Reviews for ARB Competition Differential Cover for Dana 44 Axle Assemblies
Got a set for my 17 JKUR. Installed them on a Thurs and went wheeling that weekend. The diff covers held up well getting dragged on some rocks from taking a few bad lines. They are worth the investment. I'm not sure how the stock covers would have faired.
Install notes:
You'll need an 8mm hex bit (drain plug, fill plug) and a 1/4" hex bit for the mounting screws. Also you'll need a torque wrench that can go to 25 foot pounds for the mounting screws.
Lube Locker gaskets made the install much easier. I didn't bother with gasket maker.
Also **HAND TIGHTEN** the drain plug and fill plug. Do not go ham on them otherwise you'll end up tearing the o-rings. I went a little too hard on the fill plug and ended up tearing the o-rings. Just FYI you can get some chemical resistant o-rings from McMaster-Carr. The size is 209.
The top mounting bolts on the front diff were a little difficult to reach. The solution was jacking up the front passenger side to let the front passenger tire droop. It'll move the track bar out of the way. You can play with the height to gain access to the bolts as needed.
As far as fill capacity, you can refer to the ARB instruction sheet to measure off of the stock diff cover or just pour the factory specified amount of fluid in. For the Rubicon model it is 1.35 quarts in the front and 2.375 quarts for the rear on the JK Rubicon model. I poured in the factory spec and did not have any overflow issues even after a total of 6 hours of highway driving (75+ MPH).
I was a little intimidated of installing this at first because i was afraid the bolts would be hard to take off or that i would make a mess but it was actually very easy especially if you use "Lube Locker" instead of RTV. I went with the black option and i am very happy with all the features and thickness of the metal compared to the stock cover. I was undecided at first on which brand i wanted to go with because i thought they were all good! after showing the wife some photos she picked this one and said "the other ones looked stock" I Agree and think that this one is the most heavy duty and best looking cover.
side notes: I didnt have a metal scrpper to remove the old gasket so i just used a razor blade and a wire brush and still got it clean perfectly and also becareful when spraying brakeleen casue it shoots out really fast/strong and i got some on my face! wear saftey glasses
Super tough and durable.
Put these on Front and Rear on my 2015 Rubicon JKU. They look great- the red looks great with the tow hooks. Install was pretty straightforward and simple. Used the LubeLockers gasket, which made it clean. Amazing how heavy duty these look and feel when you hold these next to the stock ones-
The design of the diff. Covers is great, and they look awesome. Not hard to install, about an hour.
Bought 2 red ones for my jeep, and 2 black ones for my wife's jeep. If your jeep isn't lifted do yourself a favor. Lift the jeep with a jack on the frame to let the axles drop and it will give you more room to work. Great quality. Super sturdy, great quality, and would recommend to anyone!
Look awesome ! Really easy to install with Lubelocker seals. Magnet is more than impressive : almost impossible to put the cap in the hole ! It is so powerful. Really amazing. Recommended tip : when marking the stick for oil level, do it with the stick fully out, not fully in (as described in the installation notice), it will easier to check the oil level later.
Love these covers, I have repeatedly pounded my front diff without mercy and the cover remains as solid as a rock.
They look good and make oil changes easy.
What can I say. This cover is a beast. Easy install on 7 out of 10 bolts. You will need a socket allen wrench along with a regular allen wrench. You will also need an alen wrench for the drain plugs. Make sure you buy the separate gasket, make your life easier.