I have been reading a lot on the forum about Riddler diff covers and the supplied bolts (Grade 5). There are forum members who have stated that the bolts are of poor quality and should be replaced with Grade 8 bolts. I decided to email Riddler to get more information about this:

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

That is some good info, that's for sharing.

 

Nice. I went with Riddler and Lube Locker as well. I torqued mine down to just over 15ft lbs based on feeling....I guess it was right.

 

Used this set up and it worked perfect. I didnt torq to lube locker specs since I already knew the limits for these bolts.

 

Thanks everyone for the nice comments. Since I finished the install this morning, I wanted to update this thread with additional info, and lessons learned:

1.) The bolts supplied with the Riddlers are 7/8" long. Lock washers are also included in the package. I replaced these with Grade 8 bolts, however was unable to find any that were the same length. My choices were either 3/4" or 1". I went with 1" bolts and added another set of washers for spacers. Also, for reference the Riddlers are ~1/4" thick.

2.) I started and finished the install this morning, so it took about 4 hours. That said, RTV sucks. I spent most of this time scraping and lightly sanding with emory cloth (just enough to remove the RTV, not enough to actually remove metal). I think the LubeLockers will pay for themselves on the next oil change. Also, it's nearly impossible to prevent all of the RTV from getting into the gearing during the scraping process. See #3.

3.) I used one can of brake cleaner, although two might have been better. Be careful with the straw. It came lose on me and shot out into the differential. I was able to get it out.

4.) The Riddlers are stamped "D1" and "D2" on the inside. Don't worry about this, because both D44 covers are otherwise exactly the same. These stamps are from the impression made by the casting, and are used for QC purposes (confirmed by Tim P. at Riddler Manufacturing).

5.) I sheared one Grade 8 bolt with my torque wrench set at 25 ft-lbs. Fortunately it was easy to remove. I torqued all other bolts to ~22 ft-lbs.

6.) The stock plugs (fill and drain) are not the same. If you get them mixed up, the drain plug is the only one that is magnetic.

7.) For some reason Riddler included fill plugs that require an allen key. The size wrench required is 3/8". A 3/8" square drive will not work.

8.) I had no problems with clearance when filling both differentials (no hula hoop required!).

9.) I assumed fluid capacities for both front (1.35 qts) and rear (2.375 qts) are the same as stock. FYI for those who don't like decimals: 1.35 = ~1 qt, 11 oz; 2.375 = 2 qt, 12 oz. Get oil that has marked bottles for easy filling (I used Mobile1 Synthetic).

10.) Not sure if there will be clearance issues with either track bar. Although it looks to be okay, I probably won't find out until I can fully flex. Dave and Northridge communicated that it would not be an issue.

11.) Painting: I sprayed on 3 coats of primer, then 3 coats of black. I used a 1"-wide foam brush to apply the red. The red was also a spray can, which I sprayed into a disposable plastic roller tray, and then dabbed in the foam brush. In hindsight, I would have used a Q-Tip instead of the foam brush, which was too big. Also, I lightly sanded in-between primer coats to smooth the surface. The bare metal on the Riddlers is a little rough.

Front:


Rear:

 

I agree, here's a tip to fix this problem. Swap the standard 3/8" square hole fill plug from you stock cover to the Riddler.

BTW - Nice write up.

 

Thanks! Unfortunately the stock plug wasn't as shiny as the new one.

 

I agree, the old ones don’t look as nice, but the first time you have to change your oil you'll be glad you switched as you’ll only need one tool to remove both plugs. I don’t like having to carry special tools in my trail box for emergency repairs - standard tools are nice.

 

Just to give you a heads up that fill plug won't be shiny for long. I'm running riddlers and lubelockers as well on my rig. I assumed the plug was stainless and didn't paint it, guess what it wasn't and started to rust shortly there after.

With that being said you are going to love this setup. I have thoroughly "tested" mine and they haven't leaked a drop andf the covers have just laughed at the rocks they have come in contact with