradual damage to your Jeep’s internal parts.

As the names suggest, front differential fluid lubricates your front axle while rear differential fluid does so for the back axle.

How often to change 2006 Jeep Commander front differential fluid

Differential fluid doesn’t need to be changed nearly as often as the oil that lubricates your engine. In fact, you only need to change your differential fluid every 30,000 to 60,000 miles—which is likely why it’s forgotten about so often.

If you reach the 60,000-mile mark, you should definitely get your differential fluid changed. Depending on how much stress you put on your Jeep, however, you might need to get it changed sooner.

Keep an eye out for these common symptoms of bad differential fluid:

An acrid or burning smell coming from your front gearbox

High-pitched howling or whirring noises while driving

Unusual or unexplained vibrations

If you’re past the recommended mileage, or if you notice any of the symptoms above, it’s time for a fluid change.

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Jeep resale value

How to change your Jeep’s differential fluid

So, you’ve decided that it’s time to change your Jeep Commander’s front differential fluid. Not only that, but you’ve picked out and purchased the right replacement fluid to use. The question now is, how do you actually change the fluid?

A lot of people have their fluid changed by a professional mechanic because they’re intimidated by an unknown maintenance project. Of course, that’s always the safest option—but changing your front differential fluid isn’t much more complicated than

changing your engine oil

Before you begin, you’ll need a carjack, jack stands, a socket wrench set, a fluid transfer pump, and a pan to drain the old fluid into. Once you have those, here’s what you’ll need to do:

Step 1: Using the carjack and jack stand, raise and secure the Jeep. Find the differential drain bolt. Place the pan below the drain bolt. Losen and then remove the bolt. Allow the fluid to completely drain into the pan—it’ll take a few minutes.

Step 2: Once all the fluid has drained, wipe away any excess fluid that has leaked onto the case. Replace the drain bolt.

Step 3: Find the gear oil fill bolt. Losen and remove the bolt.

Step 4: Using the fluid transfer pump, slowly added the recommended amount of replacement fluid to the differential. Stop when you’ve added the recommended amount or if you see the fluid begins dripping out.

Step 5: Replace the fill plug, wipe away any excess fluid, and you’re done!

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How to find affordable Jeep insurance

Keeping up with your Jeep’s routine maintenance is an important part of making sure it’s protected from more serious issues. Of course, all the tender love and care in the world can’t protect you and your Jeep from every eventuality.

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