Ruffstuff dif guard placement (1 Viewer)

[Dan Fredrickson]

It can take time but the sales guys answering the phone aren't updated on new products until they are tested and ready for sale. It would be more known about but none of our present sales guys have 40's, Steven and Dave who both have 40's have been promoted (Dave is the COO & Steven is the purchasing Mgr), I am not on the phones ever anymore, just too busy with 3 companies and 36 employees and going multiple directions at the same time. The important thing is that Sam, the engineer is aware of the need and is working on it. He has ordered a first article from one of our benders so it is moving along.

 

[peteinjp]

Dan,

I sent a couple of emails but I did not hear back- so I called in. Sometimes my mails end up in spam boxes because of my i.p. in Japan.

Pete

 

[roma042987]

prototypes are done what do you guys think? These two pieces will be available together or separate.

 

[Weber Sarge]

I'd leave a bit more space between the plate and the diff housing - with the weight of a Cruiser against an unseen rock in water or such if that plate moves at all the housing may get bent despite the guard .
I prefer the weld-on pipe cap and set the edge of it right along the radius weld of the diff's original welded cover . This moves any impact force along that bottom edge where your flat plate is sitting which is a stronger area . The real key to making covers is to look inside a housing and see where they are stamped and bent in the press - those are the areas that are thinner and weak .
Sarge

 

[honk]

These photos need apologies but they show the pipe cap guard on my front axle. I bought it long ago from one of the Mud members - might have been George but I'm thinking that it was someone in Texas.

The plugs are available lots of pipe places - I'm pretty sure I saw them at Home Depot one day. Anyone with a torch could cut it to work. I could have but I like to pipe a little money when I see enterprising folks doing useful stuff in their garages at home. I don't remember how much but it wasn't a whole lot. Whoever it was was doing excellent work on these.

Anyway it's all but bulletproof (wait - it probably IS bulletproof to .30 cal anyway). About 5/16" thick.

Looks all pretty now but it's taken some hard slams without even getting nicked. It does get packed with mud though and I have to dig around through its drain to loosen it up enough that a hose got it out. The first photo shows the fill access, the second one kinda' shows the drain out.

It fit perfectly upon receipt, welded on easily, and has access to the fill plug cut out at the top edge. Another cutout at the bottom to let crap out.

Oh yeah - mine's installed at the angle it is because I couldn't get the mig nozzle in so tight with the spring u-bolt. Bad enough to be welding overhead. With stock u-bolts it probably would fit straight. I don't think it makes a difference in how well it works but maybe I ought to spray it a bright color so people would go "Whatzat? Didja' see that?"

 

[roma042987]

so how does the pipe cap clear the parking brake cable and bracket when used on the rear? seems like its a scoop for dirt and debris as well

 

[2fpower]

prototypes are done what do you guys think? These two pieces will be available together or separate.
View attachment 1195686 View attachment 1195687 View attachment 1195688 View attachment 1195689

I have been making my bottom guards with 3/8 plate as it is the same height as the drain plug, eliminating the wear on it now.

For the rest, I agree with the prior thoughts. Can you somehow make a filler piece to go between the two sides ( a pie slice) and weld it in, giving it that pipe cap style protection?

 

[honk]

so how does the pipe cap clear the parking brake cable and bracket when used on the rear? seems like its a scoop for dirt and debris as well

You don't want one on the rear. The rear axle has a removable cover - would you weld on something that made it impossible to get the cover off?

Are we talking about two different trucks?

 

[roma042987]

You don't want one on the rear. The rear axle has a removable cover - would you weld on something that made it impossible to get the cover off?

Are we talking about two different trucks?

these are made for front axles and full float rear axles not semi floaters with the removable cover

 

[roma042987]

I have been making my bottom guards with 3/8 plate as it is the same height as the drain plug, eliminating the wear on it now.

For the rest, I agree with the prior thoughts. Can you somehow make a filler piece to go between the two sides ( a pie slice) and weld it in, giving it that pipe cap style protection?

Not sure where you are referring? can you draw on the photo?

