Getting ready to change out Diff. fluid and want to buy something new. Not that I need either (although you never know!) I wanted to find out the differences between the Differential Covers (Solid, ARB, etc.) vs. keeping the stock cover and installing a skid plate?

- Is one better than the other (Cover vs. plate)?
- Would you ever want to install both?

Also, don't have them now, but noticed that the ARB covers look a little different - if I ever installed ARB Lockers, would I need to have a different cover to accomodate the locker itself?

Appreciate any feedback or thoughts.....

 

i put the Dynatrac's on they work with locker,and there a iron cover like ARB

 

What's purpose of rear axle cover - it faces backwards so the impact is going to be on the housing of the axle - appears cover would be useless for impact purposes....

 

Unless you happen to be going or rolling backwards into something.

 

with a stock cover on the rear pumpkin, even if you're driving forward, and you drag the diff over rocks, you can peel the bottom lip of the cover back, causing a leak. the good solid diff cover makes that much harder to do/impossible.

 

Back to original question - Diff skid plate or just a good cover (Solid, ARB, etc.)

 

A diff cover is going to be thickened steel or cast iron that will resist bending, cracking, piercing, and peeling with no loss of ground clearance. You will still have the sharp angles on the bottom of the diff that will want to catch.

A skid will elimitate the sharp angles that want to catch and provide a smoth surface allowing the diff to slide over an obstacle and will usually prevent peeling of the stock diff cover as well, but dont really prevent piercing or bending. Downside of a skid is you will actually loose about an inch of ground clearance making you in all likleyhood more prone to hitting the diff in the first place.

The key is to find which one best suits your needs and go with that. If you do nothing but rocks and boulders a skid might actually be the better choice even with the loss of ground clearance. If you wheel multiple terrians the cover is probably the better way to go.

 

Was right behind a YJ and watched the whole thing happen. It was a flat part of the trail with just one rock stickin' up and sure enough... It was bad enough that we had to stop and deal with it right then and there.

Back to the OP. A skid is cool and will probably protect you from what I was just talking about. A good cover will do the same, plus give you protection from the odd rear roll impact. It'll also give you a 1/4" or so more clearance. When we're spending thousands to get that extra inch or so a 1/4" probably means something. For the front diff, you want a good cover period!

The only skid/cover combo I know of is the Rancho. Although Nth Degree (AEV) has a rear skid/slider that works about any diff cover and protects the rear u-joint as well. It does have fitment issues with some fuel tank skids though.

 

+1 on this.

A good diff cover (ARB/Crane/Riddler/Great Lakes) will do far more for you than most diff skids. Some (Riddler and Great Lakes) don't cost that much more than a skid.

The exception to this seems to the be the ARB diff skid plate. It's a little spendy, but it provides a huge amount of protection. Just bear in mind that it can't help you if you back into something, and I'm not 100% sure that will prevent "peeling" the stock diff cover...but I'm sure that it would make it less likely to happen.

For my money, I think that when funds permit I will end up running Riddlers front and rear, plus an AEV diff slider in the rear.

 

Either way, you're either getting an impact to the diff or sliding off of it. I'd say skid on both ends, especially the rear. Thinking of getting the AEV skid for the rear, but sticking to a heavy duty cover for the front. I hate my Warn diff covers. If you have the money, do it all.