Thoughts on aftermarket Diff Covers?

[McCoys]

Thinking of buying the diff covers for the Dana 30 and 35 from ARB.

I've read a bit about the benefits online but besides extra protection and cooling, anything else or they just a waste of money?

I'm running 34s right now.

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[CarbonSteel]

The fluid capacity on these axles is quite a bit less than comparably sized axles from other OEMs so covers that add capacity would be a good choice. With that said, I have not seen any on the market that substantially increase capacity.

I chose Metal Cloak for the strength and simplicity, but also for the skid plate on the front axle. They are seriously beefy and could easily take a rock head on. ARB covers are good choices too as they are also made of nodular iron and are beefy as well.

Not sure how either of them would aid in cooling over the OEM cover as they have no cooling fins or the like. With that said, even with cooling fins the temperature drop would be nominal at best.

 

[oceanblue2019]

Thinking of buying the diff covers for the Dana 30 and 35 from ARB.

I've read a bit about the benefits online but besides extra protection and cooling, anything else or they just a waste of money?

I'm running 34s right now.

They won't gain you cooling. And if you off road hard enough to need them I'd be a bit concerned over the D30/D35 strength in such a situation.

 

[Hudson]

I second the metal cloak. I prefer how the front skid attaches to the diff cover and protects the vulnerable drain plug. Compared to the stock ones, they are stout, nice if you accidentally back into a rock.

I powder coated my skids and painted my covers.

 

[mgroeger]

Saw this video awhile ago and it is very informative. Based on this I would keep with a Dana Advantec cover because it's designed by Dana to meet the specs they designed. They are a very meaty cover that came on my Jeep when I bought it and can take a hit. If I ever swap covers on my wife's I will go with them.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Saw this video awhile ago and it is very informative. Based on this I would keep with a Dana Advantec cover because it's designed by Dana to meet the specs they designed. They are a very meaty cover that came on my Jeep when I bought it and can take a hit. If I ever swap covers on my wife's I will go with them.

Do keep in mind that by and large, this was nothing more than a marketing campaign by Banks. Had it not been a glorified sales pitch for his "new and improved" cover, it would have been more objective and credible. He goes on and on how flat back covers aerate the oil and create heat, but has nothing to do with the cover. After all, you have two gears turning at 90 degrees which creates massive shearing forces so aeration will always happen. In that entire series, I never saw any hard data presented that quantifies any of his claims about flat back covers. We also have to note there are hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of them in use across the country and if they were as bad as he claimed and with "internet amplification" we would have heard about it by now.

I have not seen many covers for the D44 that did not replicate the OEM design, so in that respect, it will come down to personal choice. I do not think you can go wrong with any of them, the bigger issue is running an oil viscosity that can withstand the working environment of these axles (I am seriously skeptical about 75W-80/85) and to change the oil far more often than Jeep indicates.

 

[mgroeger]

Do keep in mind that by and large, this was nothing more than a marketing campaign by Banks. Had it not been a glorified sales pitch for his "new and improved" cover, it would have been more objective and credible. He goes on and on how flat back covers aerate the oil and create heat, but has nothing to do with the cover. After all, you have two gears turning at 90 degrees which creates massive shearing forces so aeration will always happen. In that entire series, I never saw any hard data presented that quantifies any of his claims about flat back covers. We also have to note there are hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of them in use across the country and if they were as bad as he claimed and with "internet amplification" we would have heard about it by now.

I have not seen many covers for the D44 that did not replicate the OEM design, so in that respect, it will come down to personal choice. I do not think you can go wrong with any of them, the bigger issue is running an oil viscosity that can withstand the working environment of these axles (I am seriously skeptical about 75W-80/85) and to change the oil far more often than Jeep indicates.

I agree with you on the oil and changes. If you are running 37s and re-geared to 4.88 or 5.13 and wheeling it then the reality is you are making the axles work harder like they would in a towing situation and in which case running the 75w-140 gear oil would be a wiser choice.
It's so stupidly simple to change the diff fluid and not at all expensive so I do it pretty often so far at least twice a year.

