Rear Ballistic Fabrication Differential cover leaking.

So when my Rear diff cover was replaced, it received quite a bit of sealer between surfaces. Nevertheless, it sprung a leak after driving about 200 miles. I cleaned the diff and let her sit for 36 hours and found out where its coming from! Out of a bolt hole!

Attachment 542

Bolt is torqued to factory spec. I won't really know what the underlying issue is until I remove the cover.

Lubelocker makes a seal ready-formed for the Dana 44. I'm thinking about trying one after the ass pain of removing the existing seal.

Attachment 543

Nothing more heartbreaking than a puddle in your garage. Did you try the gasket that comes in a tube?

Is that picture the gasket you used? Whats between the cover and the axle?

Do those diffs have a dip stick so you know how much oil you lost? Or do you just put a pot under the diff and wait for it to stop?

The good news is, if you just geared, you have to change that fluid regardless. So correcting the gasket problem isn't that bad.

When you take the cover off. Lay in on your kitchen counter and make sure its perfectly flat.

There are a lot of welds on it, and each weld adds heat and can warp the metal. If its not perfectly flat, you need to get the manufacturer on the phone.

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Originally Posted by JeepLab

The good news is, if you just geared, you have to change that fluid regardless. So correcting the gasket problem isn't that bad.

When you take the cover off. Lay in on your kitchen counter and make sure its perfectly flat.

There are a lot of welds on it, and each weld adds heat and can warp the metal. If its not perfectly flat, you need to get the manufacturer on the phone.

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I thought the welds were cool on the diff cover... Now on second thought, it seems that they are each a possible point of failure.

That may be why others offer cast iron.

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Originally Posted by Yoinkers

I thought the welds were cool on the diff cover... Now on second thought, it seems that they are each a possible point of failure.

That may be why others offer cast iron.

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The diff is welded, THEN machined. That shouldn't be the problem. Nevertheless I will check it for all possible issues. Most likely its just a lack of sealant above the bolt. If the diff cover is the issue, I'll definitely get Ballistic on the phone. They haven't been terribly responsive. I sent them an email on another topic, and they never replied.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Snarf77

The diff is welded, THEN machined. That shouldn't be the problem. Nevertheless I will check it for all possible issues. Most likely its just a lack of sealant above the bolt. If the diff cover is the issue, I'll definitely get Ballistic on the phone. They haven't been terribly responsive. I sent them an email on another topic, and they never replied.

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How long ago was the email?

I've had pretty good success with the lubelocker gaskets. Sure they are a bit more pricey than a tube of sealant, but they are also a F of a lot easier to use. It wouldn't be a jeep part if it didn't cost twice as much as a competing product.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Anotheruserid

I've had pretty good success with the lubelocker gaskets. Sure they are a bit more pricey than a tube of sealant, but they are also a F of a lot easier to use. It wouldn't be a jeep part if it didn't cost twice as much as a competing product.

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