So I have seen people with breathers on there differentials. Flex tube coming off the top and going up near trans/motor. What is the point of this? What are the benefits, drawbacks?

My 85 solid front and rear does not have breathers on either, just plugs. Thats why I was wondering. I also happen to have just recently come across the flex tube to do it for free, so was wondering if there are benefits.

I have a tendency to be in water or mud up past my floor so if I was to install these how high would they have to be to be effective? What type of filter or cap goes on the other end of them?

Basically looking for complete reasoning and how to get the most from this modification, or a better understanding of its drawbacks in order to think or plan around them.

 

See:
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...html#Breathers

 

Are you sure they are "plugs"? Most have the breathers mounted right on the axle.

There's some reading for you here: http://www.wattora.com/index.php?page_id=12

 

Thank you 4crawler. It answered my questions wonderfully.

 

Note that you don't need to go to the roof for them to be effective. Just high enough that the diffs will cool before being submerged.

My front goes up under the hood along the firewall, the rear goes up along where the fuel filler neck used to be.

 

Right, I think I will run them to the top of my taillights and near my intake.. Otherwise they will be submerged for sure. Thanks for the prompt and effective help guys.

 

The breathers won't "cool the diff" before they are submerged...
How do you figure that ?
The breathers are an attempt to keep water out of the diff when running through water that's higher than the top of the diff.





Fred

 

He's saying that if you have them, the diffs will cool off when they get into water, and by the time you get into water up to the breathers they should be cool and then it wont matter because the pressure will be the same and it wont suck any in.

 

Exactly.