I was wondering if anyone has bolted two diff covers onto a Dana44? The outside cover would have to have the fill plug hole cut out. I don't know how snug they would fit together. What do you guys think? Two pieces of steel at 1/8" each is some pretty stout protection.

Well sort of, I took one and cut it in half...in a Marvel band saw. right below the fill hole. Then tig welded it over the 1st. It works cool, but hell I'm the only one that notices it!!! Been thinkin' next time it's off, I'm goin' to fab a bung ring and allen head plug...like a Yota, later.:smokin:

Man you deffinately are from Oregon just placing one over the other is pretty JAMOKE!!! The only real way to do it is to cut and weld, otherwise you will run into sealing problems at the least...

You'd be better off putting a ring on to protect the cover from peel back and then putting a plate over where the ring gear is to protect it as well.

The problem with two covers (if you could get that to work) is heat. That would really lock it in and would take a toll on your innards.

Originally posted by amadrrckwlkr
Man you deffinately are from Oregon just placing one over the other is pretty JAMOKE!!! The only real way to do it is to cut and weld, otherwise you will run into sealing problems at the least...


Sealing problems :confused:, am I missing something. The innside cover would do the sealing, the outside cover would be the reinforcement.

Originally posted by Sweet75


The problem with two covers (if you could get that to work) is heat. That would really lock it in and would take a toll on your innards.


Damn heat, I never thought of that. I wonder if that would really be a problem? Anyway, I think your right. The temperature surely would be higher than normal.

Drive around, then touch the diff cover and see how hot it gets. Decide from there.

I don't see why it wouldn't work for smaller obstacles.

Your sealing problem will be caused by the fact that the second cover won't fit perfectly over the first causing small gaps between the two covers allowing the first cover room to move under the pressure of small blows from rocks!

Go with Syn. oil. It will reduce your temp.

a ring around where the bolts go at about 1/4" then the 2nd cover on the outside. the ring if fitted correctly would aid in sealing and the cover on the outside would provide a little protection. and maybe the 1/4 spacing would help alleviate some of the heat issues.
just a thought
shon

I must be fawking bored out of my skull to even care, but...

Why is this simple idea being scrutinized like its a quantum physics problem.

Whack it with a fawkin hammer to make it fit, weld it up, and let us know how it looks with pics. Let us know how it works with a small write up. And call it finished.
What is the big deal about heat being retained in pig. Are you really suggesting that the critical melt down point of a D44, is so well ballanced in its factory engineering that adding another piece of 1/8" steel is gonna gonna cause an axle version of Chernobyl. If thats the case, then I would suggest running 3/8 stainless line with aluminum annodized AN fittings, from the pig through a tranny cooler and then back. You could set up an engine driven pump, and use an oil accumulator to prelube the carrier bearings before any axle rotation is engaged. The oil accumulator would also help to reduce any aeration of the gear oil. :rolleyes:

can i get a schematic:confused:
shon

Originally posted by black99
can i get a schematic:confused:
shon

Sure, I could down load it, to your computer, as an attachment to the disertation, for my doctorate in axleology. :flipoff2:

Originally posted by Sweet75

The problem with two covers (if you could get that to work) is heat. That would really lock it in and would take a toll on your innards.


two cover's is gay and shitty looking probably!!


so you are saying that my 3/8 plate that i welded to te cover is gonna heat my front and rear

been doing it for years and no problems even with ARB's

just the facts

as long as the back one seals it should be fine.

Originally posted by H8monday
I must be fawking bored out of my skull to even care, but...

Why is this simple idea being scrutinized like its a quantum physics problem.

Whack it with a fawkin hammer to make it fit, weld it up, and let us know how it looks with pics. Let us know how it works with a small write up. And call it finished.
What is the big deal about heat being retained in pig. Are you really suggesting that the critical melt down point of a D44, is so well ballanced in its factory engineering that adding another piece of 1/8" steel is gonna gonna cause an axle version of Chernobyl. If thats the case, then I would suggest running 3/8 stainless line with aluminum annodized AN fittings, from the pig through a tranny cooler and then back. You could set up an engine driven pump, and use an oil accumulator to prelube the carrier bearings before any axle rotation is engaged. The oil accumulator would also help to reduce any aeration of the gear oil. :rolleyes:

DUDE that shit cracked me UP!!!! Damn too funny:cool: :beer:

I say go for it though It might look gay but it would defintely give you the extra protection you're looking for

but honestly, how many people have actually damaged a r&p from rock damage? maybe i'm just out of the loop, but i think it happens less often then everyone thinks

HOWEVER, i feel the best diff protection would be a peice of 3/8" plate rolled to protect the ring gear... kinda like the alavanche one, but welded to the cover itself instead of a ring. that'd be plenty of beef and pretty easy to make.

just a thought

I've lost a set of gears courtesy to a little rock smootchin'. It bumped the cover in far enough to let the ring gear eat a slit in the cover thus draining my diff oil. No one, including myself, noticed due to the fact that is was 3:00 AM. We finished the trail and in our haste to get back to our sleeping bags we never bothered to unlock the hubs. OOps. 90 weight stinks. We have been welding plates over our ring gears for a couple of years now. We call them tampons.

Ok here's and idea since everybody decided to FLAME the double cover idea.

We all know that "rock rings" are pretty pricey, they look beefy as hell and surely KICK ASS!

But, what about getting one or two "Extra" covers and first cut out the actual middle of both and leaving the RING left over (cut carefully), then on both rings make the bolt holes big enough to fit the appropriate socket in, for the actual diff cover bolts. Weld these to the origional cover making sure not to misalign the new hole causing a socket NOT to fit on the bolts. This would give you plenty of protection for commonly exposed diff cover bolts. Then you could use the remaining middles of the two "extra" covers to make said ring gear protector "strap" to weld to the origional diff cover. Shoot this could be done without EVER even having to remove the origional cover.

Sounds easy enough, Hell it even sounds like a good idea to me. Damn I'm good *I hope*

www.ronscustomshop.bigstep.com
Avalance is the highballer at 220 for their covers then Missouri Off Road (something like that) at 175 then there are several others that are under 100 each. Do a search on diff protection there is at least two recent threads about this.

For 65 bucks that's cool and the Extreme covers at 80 are hard to beat.

Even if they've been reffered to as a catchers face protector, I still think they're pretty cool.

HEY BATTER BATTER.

Originally posted by H8monday
I must be fawking bored out of my skull to even care, but...

Why is this simple idea being scrutinized like its a quantum physics problem.




btt

Originally posted by H8monday
I must be fawking bored out of my skull to even care, but...

Why is this simple idea being scrutinized like its a quantum physics problem.

Whack it with a fawkin hammer to make it fit, weld it up, and let us know how it looks with pics. Let us know how it works with a small write up. And call it finished.
What is the big deal about heat being retained in pig. Are you really suggesting that the critical melt down point of a D44, is so well ballanced in its factory engineering that adding another piece of 1/8" steel is gonna gonna cause an axle version of Chernobyl. If thats the case, then I would suggest running 3/8 stainless line with aluminum annodized AN fittings, from the pig through a tranny cooler and then back. You could set up an engine driven pump, and use an oil accumulator to prelube the carrier bearings before any axle rotation is engaged. The oil accumulator would also help to reduce any aeration of the gear oil. :rolleyes:

You da man LOL:D :D

H8
you could do like nascar, mount a pulley to rear pinion yoke run a belt to a pump mounted on the axle housing have the tank mounted under the seat

i like the thoughts of 2 covers give h8's hammer idea and bring out the tig
who cares what it looks like