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welder f'ed up my diff covers

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#21 ·
Yes, thats what happens.....

its alot of material and bolting them down usually is not enough, we've had them snap the bolt heads off the fixture as they cooled. Use a mill and flycut them, reliable and easy..... I would have thought Jeff had made them big enough to fit, maybe the welder ground them to make it "fit" before welding. You know how some guys think it should be without knowing how its supposed to be.....

We always machine our covers flat because thats the only way to be certain they are flat..... I always suggest people buy a completed cover unless they have access to a mill. Good Luck
 
#23 ·
Gravel Maker said:
its alot of material and bolting them down usually is not enough, we've had them snap the bolt heads off the fixture as they cooled. Use a mill and flycut them, reliable and easy..... I would have thought Jeff had made them big enough to fit, maybe the welder ground them to make it "fit" before welding. You know how some guys think it should be without knowing how its supposed to be.....

We always machine our covers flat because thats the only way to be certain they are flat..... I always suggest people buy a completed cover unless they have access to a mill. Good Luck
Click to expand...

Thousands of diff covers are in existance that were NEVER flycut, because of simple fixturing teqniques.

Always weld the shell first, then let cool. Bolt the ring to the diff or clamp it to a heavy steel table, then weld the two together... not too terribly hard.
 
#24 ·
Yep, thats the way we do it.....

its a 2 day process for us, we weld 100 caps and let them cool overnite. then we weld the rings on, we flycut them to make them perfectly flat.......Steel will always move some, no changing that.....
 
#25 ·
Gravel Maker said:
its a 2 day process for us, we weld 100 caps and let them cool overnite. then we weld the rings on, we flycut them to make them perfectly flat.......Steel will always move some, no changing that.....
Click to expand...
I have used many of your covers and other products. Top notch! I was thinking about buying a kit but for the money buying one ready to bolt on is the way to go for me.

How much is the cover warped? That is the big question.
 
#26 ·
so you guys are recommending that he go have it decked a few thousands to true it up and then go plow it into a rock?:laughing:

why not leave it bent and go plow it into a rock:homer:

id try to silicone it and bolt it real snug and see just how bad it is. if its horrible, i do like the idea of cutting some reliefs in it bolting it down and welding it up
 
#27 ·
Both of the 14 bolt ones I did seemed good to go......Ill recheck the one that hasnt made it onto a rig yet......

Show us a pic or give us an amount.....if its a 1/16th to an 1/8th warp I would think some silicone and run'em!!!
 
#30 ·
Option 1)
Flame straighten/shrink small sections at a time with a rosebud and a garden hose. Don't worry about excessive hardening from quench; it's low carbon steel.
Cost: A few dollars worth of acetylene, but it not as easy as it looks.

0ption 2)
Put entire cover in a forge (a bonfire will do) wait until red hot, remove cover and place on a steel platen (flange down of course) whack cover with small sledge as necessary to straighten. Bury cover in sand while still smokin' hot and allow entire piece to slow cool evenly overnight. Correct any minor imperfections after cooling with 60 grit wheel on 7" grinder.
Cost: $0 (Firewood and labor)

Option 3)
Mill or surface grind it flat.
Cost: About $60-80 at the machine shop

Option 4)
Fawk it.
Cost: Mental aggravation and silicone sealant


The "heat & beat" method requires the least money and talent. Flame straightening is a lost art - it takes a fair amount of experience with different shapes and thicknesses (trial and error) to learn to do it effectively.
 
#32 ·
Option 5 get some 6011 rod and weld on it to warp it back. Faster than a flame. Most likely you will have to cut / bend to fix. But I done the rod trick before, just remember heat pulls!!
 
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