Cast diff covers

[sope]

I was just wanting to get opinions on cast diff covers. Some local guys are ordering some Rock Crushers and I'm thinking of getting in on this to save some shipping and brokerage costs. I'm just wondering, are they really any beter than stock. If I smash one on a rock that would only dent a stock one will it break in to pieces? Cast worries me but the price is right. $53 for a D60.

 

[surpip]

cast=garbage

 

[Chaddy]

cast=garbage

X2. Mabey spend a little more money on a crane cover or something like it, They have lifetime warranty so you never have to worry again. My 2cents

 

[ntsqd]

cast=garbage

hum, can't go there in a blanket statement.

Welds are on-site castings, yet covers made that way don't carry the same stigma.

Certainly there are bad castings out there, particularly those SHINEY die cast covers. On the other hand there are many cast steel parts that give excellent service.

Same can thing can happen with billet. Not common, but I've seen it happen more than once. The billet blank has an inclusion that scraps the part.

 

[rdn2blazer]

X2. Mabey spend a little more money on a crane cover or something like it, They have lifetime warranty so you never have to worry again. My 2cents

I have a Crane and yes its cast, but its cast cromoly hi-strength alloy. so its good to go. but why not just buy a ruff stuff or diy cover. you cant go wrong with those. you can shatter a rockcrusher cover. I would never buy one just because there better covers out there.

 

[sope]

It sounds like Rockcrushers are junk. Anybody out there actually broke one.

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

I have a Crane and yes its cast, but its cast cromoly hi-strength alloy. so its good to go. but why not just buy a ruff stuff or diy cover. you cant go wrong with those. you can shatter a rockcrusher cover. I would never buy one just because there better covers out there.

Crane also claims they have never had to warranty one of their covers (i.e. no one has broken one). That's what I have on mine

 

[blazinzuk]

I know that some casting are brittle but come on guys I have seen some of these rockcrawler diffs and seen them get smashed on rocks and they didn't shatter(the rocks did though). Since that possiblty exists put it on and then take your stock cover clean it up good and carry it with you.

 

[jekbrown]

yeah, I don't have a problem with a cast cover, assuming its well made. Lots of aftermarket axle maker guys use cast covers and they seem plenty beefy to me. Is it as crack-resistant as a heavy-wall steel cover? Prolly not, but that doesn't mean that anything short of throwing your rig out of an airplane will break the well-made / good-material cast one either. As with everything, its a compromise... unless someone out there is gonna start making 1/2" thick billet 300M diff covers or something.

j