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A simple warning about your poorly designed diff drain bolt.

DarkAardvark

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I must be bad at googling. What front diff skid plates are there for the rubicon? I can find rears just fine, but fronts are hard to find. And some, like metal cloak, say they don't work with the front stock track bar

What are you guys running? Links?
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mgroeger

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Using this on both our Jeeps with no problems. On my Jeep I have aftermarket Dana heavy duty covers so I needed to go to the hardware store and buy a long piece of threaded steel, sort of like a 2' long screw and I used it to shape a new, longer U bolt like the one they supply.

The Rancho appears to be one of few, if not the only one, that does not require you to also replace the front diff cover. That's the main thing I like about it.

https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/...ho-performance-front-diff-glide-plate-dana-44

Jeep Wrangler JL A simple warning about your poorly designed diff drain bolt. 1603894247420
 

4xnaz

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I must be bad at googling. What front diff skid plates are there for the rubicon? I can find rears just fine, but fronts are hard to find. And some, like metal cloak, say they don't work with the front stock track bar

What are you guys running? Links?
I'm using both front and rear diff skids from Next Venture Motorsports.

Jeep Wrangler JL A simple warning about your poorly designed diff drain bolt. 1007201852_HDR~2


Jeep Wrangler JL A simple warning about your poorly designed diff drain bolt. 1007201851a_HDR~2


1007201850_HDR.jpg
 

PaulW

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DarkAardvark

I must be bad at googling. What front diff skid plates are there for the rubicon? I can find rears just fine, but fronts are hard to find. And some, like metal cloak, say they don't work with the front stock track bar

What are you guys running? Links?
== =
Yup the rear is the M220.
Search for M210 skid. Lots of choices. Ignore Diff covers.
 

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mgroeger

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DarkAardvark

I must be bad at googling. What front diff skid plates are there for the rubicon? I can find rears just fine, but fronts are hard to find. And some, like metal cloak, say they don't work with the front stock track bar

What are you guys running? Links?
== =
Yup the rear is the M220.
Search for M210 skid. Lots of choices. Ignore Diff covers.
Rancho makes one that will fit both Rubi and non Rubi axles. I run it on both Jeeps and it has done very well and taken a beating. You can use it with the stock diff cover or the heavy duty Dana aftermarket diff cover.
 

21Rubi

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Jeep Wrangler JL A simple warning about your poorly designed diff drain bolt. 0220211600
Another Next Venture Motorsports skid here with stock cover. Waiting for rear shim and I'll have there rear skid installed also.
Jeep Wrangler JL A simple warning about your poorly designed diff drain bolt. 0220211240_HDR
 

DEdney1775

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The dealer said that regardless of whatever is going on with the bearing being cooked or gears stripped or anything else inside the axle that the fact that the bolt was ripped out was enough to total the entire axle. There is not enough "meat" on the axle where the plug is to drill and tap a new whole and have it be as good as factory.
Cost? New axle plus labor... $4k.
Called Amica because I knew I was covered and the appraiser agreed with the dealer's assessment.
So what happens next? I take the insurance check, add a couple of bucks to it, tow the Jeep to my buddies house and put brand new D44 Rubi axles with lockers in it and build a Saharacon. Ultimately there is a silver lining to this mess but it's a pain to get to it.
Forgive me for this question, I may have missed it.. Were you driving on stock D30/35 axles initially? Why wouldn't the insurance replace the axles w/ the same 30/35 axles? I may be calling my insurance company tomorrow just to discuss my Jeep with them! Lol..
 

DarkAardvark

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Forgive me for this question, I may have missed it.. Were you driving on stock D30/35 axles initially? Why wouldn't the insurance replace the axles w/ the same 30/35 axles? I may be calling my insurance company tomorrow just to discuss my Jeep with them! Lol..
With any insurance claim, they basically work like this. You call your insurance company. They send an adjustor out to look at the damage. They figure out what is wrong with it and get a price estimate to fix it. You have the option to take it somewhere to be fixed with insurance paying the place directly, or you can take the check to cover the damages. You could just take the check and fix it yourself. Or you could take the check and not fix it. Or you could do what this guy did and put the check towards buying a better axle.
 