 

[peteinjp]

Looking good Roma. When these gets welded on I'll want to seal all around so as to not trap moisture. My only concern is getting the gaps small enough to be able to weld it up tight without screwing it up. Also around the drain plug might be a bit of a pita. I tell you what would make this really easy to install is if the edges had a bevel on the material closer in thickness to the diff itself as well as make it easier to get a mig gun in there. Like around the drain hole- a beveled edge would make welding that a piece of cake. I realize that is probably not reasonable in terms of the production cost and process but if they could be beveled before they were bent it would be awesome. So FWIW...

@honk Are you sure you have that flip kit on correctly? Everyone that I have sen has the u-bolt locators under the spring running the same direction as the spring. All the pressure applied to by the u-bolt should be applied to the pack itself.

Early Man-A-Fre U-bolt flip kit instructions?

 

[peteinjp]

One thought- before you make a run of these it would be best to go ahead and weld one up and see where it need work. I think that hole made for the bend (3/4" or so) could be bigger with the center moved further out. It looks tough to get a weld in there.

P

 

[2fpower]

there is a pic of the cover I made on my 80 series rig at the bottom of this link.

What the Foo is this???

it is 1/4 plate…. all I had was diamond plate in the scrap bin. The 80 cannot be to high as it gets in the way of the pan hard bar, and I eventually had to cut it down.

 

[2fpower]

One thought- before you make a run of these it would be best to go ahead and weld one up and see where it need work. I think that hole made for the bend (3/4" or so) could be bigger with the center moved further out. It looks tough to get a weld in there.

P

If you look at the link above, I cut my hole tight to that ring, and bevel ground it out, then welded to the ring, giving it support and making a nice soiid weld.

 

[peteinjp]

Other thoughts- personally I'd prefer to just grind that drain plug guard off and have a smaller hole in place there on the new guard if there is enough thickness. If we used an allen head type plug do you think it would drop the profile of the plug down enough for the guard to suffice?

The lower guard could be a little slimmer- might just be the pics but it looks like slimmer would fit a bit better?

 

[honk]

@honk Are you sure you have that flip kit on correctly? Everyone that I have sen has the u-bolt locators under the spring running the same direction as the spring. All the pressure applied to by the u-bolt should be applied to the pack itself.

Early Man-A-Fre U-bolt flip kit instructions?

That's something I just did when going from 4" HFS to 2" OME, maybe two months ago. I was a little surprised that the 4x4Plus kit fit both ways, tight to the springpack either way. So I thought 'with the force applied downward and all parts close together so not to move why NOT try them this way to see if the u-bolts don't get as beat on and collect as much goo as they did the other way. The kit I have doesn't incorporate a shock mount.

I looked at what might move and it seemed to me that it's like take your choice - the spring or the axle surrounded by u-bolt, but the bolts are just clamps - it's the up or down squeeze they do that holds everything in place and side force on the bolts will snap them like celery stalks.

 

[White Stripe]

I looked into doing a pipe cap on mine, they were like 100 bucks or more. Steel is expensive these days. I would rather like to see something like this for the cruiser differential:
Toyota Defiant Armor Differential Guard for Hilux Pickup / 4Runner, Tacoma 8" (TAR-DG)

I like how it gets its strength from the side of the carrier area of the housing rather than the thin diff cover. And I like how its spaced away from the thin cover so that if you do bend it, that it doesnt dent the thin stock cover because it has a little space between. Judging by the one I posted from lror, it looks like it might even fit a 9.5, it looks like its a little big on the 8"

 

[White Stripe]

Here's what I did with my drain plug:

Cut around just outside of the guard, pushed it into the housing until the guard was flush and then welded it. Now the top of the drain plug is flush with the housing.

 

[Dan Fredrickson]

I'd leave a bit more space between the plate and the diff housing - with the weight of a Cruiser against an unseen rock in water or such if that plate moves at all the housing may get bent despite the guard .
I prefer the weld-on pipe cap and set the edge of it right along the radius weld of the diff's original welded cover . This moves any impact force along that bottom edge where your flat plate is sitting which is a stronger area . The real key to making covers is to look inside a housing and see where they are stamped and bent in the press - those are the areas that are thinner and weak .
Sarge

I think we got the way to build Diff protection figured out a few years back... The key here is to spread out the force over a greater area...

 

[Weber Sarge]

Absolutely correct Dan . Also , without spreading the force across a large enough area you also risk bending the axle housing itself at the shaft tubes where they are welded into the center section - that is not fun to try to repair either .
Sarge