opdsgt

I installed a pair of SOLID diff covers on my days off this week. Opting for LubeLockers, I felt good about binning my RVT in favor of a technologically advanced gasket material. I've never used LL's before despite that I've been inside the cover of a differential dozens of times over the years.

The gaskets themselves are fine products, easy to use and durable looking. However, it's my firm opinion that LubeLocker is setting people up for a BIG headache with the instructions provided with each gasket.

Here's the short story on what happened when I followed LL's recommended installation... two broken bolts.

Now for more detail with illustrations.

Photo: Stainless allen is the one provided by SOLID. Soft, easy to round with a good allen wrench (because the wrench is harder than the fastener). After initial installation, I elected to purchase Grade-8 allens (the black ones) because the SOLID-issued bolts didn't pass muster. As you can see, Grade-8s didn't either.



Photo: Another view of the fasteners. Note the holes drilled into the center of each broken bolt. That was necessary to insert an Easy-Out to remove the broken pieces from the axle housing. A center punch and high grade drill bits are mandatory as the hole you bore has to be centered! Use cutting oil, drill slowly, and don't break a Cobalt or Carbide bit off inside the fastener. You will not enjoy the solution if you do.



Photo: LubeLocker's instructions. Absolutely in err IMO. I'm just as pissed at myself for following them. My instincts from the very beginning were 35 pounds was a lot of turn on a small bolt. Ignoring my gut cost me.



Photo: Front cover after broken bolt removal and new fastener installed (one broke on the back diff too). This mod's been a chore, but I'm happy with the end product.



Things to consider:

• The Wrangler JK shop manual calls for 30 pounds.
• The Project-JK writeup on replacement diff covers calls for 25-30 pounds with a specific warning about over-torquing these bolts.
• Desk Reference by Sequoia Publishing (pick one up, you'll thank me) calls for a maximum of 33 pounds on a 5/16" Grade-8 allen.
• LL calls for two rounds of torquing, first to 15 lb-ft and then to 35 (this is a 17% increase in torque above factory spec!).
• It was on the final cinching to 35 lbs when I suffered both failures.

I'd like to mention, while this is my first Jeep, I've been working on cars and trucks all my life. I have over 20 years experience working on Japanese and Italian sportbikes as well (serious stuff too, jetting CV carbs, revalving forks, etc). I have good tools. And I'm no stranger to the torque wrench (I have two and use them religiously). The point I'm trying to make is, I'm neither a hamfist nor a neophyte when it comes to garage work.

Some forum members may chime in saying they followed LL's instructions and experienced no problems or fractured bolts. That's entirely plausible, after all, I had 18 of 20 go in and seat @35 pounds. That's not the point. I still had two fail, one being a very hard Grade-8.

LubeLocker needs to amend their install guide.



Frustrated, but back in on piece...

Omaha

P.S. The black Grade-8 allen bolt broke going in. The stainless SOLID provided allen snapped coming out. My advice for those already sporting SOLID covers -AND- LubeLockers is to be VERY CAREFUL when backing those puppies out next time you have the covers off (put some heat on the bolts first) and only go back to 20 pounds for the reinstall.

Spytec128

Thanks for the heads up. I plan on installing LL's at the end of this month. I'm just waiting on my ARB covers.

edwin907

I've got the ARB covers installed with LL gaskets and had no problems installing them first to 15 and then 35 ft-lbs. But I will certainly take your advice and exercise care on both removal and installation and 25 ft-lbs would be plenty of torque for this application.
I can't recall anyone having broken bolt syndrone with the ARB covers, however, and ARB does supply the allen bolts with the covers.
I am surprised that 33 ft-lbs is the max for this size of grade 8 bolt, and you're right, that is a valuable reference.

Thanks for your input.

dadgummit

There is nothing wrong at all with lubelocker. Even a low grade non-hardened 5/16" steel bolt should be able to withstand 35 ft pounds of torque without breaking. The cheap bolts that come with the SOLID diff covers have been reported a couple of times in the past to be really easy to break.

Windrocker

Luckily I PM'd the ever wise Edwin for advice on the Lube Locks and the ARB's before installing mine and can confirm that 25 lb's works like a champ.

And after spending an hour or so scrapping and cleaning RTV off the diff's, I can say Lube Lockers are the only way to go.

MikeReo

I also had a bolt break when installing the rear solid cover with a lube locker..35 ft lb's is overkill

seer1

You have to realize Mfg instructions supercedes Lube Locker's. ARB calls for 25. The old Solids I had came with hex bolts and not allens and 35 worked oaky with them. Allens vs hex'll make quite a difference.

opdsgt

I'm all checked out on using the shop manual for torque settings; it's my own fault for using LL's figures as I alluded to eariler.

If you're suggesting hex heads are stronger than allens (we should be calling them cap screws to be accurate), you're incorrect. A socket head allen (cap screw) is the strongest of the strong. Here's a torque chart to review. This matches what I found in Desk Reference, btw.

http://www.millwrightmasters.com/Sch...rque_chart.htm

edwin, I had a thought. I heretofore believed the thread pitch on these bolts (be they factory hex or the socket head cap screws we're discussing) were 24 pitch threads. I went out to the garage and grabbed my gauge. I was wrong, they are the coarser 18 pitch thread. So the news is even worse than the 33 pounds I had reported earlier. The safe torque setting for a 5/16" 18 pitch thead Grade-8 socket head fastener installed dry is only 29 pounds, not 33.

I want to retierate, I think LubeLockers are a superior gasket product. I'll never run RVT around a diff cover again. That said -and irrespective of whether people have gotten away with higher torque or that you might think "bolt xxx" should take more- the amount of turns LubeLocker want customers to put on the cover bolts is significantly higher than spec. Dangerously so in fact.

Hellbound13

I am installing lube lockers on my stock covers. So what is the correct procedure then, 15 ft. lbs followed by 25 ft lbs?

Also how did you install the lube locker? Do you lay it on the cover and then put the bolts through and then attach it to the housing, or is there some other way?

edwin907

When I installled my ARB covers I used the 15 then 35 settings LL specified and didn't give it a second though. Then saw posts about many people breaking bolts at 35 ft-lbs. The stock specs are 30 ft-lbs WHICH IS MORE THAN THE MANUAL ALSO! And ARB gives torque specs of 25 ft-lbs, which sounds like the best value to use with ARB covers.
So maybe the advice I gave Windrocker to torque to 15 in a criss-cross patern and then follow up with 25 ft-lbs was good advice! There certainly is less room for compression with the LL than with a bead of RTV. And that is probably the best reason for more care.
I can see how 35 ft-lbs would alllow less potential leakage when re-using the gaskets which I would NEVER do!

A new gasket each time is cheap insurance for those expensive gears, whether from Jeep or Northridge!

Omaha, please keep us informed if you discover any other discrepancies in torque settings you come across. I got to get me one of those manuals.

Windrocker, glad to have helped out, isn't this forum great about that. It's quite an resource for us enthusiasts. I can't tell you how many times I have been helped out by forum members, as well as supporting vendors.