Differential Covers

[chicknwaffles]

Well, it's a selling feature of ARBs. I'll let them know that chicknwaffles disagrees.

Right on! Appreciate you telling them that!

On a different note it is humorous you believe the advertising. Did you recently get your 5th booster too?

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[chicknwaffles]

I'm a big fan of Gale Banks and have been for MANY years. His turbo charged gas applications were light years ahead of everyone else. He is also a brilliant marketing machine and to that I say more power to him. But as for the diff cover and its shape... Keep in mind most if not all of the performance diffs that use removable third members (like a Ford 9") have a plain old round integrated rear cover section. No molded in ring gear channel. Let's not let great marketing (not an insult) make us overthink the functionality of an oil bath.
I'm not disagreeing that it may make some difference, but I don't personally believe that difference is meaningful.

this guy gets it

"I don't personally believe that difference is meaningful."

exactly

don't take diff cover advice from the guy selling you diff covers.

 

[CarbonSteel]

I'm a big fan of Gale Banks and have been for MANY years. His turbo charged gas applications were light years ahead of everyone else. He is also a brilliant marketing machine and to that I say more power to him. But as for the diff cover and its shape... Keep in mind most if not all of the performance diffs that use removable third members (like a Ford 9") have a plain old round integrated rear cover section. No molded in ring gear channel. Let's not let great marketing (not an insult) make us overthink the functionality of an oil bath.
I'm not disagreeing that it may make some difference, but I don't personally believe that difference is meaningful.

Yep; all one needs to do is look at a GM "BOP" style axle from the 60's and the Ford example that you give which have round covers and I recall that Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth had a similar style that had round covers with zero contour.

Those axles were in millions and millions of vehicles which were ran for billions of miles with a huge majority of them never changing the fluid the entire time they were in service. While I am certain there were some failures, if the issue was as dire and wide-spread as Banks would love for us to believe then it would be as popular as Pennzoil and Quaker State creating wax in engines.

He has a solution in search of a problem with zero objective data to back it up and his salesmanship is clearly working...

 

[grimmjeeper]

I'm a big fan of Gale Banks and have been for MANY years. His turbo charged gas applications were light years ahead of everyone else. He is also a brilliant marketing machine and to that I say more power to him. But as for the diff cover and its shape... Keep in mind most if not all of the performance diffs that use removable third members (like a Ford 9") have a plain old round integrated rear cover section. No molded in ring gear channel. Let's not let great marketing (not an insult) make us overthink the functionality of an oil bath.
I'm not disagreeing that it may make some difference, but I don't personally believe that difference is meaningful.

If I'm not mistaken, I believe that some 18 wheelers have round integrated covers and removable center sections much like the Ford 9". And they go millions of miles.

 

[Jeepin_Donnie]

See the edit to my post above. Save 50% of the cost and go for Motobilt covers with NV skids.

I really like the front Next Venture diff skid plate but it has more than doubled in price (400 bare steel, or 480 powder coated)! I'm hoping my Rancho front diff skid/slider works with my Motobilt cover. It should since it's a flat mounting surface. I've beat mine up pretty bad, haha. Been on there since May 2018!

I have the rear MetalCloak diff skid/slider which I know works fine with Motobilt diff covers.

 

[CarbonSteel]

I really like the front Next Venture diff skid plate but it has more than doubled in price (400 bare steel, or 480 powder coated)! I'm hoping my Rancho front diff skid/slider works with my Motobilt cover. It should since it's a flat mounting surface. I've beat mine up pretty bad, haha. Been on there since May 2018!

Yeah, I bought both of mine "pre-COVID" and they sat for a while before I installed them (was between re-gears). Though I paid what I thought was a premium back then, I am not sure that I would go for them today at the current price.

With that said, there is no stronger/tougher skid plate on the market. Have a look at the thickness of the skid and bracing inside them. They are SO strong that one could worry about the axle housing (snout and differential cover flange) breaking/cracking.

 

[Jeepin_Donnie]

Yeah, I bought both of mine "pre-COVID" and they sat for a while before I installed them (was between re-gears). Though I paid what I thought was a premium back then, I am not sure that I would go for them today at the current price.

With that said, there is no stronger/tougher skid plate on the market. Have a look at the thickness of the skid and bracing inside them. They are SO strong that one could worry about the axle housing (snout and differential cover flange) breaking/cracking.

Yeah a buddy of mine has one, it's Grade A pure beef! LOL! He also bought his when they were much "cheaper."

 

[CarbonSteel]

Yeah a buddy of mine has one, it's Grade A pure beef! LOL! He also bought his when they were much "cheaper."

The only "negative" if there is one is that it has to be removed to change the axle fluid, but then again, that is its purpose.

 

[Geronimo]

neither

I like that container. 90 weight juice box. I dig Valvoline products anyway.

 

[phageghost]

I like that container. 90 weight juice box. I dig Valvoline products anyway.

Mommy, the Capri Sun dad gave me tastes funny . . .

 

[Caliguy]

I really like the front Next Venture diff skid plate but it has more than doubled in price (400 bare steel, or 480 powder coated)! I'm hoping my Rancho front diff skid/slider works with my Motobilt cover. It should since it's a flat mounting surface. I've beat mine up pretty bad, haha. Been on there since May 2018!

I have the rear MetalCloak diff skid/slider which I know works fine with Motobilt diff covers.

I got mine for $400 powder coated on Black Friday

 

[dragoneggs]

I'm a big fan of Gale Banks and have been for MANY years. His turbo charged gas applications were light years ahead of everyone else. He is also a brilliant marketing machine and to that I say more power to him. But as for the diff cover and its shape... Keep in mind most if not all of the performance diffs that use removable third members (like a Ford 9") have a plain old round integrated rear cover section. No molded in ring gear channel. Let's not let great marketing (not an insult) make us overthink the functionality of an oil bath.
I'm not disagreeing that it may make some difference, but I don't personally believe that difference is meaningful.

Personally, I have never had the need (knock on wood) to replace an OEM diff cover with a beefier aftermarket one whether it claims to be stronger or can hold more oil or keep it cooler. My opinion seems to be pretty much in line with you. I haven't seen a reason to spend money there.

For my current set up, I am looking for protection with the lightest weight solution.

 

[zouch]

they do come in Grey as well as Blue (at least for D44s), but i’m told they’re a little harder to find.

If I was even aware of the Dana one I would have strongly considered it. It looks stout as hell, but the blue wouldn't work for me.

 

[P&PJeep]

I kept it in house….. went with Dana.. and a Rancho skid, that I color matched……

Did the Rancho skid plate need trimmed to miss the differential cover fins? I saw a YouTube video where a guy had to trim the skid plate due to interference with the cover fins.

 

[Roky]

Did the Rancho skid plate need trimmed to miss the differential cover fins? I saw a YouTube video where a guy had to trim the skid plate due to interference with the cover fins.

Yes….. just a small amount on mine. Only the front skid. I just had knock down the weld on the inside, it wasn’t a big deal at all….I actually forgot about it, lol….

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