Been thinking about doing this myself, but I wonder which is better in off-road situations?

A steel cover that will bend when you crunch it?

Or an aluminum one that'll crack and leak?

Something to ponder...

 

The Dynatrac diff cover I posted in another thread...

You can't break them things

 

DieselManor - Ford Sterling Differential cover

This kit comes with bolts.

 

I put one on my 99, but the standard finish is just... blech....to me. so i made it purty...

 

That's thinking into a bit, eh?

The thing to ponder would be "why would you be driving your STREET truck in a situation where your rear diff could ever get punctured?" Leave that to the more "purpose built" trucks.

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I think it'll keep the fluid cooler. As for the looks parts, really doesn't matter to me as nobody can see underneath my 2WD anyway. I'm just trying to see how much 08 stuff I can put on my truck.

 

Mine doesn't have this winch bumper and lift to make it a street truck

Monsta, did you get my paypal?

 

Thats why I bought mine.



The bolts included with the Dieselmanor 08' cover have a very good corrosion resistant plating on them, they are not cheap bolts. If you need bolts don't buy them from Ford or with a Ford part #. You can get all the bolts you want here. McMaster-Carr S&H is very reasonable and I'm always ordering stuff from them for my business.

This is the mcmaster part # for the bolts that come with the cover from diesel manor, the washers are a Grade 8 5/16" washer w/11/16" OD.
91274A248 5/16-18 x 1.25 SHCS Ultra Corrosion Resistant Plating $7.43 per Pack of 25

 

Already been there, done that - off-roading with rocks all over the place, pulling trees (green, complete with branches, up to 2 feet in diameter, or cut up pieces at 3 feet diameter) through the woods. Didn't hit anything, but I had a spotter for the worst of it. Lots of 4x4LOW. Lots of hopping on all 4 wheels and going back and forth trying to get traction.

You know, something like this:

http://fords.kilonet.org/krewat/imag...060902-001.jpg
http://fords.kilonet.org/krewat/imag...060902-002.jpg
http://fords.kilonet.org/krewat/imag...060902-003.jpg

Gotta go back in a few weeks

Oh definitely cooler...

I was thinking out loud about how it would affect my situation. I don't tow heavy. Yet.

For me, strength would be a trade-off...

 

I Give the Bolts away when people buy the 8C3Z-4033-AA. Just sell it as a kit.

 

I changed mine to the 08 last fall and paid more for the Royal Purple oil than I did for the cover.

 

If something hit the diff cover hard enough to break/bend it in either material, couldn't it do just as much damage to the thin housing? Or for that matter, wouldn't the steel flange around the cover warp and leak?

 

You go that right! RP is pricey! But I got it in mine, too.

 

i put my 08 as soon as they were available from the ford catalog right after the 08's came out. i never had an issue where it has cracked leaked or bent at all. been through rocks mud all over the scrap yard and driving through piles or iron and junk on some or the lots i've been clearing out. i look at it as a better alternative than the mag-hytec because of the price difference. if i wreck it i'll get another one.

 

Dunno, that's why I brought it up. But it's got me thinking...

 

I hear you on that...