How hot should my rear differential get

    how hot should my rear differential get
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    normal rear differential temperature
  • How hot should my rear differential get
  • Semi truck differential temperature

    Differential temperature gauge.

    How hot should my rear-end get? (differential)

    somepumpkin1

    My car’s rear differential, that is.

    Short version:
    How hot should the rear differential get after a 30-minute highway ride (~65mph)?

    Should it be so hot that I can’t touch it, or should I be able to rest my hand on it and enjoy the warmth it offers?
    2003 Subaru WRX, stock (no modifications)
    180,000 miles
    80F ambient temp

    Longer story:
    There’s a significant whining/whirring sound coming from the rear of the car that was barely-noticeable about a week ago.

    I had my buddy ride with me and crawl around the inside to confirm that it’s coming from the rear differential area.

    Semi truck differential overheating

  • Differential temperature sensor
  • Differential temperature gauge
  • Rear differential hot to touch
  • Axle oil temperature critical freightliner cascadia
  • It gets progressively faster as the car moves faster, and I can even hear it as I come to a stop (down to ~10 mph) when it sounds like a soft grind or rub. The sound is unaffected by gear selection or brake application, and the only effect that accel/decel has is to speed-up/slow-down the frequency of the sound.

    It gets more-pronounced as it gets warmer, too.

    I (stopped first) got under and touched both rear brake backing plates and caliper

      how hot should a diff get
      how hot should a differential be