Front Diff Guard - Worth it?

[jetrinka]

For people that have experience with the front differential guards like Maple and Carli make - are they worth it? I was on a logging road the other day coming down a steep hill in the PW and started to slowly creep over a rock in the road and felt it lightly scrape as I went over - got out when I got home and saw where the rock had contacted the bottom of the differential housing. Got me thinking about a diff guard.

Realistically the truck is never going to go hard off-road and this would be a peace of mind thing. But I also want it to work if needed and am unsure of just how much abuse one can take. Especially since it seems like if they took a decent hit on the front it would act like a giant lever on the attaching bolts (albeit probably better than a hole through the pan)

After seeing some issues with AEV cover QC with drain plugs and such I am not sure if I'd want to go that direction either.

 

[el_barto]

The front diff is low and exposed, it’s one of the biggest vulnerabilities under this truck IMO.

I don’t understand how you think it will act like a lever. Mine has been intimate with some rocks, no issues so far. Much happier to have some scrapes on the guard than a damaged cover / potentially damaged gears.

 

[el_barto]

Here’s another person with a well used Carli:

Diff guards - Power Wagon Registry

 

[jetrinka]

The front diff is low and exposed, it’s one of the biggest vulnerabilities under this truck IMO.

I don’t understand how you think it will act like a lever. Mine has been intimate with some rocks, no issues so far. Much happier to have some scrapes on the guard than a damaged cover / potentially damaged gears.

View attachment 32119

I didn’t see/take into account that the guard had attaching bolts higher than the main body. This is good because it would my belief that without them the guards upper edge could be forced backward with a decent nudge with nothing above it to keep it from rocking. I hope this makes sense.

The Carli unit sure looks to be the best thought out one. That purple cranium unit looks like it would do a whole lot of nothing.

We’re you able to install yours without losing any diff fluid?

 

[el_barto]

I suppose I understand what you were thinking… you thought the “bash plate” section stuck up higher than the bolts.

Yeah I lost a couple spoonfuls of fluid, not enough to be concerned about though…. Could have been less if I had the right tools out and didn’t have to run into the garage for an extension or something

 

[Aykillah]

I bought the Carli after a recent outing that gave me a couple close scares and some other non related damage. It made the most sense to me instead of having to change fluid and stuff this early by swapping the covers. I didn’t lose a drop on my install.

 

[Wobly]

I was able to install mine without losing any fluid, but I had all the tools right there before I loosened any of the bolts. Mine has taken a few hits that otherwise would have been directly into the differential.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

 

[jetrinka]

Sounds like it’s worth it. I certainly would rather take a hit to the guard and not the diff cover.

 

[Shake N Bake]

Those that have the Carli cover, does it come with recommended torque specs ? Mine arrives tomorrow and may as well install that while under the truck installing the WK sliders this week.

 

[AnthonyD1978]

The AEV issue with the drain plug is a nuisance for sure, but easily rectified. It has some real benefits over the add-on protection. Especially if you do your own diff fluid service.

 

[Keith67]

My truck is mostly stock except for the Carli front diff guard. I saw a post where a guy had hit something on the freeway and it peeled the bottom of his cover up. He didn't lose any fluid but it sure looked close. I looked under my truck and realized just how exposed the cover is. Funny thing is the weekend after I installed it I was turning around in the mountains and didn't see a big rock...*crunch*. Nice gouge on the diff guard. I've scraped it several times since and no problems. I almost consider it mandatory on these trucks.

Those that have the Carli cover, does it come with recommended torque specs ? Mine arrives tomorrow and may as well install that while under the truck installing the WK sliders this week.

Yep, it's 25 lb-ft. Those little bolts aren't huge, it's kinda nerve-wracking torqueing them down that much.

 

[el_barto]

The AEV issue with the drain plug is a nuisance for sure, but easily rectified. It has some real benefits over the add-on protection. Especially if you do your own diff fluid service.

IMO, unless you are changing the fluid frequently(frequently contaminating it from water crossings, etc) it’s more beneficial to take the cover off during the fluid so you can clean the magnet for the lockers.

Also, on that same point, I added FilterMag magnets on the inside of my diffs when I changed the fluid. Should help keep the particles from building up on the locker magnets.

 

[jadmt]

I have never felt the need to go more than 18-20 ft/lbs on the diff bolts. I use blue loctite as it acts as both thread locker and as anti-sieze

 

[jetrinka]

Good-n-tight is good-enuf