Rear dif drip?

I just went out and looked at my rear dif. There is a little bit of impact damage on the dif right where the cover and the housing meet, and there is gasket material hanging down and a slow drip drip drip.

Any idea what that will cost to fix?

MarcM said:

I just went out and looked at my rear dif. There is a little bit of impact damage on the dif right where the cover and the housing meet, and there is gasket material hanging down and a slow drip drip drip.

Any idea what that will cost to fix?

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I am pretty sure I have a stock one sitting in my garage..I will look tonight.

My feelings for my local dealer may be improving. They are saying it might be covered under warranty.....I am taking it in Monday. Thanks SDMF. I looked at it a little more closely, and it looks more like a drag across a rock as opposed to a bang into a rock. Looks like the gasket material that was along the edge of the cover and the housing got scraped off. Looks like dif guards are next.

Whatever the case, just be glad that you noticed it at a time when you can actually address it. Sucks to find out on the trail or miles from home, that your diff is taking a leak.

You are correct, sir.

The first thing I did to my JK last year was catch the diff cover and on a rock while running Barrett lake trail in CA. I have yet to get it to stop, so I'll replace it when I do my gears. This weekend I did Barrett again, and now thef ront leaks. If you haven't done so, go under your diff with a grinder and recess the cover a little.

I will be keeping the gears at 4.10, so I am gonna get it fixed. I did not realize that the cover hung down. Thats pretty lame. I think that a 4x4 Dr dif guard is forthcoming.

Yea...Just make you some of those! Man those are sweet, Paul. You have got some skills. The welds look good, 1/4" steel, and the reinforcment on the bottom looks like the right idea to avoid impact damage. Very impressive. I'm going to go out to the garage tomorrow and snap my fingers and see what happens...lol

If you are going to wheel it, get used to diff leaks. The cover lip will get tweaked, and thus drip. It is a simple fix to put more rtf behind the cover but a pita. Look into a beefier cover or put a drip pan under the jeep.

So if the dealer does not fix it under warranty, all I need to do is drain the dif, remove the cover, scrape off the silicone gasket, put on a new gasket, put the cover back on and then refill with gear oil? I think I could do that.

Make sure that you torque the diff cover bolts to about 30- 35 lbs. or they may keep leaking. Recommend 80/90 in the front and 75/140 in the rear (that's JMO). I would snug all the bolts down and then torque in a star pattern. Make sure you don't overfill the diffs. Just fill to slightly under the top fill hole on OEM covers. An overfilled diff may vent thru the diff breather hose but could also cause damage to your axle tube seals.

If you don't have one yet, this would be a good time to pick up a torque wrench at your local auto supply store. It is a great investment and won't break the bank. It is something everyone should have...and use.

MarcM said:

So if the dealer does not fix it under warranty, all I need to do is drain the dif, remove the cover, scrape off the silicone gasket, put on a new gasket, put the cover back on and then refill with gear oil? I think I could do that.

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Essentially. Look for burrs on the bottom of the cover. File them smooth if there are any. As mentioned, torquing the bolts appropriately is a good idea.

I have a torque wrench and a file, so I am ready! Thanks for the info.

2 Riddler dif covers are on their way.

I would also MAKE SURE that the diff cover does NOT hang below the diff housing and if it does grind it down so it doesn't. This helps keep rock from pulling the cover away from the housing.

That is good advice. That is exactly what happened to my stock diff cover. It wont happen again.