Are aftermarket differential covers worth it?

Are aftermarket differential covers worth it?

Benefits. Strength: Having a stronger differential cover can provide extra safety for pickup owners with high-horsepower engines or for those who head off-road. Many aftermarket covers are thicker than factory covers, sporting additional cross bracing for improved strength and cooling.

What is the point of a diff cover?

In addition to providing access for changing gear lube, differential covers help dissipate heat that can damage differentials, and they protect gears from contaminants like dirt and water, as well as rocks and other large obstacles encountered when off-roading.

Are front and rear diff covers the same?

They are not the same on any vehicle. Every rear axle is different then the front. They are all shaped differently and are based on the size of the ring gear.

What is a spider gear?

Spider gears are also known as satellite gears, they rotate around the side gears in the differential carrier. Side gears may also be referred to as axle gears or planetary gears. The spider gears are the ones with the cross-pin shaft going through them.

How warm should a differential get?

The normal operating temp of a differential is 175° to 250° depending on the type of driving you’re doing. We recommend using a handheld infrared digital thermometer which cost $15 to $50 to get a more accurate temperature reading.

Do you need differential cover?

It keeps the differential fluid in the differential and keeps contaminants out, protects the gears and bearings, and provides a way to service the differential. Many vehicles are originally equipped with a differential cover that is sealed with RTV rather than a gasket.

Are all Dana 44 covers the same?

Not all 44s are equal. The Dana 44 has been manufactured for nearly 70 years, and was original equipment under Jeep, Ford, GM, Dodge, International Harvester and Studebaker vehicles, and even the Isuzu Rodeo and Honda Passport. And almost every one of these had some unique, funky specification just for that model.

Why do spider gears break?

What Causes Spider Gears to Break? Free spinning your wheels can cause the spider gears to rotate at an alarming rate and result in metal-to-metal contact. Once this happens, the cross-shaft and spider gears can melt and damage the entire spider gear and ring and pinion set as well as the differential case.

Why do spider gears wear out?

A common scenario is getting stuck in the mud or snow and free spinning your wheels trying to break free. When this happens, the spider gears can rotate on the cross-pin shaft so quickly that the differential oil is slung away, resulting in metal-on-metal wear.

At what temp does gear oil break down?

At 140 degrees if no trash or moisture is introduced oil will basically last a million miles. However for roughly every 20 degrees above 140 it cuts life expectancy in half. A well broke in diff under normal conditions will run around 200 degrees and a quality gear oil will last 100k using above formula.

What causes a rear differential to overheat?

By putting too much stress on the new car, we mean driving too fast (more than 50 mph) for long periods of time or by towing or hauling another object, such as an RV or a boat. This can cause your differential to overheat and start to break down.

What is the difference between a Dana 44 and a Dana 44 HD?

The HD axles have wider pinion and ring gears, which are typically the weak spot on dana 44 axles. What it doesn’t say on jeep’s site is that the rear axle on a rubicon is also a dana 44 hd, whereas the sport and sahara have the regular dana 44 housing with 30 spline axles. The HD setup has 32 spline axles.