Diff Cover Experts Weigh In

[Original_Junior]

What is everyone's thought on the AFE covers? I was looking at them since they have a built in drain plug that my '22 doesn't have. And yes, I could pull the covers every change but found I wasted a lot of time and effort when I did that with the JK. Plus, the risk of snapping a bolt installing and removing them. Been there and it wasn't fun. I just don't wheel in the slop, not hard enough, to pull covers every 15k. Not to mention dealing with seepage.

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[Atom631]

I bought Rough Country diff skids in a pinch before a wheelin trip. I wasnt expecting much but I have to say, they have done the job just fine. They’ve taken a few shots and havent budged. They protect the diff cover enough that I dont see the need for aftermarket covers.

Front:

Rear:

 

[DwnSth]

I ordered next venture diff covers and matching skid plates. To be honest I have no clue if it’s a good choice or not. I’ll be doing the replacement myself soon, never done one and am kind of terrified lol

Have you installed yet? I had a bad rear skid and front cover welds were in the way of the front skid. All redone and good to go but took a few months to get all back. Like the Next Venture covers and skids (also have the full belly skids with UHM). Has done great off road but honestly have not hit anything substantial yet.

 

[Caliguy]

Have you installed yet? I had a bad rear skid and front cover welds were in the way of the front skid. All redone and good to go but took a few months to get all back. Like the Next Venture covers and skids (also have the full belly skids with UHM). Has done great off road but honestly have not hit anything substantial yet.

Not yet. They make each to order and I only just received the rear skid so far . Won’t install until the rear diff cover comes in

 

[Rodeoflyer]

I bought Rough Country diff skids in a pinch before a wheelin trip. I wasnt expecting much but I have to say, they have done the job just fine. They’ve taken a few shots and havent budged. They protect the diff cover enough that I dont see the need for aftermarket covers.

Front:

Rear:

People love to trash RC but they make some good stuff took all those hits like a champ...

 

[Poordad]

I had Riddler diff covers on my JK. I painted them red. It made them stronger.

 

[ChuckQue]

I had Riddler diff covers on my JK. I painted them red. It made them stronger.

Same, I had Riddler on my XJ and they were great.

 

[c20040215]

People love to trash RC but they make some good stuff took all those hits like a champ...

When it comes to skid plates they are F-ing awesome for what you pay for. I have their front and rear diff skids, oil pan skid, transfer case skid, and rear control arm skids. I think I paid no more than $700 for all of them and they have not disappointed.
After my last trip, I took the diff skids off to clean out the mud that caked in between, spray painted them, and they are good to go for more beating. Still running the OE diff covers as RC skids do a decent job covering the lower 1/4 of the differ covers and bolts.

 

[jhackathorne]

When it comes to skid plates they are F-ing awesome for what you pay for. I have their front and rear diff skids, oil pan skid, transfer case skid, and rear control arm skids. I think I paid no more than $700 for all of them and they have not disappointed.
After my last trip, I took the diff skids off to clean out the mud that caked in between, spray painted them, and they are good to go for more beating. Still running the OE diff covers as RC skids do a decent job covering the lower 1/4 of the differ covers and bolts.

Right on. I can’t understand why some people are paying literally hundreds more for some brands for something that is mainly the same item. Sure thickness and design are slightly varied, but I can’t justify spending that much more for the same protection.

 

[CaJLMetalHead]

This is what I have in the front.. and I think it is the best bang for your buck.. why?.. for that price you get a beefy cover and a beefy skid... and I think is a better design .. details below:

https://www.amazon.com/Metalcloak-Differential-Compatible-2018-2020-Protection/dp/B091MJ6GD8

With this design shown below, when you land hard on the skid plate the brunt of the force is absorbed by the four bolts securing the skid plate.

With the Metalcloak, the brunt of the force goes to 3 beefy bolts that are anchored
to mounts separate from the diff cover bolts, consequenly this force is absorbed
by the beefy cover made of Ductile Cast Iron... and in turn the force is evenly distributed
throughtout all 12 bolts securing the diff cover to the diff housing.. just my 2 cents...

I also have the rear diff cover made by Metalcloak.. It is very strong, I just wish
it had the same design as the front diff cover..

 

[c20040215]

This is what I have in the front.. and I think it is the best bang for your buck.. why?.. for that price you get a beefy cover and a beefy skid... and I think is a better design .. details below:

https://www.amazon.com/Metalcloak-Differential-Compatible-2018-2020-Protection/dp/B091MJ6GD8

With this design shown below, when you land hard on the skid plate the brunt of the force is absorbed by the four bolts securing the skid plate.

With the Metalcloak, the brunt of the force goes to 3 beefy bolts that are anchored
to mounts separate from the diff cover bolts, consequenly this force is absorbed
by the beefy cover made of Ductile Cast Iron... and in turn the force is evenly distributed
throughtout all 12 bolts securing the diff cover to the diff housing.. just my 2 cents...

I also have the rear diff cover made by Metalcloak.. It is very strong, I just wish
it had the same design as the front diff cover..