 

[CarbonSteel]

I agree with you on the oil and changes. If you are running 37s and re-geared to 4.88 or 5.13 and wheeling it then the reality is you are making the axles work harder like they would in a towing situation and in which case running the 75w-140 gear oil would be a wiser choice.
It's so stupidly simple to change the diff fluid and not at all expensive so I do it pretty often so far at least twice a year.

Agree and the lower the gear ratio (higher the number), the more heat is generated (even in normal operation without wheeling or larger tires) so it is something to be aware of when making oil choices and change intervals.

 

[Arterius2]

Do keep in mind that by and large, this was nothing more than a marketing campaign by Banks. Had it not been a glorified sales pitch for his "new and improved" cover, it would have been more objective and credible. He goes on and on how flat back covers aerate the oil and create heat, but has nothing to do with the cover. After all, you have two gears turning at 90 degrees which creates massive shearing forces so aeration will always happen. In that entire series, I never saw any hard data presented that quantifies any of his claims about flat back covers. We also have to note there are hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of them in use across the country and if they were as bad as he claimed and with "internet amplification" we would have heard about it by now.

I have not seen many covers for the D44 that did not replicate the OEM design, so in that respect, it will come down to personal choice. I do not think you can go wrong with any of them, the bigger issue is running an oil viscosity that can withstand the working environment of these axles (I am seriously skeptical about 75W-80/85) and to change the oil far more often than Jeep indicates.

Market ploy or not, science is still science.

Banks invest large amount resources into their R&D, and they based their research off of the original Dana covers, and I applaud them for their effort to understand it better. They also mentioned that the stock covers are excellent in channeling the oil, reducing friction. So if there is anything to take away from their research is that the stock covers are “good enough”.

I wouldn’t go around messing that up with an aftermarket cover that hasn’t taken these factors into consideration, those flat back covers are just terrible in those regards.

 

[CarbonSteel]

So if there is anything to take away from their research is that the stock covers are “good enough”

If that were true, he would not have developed his "new and improved" cover. Without hard data which has been verified by an objective third party to prove his claims it is all marketing and a sales pitch and since he did not have any...well...

 

[Arterius2]

If that were true, he would not have developed his "new and improved" cover. Without hard data which has been verified by an objective third party to prove his claims it is all marketing and a sales pitch and since he did not have any...well...

His covers are obviously thicker with heat sink fins for better cooling. But he has kept the channeling bulge from Dana because obviously Dana did their rigorous research as well.

“Good enough” doesn’t mean it couldn’t be improved. The saying goes that it’s better to stand on the shoulders of giants than to start from scratch.. Again, I applaud him for looking into it himself and find out what works and what doesn’t.

My understanding of science and physics agrees with his design philosophy. I didn’t buy his covers because I’m cheap and don’t abuse my Jeep enough to need it, but I still think he has a developed a great product.

 

[CarbonSteel]

His covers are obviously thicker with heat sink fins for better cooling. But he has kept the channeling bulge from Dana because obviously Dana did their rigorous research as well.

“Good enough” doesn’t mean it couldn’t be improved. The saying goes that it’s better to stand on the shoulders of giants than to start from scratch.. Again, I applaud him for looking into it himself and find out what works and what doesn’t.

My understanding of science and physics agrees with his design philosophy. I didn’t buy his covers because I’m cheap and don’t abuse my Jeep enough to need it, but I still think he has a developed a great product.

No worries and to each his or her own, for me, I am not buying his marketing hype.

 

[Sheepjeep]

if you plan on doing any kind of off roading where there are rocks that could make contact with your diff you much make a diff cover upgrade your #1 priority. The stock cover is just relatively thin piece of stamped sheet metal and can either dent or split open very easily causing you damage internals or to loose all diff fluid on the trail

what you want it in a cover is at least 1/4" steel or thick quality cast iron and a deign that allows the cover to slide on or off rocks easily. The cover will apply some additional strength to the pumpkin as well.


You are not really getting after market covers in a jeep for cooling performance because it is not a daully diesel towing 12 humpback whales

 

[Punkindave]

Metalcloak for me.. Doing the rear next.

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