kcjaz
SILVER Star
If tried searching this thread but didn’t find any posts or pics of rear diff armor for a 200. Does anyone make these for a 200?
Anyone running a rear diff skid plate on their 200? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter kcjaz
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Taco2Cruiser
Crazy American Off Road
You don’t need one. The bottom and back of our housings are 1/4”+ thick.
For that particular section (not talking the whole housing) we don’t have hydroformed pumpkins like on Toyota 8”, 8.4”, 8.2”, 8.75” housing found on 4Runners, Tacomas, or FJCs. The bottom of those housing are incredibly thick, and they all can take rock bashing abuse for years on end.
It’s the rear of those housing that bumps out for the ring gear that is crazy thin. We don’t have that issue, the rear of our housings is just as thick as the bottom. So beat away, never going to hurt it.
I welded a diff guard to mine before I found this out, and just need to find time to work on my own 200. Becuase I’m gonna cut it off. Since I’ve found how we don’t need it, it just is another spot to trap mud. Mud is an insulator once it dries, and it’s a great way to heat up the diff fluid higher than it could of been. Found out the hard way from Toyota Jamboree 2019.
For that particular section (not talking the whole housing) we don’t have hydroformed pumpkins like on Toyota 8”, 8.4”, 8.2”, 8.75” housing found on 4Runners, Tacomas, or FJCs. The bottom of those housing are incredibly thick, and they all can take rock bashing abuse for years on end.
It’s the rear of those housing that bumps out for the ring gear that is crazy thin. We don’t have that issue, the rear of our housings is just as thick as the bottom. So beat away, never going to hurt it.
I welded a diff guard to mine before I found this out, and just need to find time to work on my own 200. Becuase I’m gonna cut it off. Since I’ve found how we don’t need it, it just is another spot to trap mud. Mud is an insulator once it dries, and it’s a great way to heat up the diff fluid higher than it could of been. Found out the hard way from Toyota Jamboree 2019.
Taco2Cruiser
Crazy American Off Road
Not the plug itself, but the metal ring around it, oh yeah. I mashed my protector ring to where I couldn't get a socket on the drain plug. Had to slowly dremel the metal out around the plug. Then I welded around the ring a few times to create a ramp of sorts instead of a flat edge that comes from the factory. Any fab shop worth a dang could do that for you. Just make sure to change your fluid out after it's welded. We had some discussions over here about if keeping the fluid in or out is better, and our resident aircraft certified welder prefers to keep the fluid in the housing during welding to cool the metal quicker, which would reduce possible porosity. Then afterword, dumps and refill. I'll get a picture for you later, when I get back to the house.
Interesting to read this...
I've recently participated in "Sahara Desert Challenge", an expedition covering 5 countries throughout 2 continents and somewhere along the way I felt a rock hitting the car (it was the other way around...) right in the middle, where I thought my skid plates would have taken he beat...
That was not what happened, the car hit the rock right in the rear differential, making a huge scratch but specially causing some warp around the seal that now is leaking...
So it's my fault, for sure, not to have installed a rear differential skid plate and also for assuming that that one rock would not touch the car...
The end result:
I've recently participated in "Sahara Desert Challenge", an expedition covering 5 countries throughout 2 continents and somewhere along the way I felt a rock hitting the car (it was the other way around...) right in the middle, where I thought my skid plates would have taken he beat...
That was not what happened, the car hit the rock right in the rear differential, making a huge scratch but specially causing some warp around the seal that now is leaking...
So it's my fault, for sure, not to have installed a rear differential skid plate and also for assuming that that one rock would not touch the car...
The end result:
I would double check the torque in the bolts. When I hit my drain plug it got tweaked and was dripping. It’s possible retorquing might stop the drip.
If not you may get away with cleaning it up and slathering on some RTV “green” made lfor gear oil”. It’s really tacky (and actually grayish) but might stop a small drip.
You didn’t seem to hit the drain out, but I’ve thought about taking a 1/4” piece of aluminum bent 90* and attached to the studs to cover the drain and keep from re-destroying it, sort of a sacrificial piece of armor, though now I question if it might bend or break a stud or cause a leak like this…
If not you may get away with cleaning it up and slathering on some RTV “green” made lfor gear oil”. It’s really tacky (and actually grayish) but might stop a small drip.
You didn’t seem to hit the drain out, but I’ve thought about taking a 1/4” piece of aluminum bent 90* and attached to the studs to cover the drain and keep from re-destroying it, sort of a sacrificial piece of armor, though now I question if it might bend or break a stud or cause a leak like this…
hoser
SILVER Star
This a 100 diff but similar to the 200, it can take a beating. Just gotta touch paint it every once in awhile and dig out the drain plug at oil changes. x2 on retorquing nuts.
Must have been an unlucky hit. The thing I struggle with for guards is that they reduce clearance making them more likely to be hit in the first place. Bad designs can become a damage multiplier, kind of like how some shock guards perform.
Only guarantee is to go larger tires? Until you find even bigger rocks?
Only guarantee is to go larger tires? Until you find even bigger rocks?