The Last Cowboy

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In most cases, if you owe money on the vehicle (have a lein) the insurance company will only pay you directly if you have already paid up front for the repair and have the receipts to prove it. Otherwise they make a check payable to you and the shop. Both have to sign it. This could vary based on the way the policy is written or on your state of residence.
 

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mgroeger

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Forgive me for this question, I may have missed it.. Were you driving on stock D30/35 axles initially? Why wouldn't the insurance replace the axles w/ the same 30/35 axles? I may be calling my insurance company tomorrow just to discuss my Jeep with them! Lol..
We were on the stock axles andit was only the rear that was damaged. To replace the rear Dana35 with another Dana35 plus dealer labor was basically the same cost to straight up buy a SET of Dana44s with lockers and 4.10 gears. It was a no brainer, I told the insurance to cut me a check and then bought the axles and @chevymitchell and I had a deal for the labor.
 
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mgroeger

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In most cases, if you owe money on the vehicle (have a lein) the insurance company will only pay you directly if you have already paid up front for the repair and have the receipts to prove it. Otherwise they make a check payable to you and the shop. Both have to sign it. This could vary based on the way the policy is written or on your state of residence.
That wasn't the case for me. I had a loan on the Jeep and told Amica I'm taking care of this with a private shop, just give me the money and I'll handle it and they did.
Amica is pretty freaking amazing.
 

Grateful1

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Here's the short story:
If you off road make sure you have diff cover skids.
Here's the long story:
The axles that come on the Sport and Sahara (D35 and D30) have the differential drain bolts completely exposed on the underside of the diff leaving them VERY vulnerable to being damaged. This is not the case for the D44 that comes in the REAR of the Rubicons but it does apply to the FRONT D44 in the Rubis.

The Mrs. has a '18 Sahara and I have an '04 LJ. We where wheeling at Uwharie on Sunday and we did our usual trails (I think the damage occurred on Dutch John) and then went to the Outpost to air up and then headed home. 40 minutes into our ride home the Mrs. walkies me and says she needs to pull over and that the Jeep is coming to a stop on it's own. By the time I turn around there is smoke puffing out of the driver rear wheel well. I thought it was the caliper hanging up but the brakes were cool. That's when I noticed the diff was wet and the drain plug had literally been ripped out of the housing at a 45 degree angle and was allowing the gear oil to slowly drip out. I speculate that it took 2 hours from the time the damage occurred until she was seized.
The tow truck got there and the rear axle was completely locked as it was pulled onto the truck. The dealer said that regardless of whatever is going on with the bearing being cooked or gears stripped or anything else inside the axle that the fact that the bolt was ripped out was enough to total the entire axle. There is not enough "meat" on the axle where the plug is to drill and tap a new whole and have it be as good as factory.
Cost? New axle plus labor... $4k.
Called Amica because I knew I was covered and the appraiser agreed with the dealer's assessment.
So what happens next? I take the insurance check, add a couple of bucks to it, tow the Jeep to my buddies house and put brand new D44 Rubi axles with lockers in it and build a Saharacon. Ultimately there is a silver lining to this mess but it's a pain to get to it.
Well, shoot. I thought I was making out having a Dana44 on the rear of the Sahara. I have always wanted a Saharacon. I really want to just upgrade both axels to the Dana44 with big brakes. Time to pay off the credit card and fill it back up. lol
 
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mgroeger

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Well, shoot. I thought I was making out having a Dana44 on the rear of the Sahara. I have always wanted a Saharacon. I really want to just upgrade both axels to the Dana44 with big brakes. Time to pay off the credit card and fill it back up. lol
I forgot what options are what but I know the D44 you can get on a Sahara is not the same as the D44 on a Rubi.
 

Grateful1

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I forgot what options are what but I know the D44 you can get on a Sahara is not the same as the D44 on a Rubi.
I kind of figured that. More of lying to myself. lol
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