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Un-Dead Ringers
Superlift’s special differential-cover protectors can save pickup owners from having to make expensive repairs resulting from nasty job site bashings
By Tom Morr
Differentials on heavy-duty pickups are a magnet for abuse as they are the lowest hanging parts of the drivetrain. Yet most pickup owners rarely give them a second look when it comes time to upgrade factory products for stouter, stronger versions.
When they do pay attention it’s only after a differential comes face-to-face with a piece of concrete, steel or rock on a job site that does serious damage to the thin metal that keeps gear lube in and gears happy.
If one is lucky, the thin-lipped OE diff cover can sometimes be hammered back into shape following minor damage, or the crack/puncture welded closed to live another day. Such repairs take time. Time is money.
Another option is upgrading to a heavy-duty aftermarket diff cover before damage is done. Call it a “preventive upgrade,” if you will.
These are typically made from aluminum and offer a finned design with extra oil capacity to improve differential cooling along with the added level of physical protection. Compromises with such upgrades are cost and, in some applications, tight clearances.
A third alternative many pickup owners are turning to is the affordable, proactive solution of armoring the factory cover instead of replacing it entirely.
Superlift Suspension Systems’ eXtreme Ring is one example of a cover protector that reinforces the vulnerable sealing area as well as the convex bulge.
These protectors are made from 1/4-inch steel plate finished in a zinc-chromate plating for durability and looks.
As the accompanying photos show, adding them to a differential cover takes only a few minutes.
Applications are available to fit most GM, Ford and Dodge pickups as well as most of the light-duty Dana axle line. (An application chart and axle diagrams are available at https://superlift.com/accessories/extremering.asp.)
For more information, contact: www.superlift.com; 800-551-4955