Well, you can argue what you have is better, but the design of the RC skid does not rely on 4 diff cover bolts to take on all impact force. It is just not.

And there are 4 other reasons I ruled out MC (none of them is strength related). 1, it interferes with my RK track bar relocation bracket. 2, it doesn't provide protection on pinion yoke. 3, I personally hate the color. 4, I don't like the fact MC forces you to use their front diff cover to be able to run their front skid. I don't need a fancy diff cover.

Atthe end of the day, if what you have works out for you, that's great. Nothing against any other products. I personally don't want to spend that much on some sacrificial parts. By no means am I saying RC is the best, because it is not. lol nor do i think paying premium on skid plates is stupid. All I am saying is If I can pay 50% of the price and get 90% of the protection. I am good.

Skid plates to me is like insurance. I don't change the way I wheel because I have the most expensive skid plates that covers everything. Just like I won't change the way I live my life weather my life insurance is $50,000 or $50,000,000.

 

[snapper692]

Sorry for the highjack here.....but does anyone know of any diff skids that work with the Yukon covers?

 

[Rodeoflyer]

I know the metalcloak 'bolt on' style for rear works with ARB covers so it should work with the yukon.

 

[c20040215]

I'll use Banks' own video against him. He goes on and on about how flat back covers introduce more aeration into the oil which subsequently creates additional heat. In the video below that I posted, look at the amount of aeration that's occurring under that clear cover that's an exact replica of a factory cover. Do you actually think that a flat back cover has the ability to introduce more aeration? You have to remember these are two gears turning at 90° to one another and introduce incredible shearing forces. The motion is going to aerate and heat the oil under the best of conditions.

I've said it many times before, had Banks not created a brand new cover and used these videos as a marketing tool and IF he had a third party substantiate and objectively prove his claims, I'd be much more inclined to believe him.

I ran a Mag HyTech cover on my 2010 Ford FX4 and towed 8 to 9000 lb for 45% of the 160,000 mi that I owned it and never had a single issue. I replaced that truck with an F250 Powerstroke and did the same thing with no issues. Dodge axles from AAM were known to have issues--flat back cover or not.

Marketing at its finest...


Start at about 3 minutes into the video:

I know this is an old comment and I am no expert on gear or differential. And I have no need for anything other than oe diff cover, but this is what have found interesting. I have seen this video way back and I think he has a point. Whether their products do what he claims, or a little less areation and more oil flow to the pinion really makes any difference in the long run, I do not know.

If you look at all the diff covers for jeep in the market, there are only two designs: cast iron style and sheet metal welded style.

Dana, ARB, Yukon, Currie, dynatrac, G2, and even Teraflex all have the same design.

These companies design keep the curvature and shape close to the OE cover. These companies that make it this way are either in the axle or gear business and I would tend to believe they keep their diff cover they way they are for a reason.. more fluid flow makes sense to me.

And you look at other "fabrication shops" that use a sheet of metal bend and weld a diff cover together like this where it has more flat surfaces and sharp angles..

Again, I don't know if that means anything just something I noticed.
If I were in the market for diff covers, I would tend to believe those axle and gear companies know a thing or two on making the "right" covers and stay with those brands.

I have no other proofs to prove my theory, nor am I saying one is better than other.
Just something to consider.

 

[CarbonSteel]

I know this is an old comment and I am no expert on gear or differential. And I have no need for anything other than oe diff cover, but this is what have found interesting. I have seen this video way back and I think he has a point. Whether their products do what he claims, or a little less areation and more oil flow to the pinion really makes any difference in the long run, I do not know.

If you look at all the diff covers for jeep in the market, there are only two designs: cast iron style and sheet metal welded style.

Dana, ARB, Yukon, Currie, dynatrac, G2, and even Teraflex all have the same design.

These companies design keep the curvature and shape close to the OE cover. These companies that make it this way are either in the axle or gear business and I would tend to believe they keep their diff cover they way they are for a reason.. more fluid flow makes sense to me.

And you look at other "fabrication shops" that use a sheet of metal bend and weld a diff cover together like this where it has more flat surfaces and sharp angles..

Again, I don't know if that means anything just something I noticed.
If I were in the market for diff covers, I would tend to believe those axle and gear companies know a thing or two on making the "right" covers and stay with those brands.

I have no other proofs to prove my theory, nor am I saying one is better than other.
Just something to consider.

Except from an anecdotal point of view, where are all of the failed axles due to aftermarket covers? There are enough people here on the forum using non-curved covers that if this were really an issue given the temperatures and reduced oil capacity of D44 Advanteks running large tires, we would see multiple failures. Except we don't and even the welded covers have a "wedge" behind the ring gear.

I do not see how cover design can reduce flow as long as the oil levels are at least as high as the OEM levels. Banks' premise is that the curve keeps the oil running over the ring gear and increasing the gap reduces the flow. I would like to know how that is possible since the ring gear is going to ferry oil to the pinion no matter what shape the cover may be as it is the "oil pump" in a splash type system.

Banks did a great job of marketing--too bad there are no ASTM methods to compare his results against other covers.

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