didn't find much about these on the forum... Anybody uses them / put them to strength / abuse test ? Any input is appreciated!

 

I don't like mine. The aluminum isnt that strong and I got mine used, so of course the "fill" plug threads are stripped from someone putting the plug in crooked. Find a good set of steel ones, I am going to ARB, they seem pretty robust.

 

So just to make sure I understand, the problem is with fill plug threads (which can be avoided if wrenching the plug properly) or is the problem with level of protection that the cover provides to the internals of the diff ?

 

Both really, it has had a couple of scrapes and didn't hold up very well to them. What would've just slightly dented a stock cover or minor scrapes on a thicker steel or cast cover took off about 1/8" of material on the G2. The fill plug was just an insult to injury... after taking the cover off to inspect everything and reshape the scars a bit, had the problem with the fill plug...

 

Did my install about two month ago without any issues. They look pretty sturdy to me!

 

I have a G2 cover on the front d44, seems to dissipate the heat pretty well. Haven't beat it off of any rocks yet though

 

Today, I just picked up the set I ordered from my local dealer. They seem nice to me, I'll let you know what I think of them after they see a bit of trail. The big selling point for me was getting the drain plug feature for a reasonnable price.

 

Well, here it is. From the install, I kept getting oil sweating from the drain & fill plugs, even after torquing them down with more than enough strenght on multiple occasions. Some all purpose grease on the plug threads solved that problem.

I have had the chance to test the covers a few times. I have had direct impacts againts large rocks at crawling speed. I have gotten hung up on the top of other rocks as well. You have to get real close, before you can spot any signs of contact on the cover's surface.

So far, I have great confidence in the protection they provide.

 

Just another update.

After more trail use and flexing the track bar has grounded a notch in one of the top ribs of the cover. That's with 2" of lift and the sway bar disconnected. I doubt it will affect anything, the track bar barely has a scratch on it and now has proper clearance.

I recently flushed my diffs. Since I bought these covers, I learned that the original axle housing already has a build in drain plug that is magnetized. So I compared the efficiency of the drain plug from the cover to the one on the diff housing. Oil kept dripping out from the housing drain long after the one from the cover was dry...

When I originally installed these, I poured oil until I reached the fill hole. I don't remember how munch I put in there, but it fit an incredible amount. After a short drive, oil started coming out of the breathers.

I talked about this to the shop owner where I bought the covers at. He recommended starting at the spec capacity of the OEM covers and to add a given amount. So when I flushed my diffs, I added an extra 600ml to the original specs. Rounded off, that ended up being 2L in the Dana 30 in the front and 2.5L for the 44 in the rear.

So far, so good!

 

I got the teraflex nodular iron covers on mine. Paid 180 shipped for 2 of them. Bomb proof. I put 1.5 qts in the front diff and 2.5 in the rear.