Replacing factory diff covers...
Thread Starter
JK Junkie
Joined: Jan 2012
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From: Auburn Maine
ARB go big or go home
I peeled back my rear foctory on a rock in the middle of a rock garden. Went with arbs because there solid and beefy as hell. Plus they just so happened to come out with the black right when I was looking 
. Get a set of em plus lubelockers. Think it took me two hours and they were assembled and filled with fluid
I peeled back my rear foctory on a rock in the middle of a rock garden. Went with arbs because there solid and beefy as hell. Plus they just so happened to come out with the black right when I was looking . Get a set of em plus lubelockers. Think it took me two hours and they were assembled and filled with fluidMatthew
JK Super Freak
Joined: Apr 2012
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From: Pittsburgh, PA
Lube Lockers are re-useable gaskets that can put put in place of RTV. It makes installation and maintenance really easy since you no longer have to use sticky RTV. Also if the cover is bumped and moves it'll still hold a seal unlike RTV which sometimes starts to leak.
JK Super Freak
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,075
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From: elko, nv
Do the diff fluid yourself it take seriously like 15 mins & the dealer will charge you double what it'll take you to do it yourself
Last edited by Murder¹; Aug 22, 2013 at 09:24 PM.
Thread Starter
JK Junkie
Joined: Jan 2012
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From: Auburn Maine
I swear I posted this same message earlier today but now there is no sign of it...
For warranty reasons I bout the diff protectors from the dealer out of the mopar jeep catalog and I'm having them dealer installed to help preserve my drivetrain warranty...
I'm just asking for some idea of what a dealer might charge to change the fluid in both diff's
And are the differentials sealed or do they have breather/vent holes?
How often should I change the fluid? After submerging in water deeper than the differentials should that mean the fluid ought to be changed?
Matthew
Sent from my iPad using JK-Forum
For warranty reasons I bout the diff protectors from the dealer out of the mopar jeep catalog and I'm having them dealer installed to help preserve my drivetrain warranty...
I'm just asking for some idea of what a dealer might charge to change the fluid in both diff's
And are the differentials sealed or do they have breather/vent holes?
How often should I change the fluid? After submerging in water deeper than the differentials should that mean the fluid ought to be changed?
Matthew
Sent from my iPad using JK-Forum
JK Freak
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 847
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From: Texas
the stock covers are actually pretty strong, nothing wrong with them unless you are always picking wrong lines and bashing them.
they do however hang a bit lower on the bottom edge of the pumpkin and the rear will sometimes hang on that lip and cause it to separate enough to leak.
What I did to mine was mark it where it was hanging over, took it off and took a grinder to remove the excess material, just don't take off too much.
I would stay away from lube lockers, they are just a gasket but I've seen too many of them be the cause of leaking.
If you take off your covers use some Permatex the Right Stuff gasket sealer to seal them back on.
if you submerge the diff's and your overflow tube is on you shouldn't have much to worry about, you can check it easily enough -remove the fill hole and slide your finger in there, if the oil comes out kind of milky white/brown you have water in it, in this case drain, remove the cover and clean it out well then reseal, put the cover back on and refill - also figure out why it got water in it.
a diff fluid change at the dealer might run you about $80 an axle, when i'm feeling lazy I take it to Jiffy lube $50/axle
under normal driving change it about every 18000 I think is what's recommended. I tow and drive a lot so I change mine every 12000
they do however hang a bit lower on the bottom edge of the pumpkin and the rear will sometimes hang on that lip and cause it to separate enough to leak.
What I did to mine was mark it where it was hanging over, took it off and took a grinder to remove the excess material, just don't take off too much.
I would stay away from lube lockers, they are just a gasket but I've seen too many of them be the cause of leaking.
If you take off your covers use some Permatex the Right Stuff gasket sealer to seal them back on.
if you submerge the diff's and your overflow tube is on you shouldn't have much to worry about, you can check it easily enough -remove the fill hole and slide your finger in there, if the oil comes out kind of milky white/brown you have water in it, in this case drain, remove the cover and clean it out well then reseal, put the cover back on and refill - also figure out why it got water in it.
a diff fluid change at the dealer might run you about $80 an axle, when i'm feeling lazy I take it to Jiffy lube $50/axle
under normal driving change it about every 18000 I think is what's recommended. I tow and drive a lot so I change mine every 12000
Last edited by jeeeep; Aug 23, 2013 at 08:28 PM.
Thread Starter
JK Junkie
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,828
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From: Auburn Maine
the stock covers are actually pretty strong, nothing wrong with them unless you are always picking wrong lines and bashing them.
they do however hang a bit lower on the bottom edge of the pumpkin and the rear will sometimes hang on that lip and cause it to separate enough to leak.
What I did to mine was mark it where it was hanging over, took it off and took a grinder to remove the excess material, just don't take off too much.
I would stay away from lube lockers, they are just a gasket but I've seen too many of them be the cause of leaking.
If you take off your covers use some Permatex the Right Stuff gasket sealer to seal them back on.
they do however hang a bit lower on the bottom edge of the pumpkin and the rear will sometimes hang on that lip and cause it to separate enough to leak.
What I did to mine was mark it where it was hanging over, took it off and took a grinder to remove the excess material, just don't take off too much.
I would stay away from lube lockers, they are just a gasket but I've seen too many of them be the cause of leaking.
If you take off your covers use some Permatex the Right Stuff gasket sealer to seal them back on.
After the evo skid plate system and then the 3" lift the diff's became the low hanging fruit, so I thought I should pay a bit more attention to them...
The mopar catalog has covers that go over the factory diff and are sort of molded skid plates
Seemed like a good investment before I get into regearing and adding ARB lockers
Matthew
Thread Starter
JK Junkie
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,828
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From: Auburn Maine
My dealer is fairly open to mods that don't effect/cause mechanical failures
I'm doing fine wheeling without the lockers, its just that there were two jeep jamborees that I wanted to goto but due to trail conditions from storm damage all trails at the Killington Vermont and Catskills NY jamborees were only open to people with at least one locker...
I had a great time at the Jamboree in Bradford PA and the upcoming Jamboree in Maine which is great because that is where I live
It just would have been nice to have been able to goto the other two jamborees
So that is a part of why I'm considering lockers
If I had known that there was a very active 4x4 club near where we had just moved to, and that there were two well layed out off road terrain parks I would have gone for the rubicon from the beginning...
But with the club and guidance over the tougher spots I've been able to do an awful lot with my jeep even before the new tires and the lift
At the first Jamboree there were obstacles that I just sailed right over due to the lift and tires plus the experience I had gotten with the club.
With any luck they will have repaired the damaged trails and next year I can goto all four of the jamborees that are close enough to get to fairly easily...
Matthew
JK Freak
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 847
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From: Texas
it's good to get the experience and more to really get to know what your Jeep can and cannot do with how you currently have it setup.
Your dealer sounds like they are Jeep friendly - meaning they are ok with mods. I know of some dealers in my area that will keep the warranty in place if they do the work so you may have that option there as well.
No difference in gears since they all come from the same factory Korea I think... just possible difference may be vendor specs but I think they all just get repackaged.
Your dealer sounds like they are Jeep friendly - meaning they are ok with mods. I know of some dealers in my area that will keep the warranty in place if they do the work so you may have that option there as well.
No difference in gears since they all come from the same factory Korea I think... just possible difference may be vendor specs but I think they all just get repackaged.