Diff cover gasket

[MikekiM]

Just bought a set of ARB diff covers on MP..
Dana 30 & Dana 44 new in box. The seller included a set of paper gaskets. Are they worth using or do I stick with my plan to continue to use Lube Lockers?

 

[bluescapegoat]

If you already have the Lube Lockers I dunno why you'd use anything else. I love em.

 

[Woodrow]

Lube lockers would be my choice. I say this because they are easy to use if you pull your covers off to change oil or inspect gears frequently. If you’re not going to touch your diff for 30K mi, then reg gaskets and sealant or just permatex right stuff and no paper gasket is fine. Lube lockers do require clean and smooth surfaces to work well. I use a paint stripping wheel on my grinder to clean the diff housing surface the first time I instal the lube locker. I then clean the inside of the housing/gears with a whole can of brake cleaner before putting the cover on and refilling.

 

[MikekiM]

If you already have the Lube Lockers I dunno why you'd use anything else. I love em.

No disagreement there. I wasn't expecting the paper gasket and see that Q'Ted sells them as a kit with the diff covers, so didn't want to ignore them.

I already have ARB covers and installed them with Lube Lockers.. I'll stick with them

Lube lockers would be my choice. I say this because they are easy to use if you pull your covers off to change oil or inspect gears frequently. If you’re not going to touch your diff for 30K mi, then reg gaskets and sealant or just permatex right stuff and no paper gasket is fine. Lube lockers do require clean and smooth surfaces to work well. I use a paint stripping wheel on my grinder to clean the diff housing surface the first time I instal the lube locker. I then clean the inside of the housing/gears with a whole can of brake cleaner before putting the cover on and refilling.

Can't say I do it frequently, but...

I'll stick with what I have been using. They haven't failed me thus far.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Gasket and sealer removal is my least favorite part of all automotive work so lube locker all the way. I did have one Dana 30 that the LL didn't like to seal, but the problem seemed to be with the cover because replacing the cover fixed it.

 

[4s50]

i have used lubelockers on many vehicles and have never had one leak, even after repeated uses.

 

[MikekiM]

Thank you all

Sold.

 

[tworley]

I disagree on using a lubelocker up front, stick with the traditional RTV sealer. Several of us have ditched the lubelockers because we've bashed the covers hard enough to deform the lubelocker which then causes a leak. The RTV is pliable enough that if the cover is hit hard enough, it simply flexes and keeps everything sealed.

 

[Woodrow]

I disagree on using a lubelocker up front, stick with the traditional RTV sealer. Several of us have ditched the lubelockers because we've bashed the covers hard enough to deform the lubelocker which then causes a leak. The RTV is pliable enough that if the cover is hit hard enough, it simply flexes and keeps everything sealed.

That‘s interesting. What kind of cover? (stock stamped steel, cast, one of the modified stock covers with a lower skid, other?)

 

[tworley]

That‘s interesting. What kind of cover? (stock stamped steel, cast, one of the modified stock covers with a lower skid, other?)

I'm using a stamped 5/16" Alloy cover. @jjvw is using a stock 3/16" dana44 cover from an early 00s Dodge. @rasband is using a Barnett I believe. All three of ours have leaked with lubelockers and bashing on rocks.

 

[Woodrow]

I'm using a stamped 5/16" Alloy cover. @jjvw is using a stock 3/16" dana44 cover from an early 00s Dodge. @rasband is using a Barnett I believe. All three of ours have leaked with lubelockers and bashing on rocks.

Wow. I would’ve guessed the Barnett cover would resist that. But what you say about the RTV holding its seal better against cover deformation makes sense. I‘m using lube lockers with Dana cast covers (which @mrblaine says don’t survive long in the Johnson Valley). I don’t have a ton of off road experience but I did repeatedly bash them both (especially the front) in Moab last week. Dry so faralthough I can see the drain plugs will become unusable with continued similar treatment.

 

[mrblaine]

Wow. I would’ve guessed the Barnett cover would resist that. But what you say about the RTV holding its seal better against cover deformation makes sense. I‘m using lube lockers with Dana cast covers (which @mrblaine says don’t survive long in the Johnson Valley). I don’t have a ton of off road experience but I did repeatedly bash them both (especially the front) in Moab last week. Dry so faralthough I can see the drain plugs will become unusable with continued similar treatment.

Covers are fine, gaskets of any type are not.

 

[mrblaine]

Wow. I would’ve guessed the Barnett cover would resist that. But what you say about the RTV holding its seal better against cover deformation makes sense. I‘m using lube lockers with Dana cast covers (which @mrblaine says don’t survive long in the Johnson Valley). I don’t have a ton of off road experience but I did repeatedly bash them both (especially the front) in Moab last week. Dry so faralthough I can see the drain plugs will become unusable with continued similar treatment.

To clarify, the cover doesn't deform. When you smack the cover on a rock, it compresses the gasket and when the rest of the gasket pushes the cover back out, the now low spot starts to weep. When you use RTV sealant, the cover can't compress the RTV because the two gasket surfaces are as close together as they can get with the RTV just filling in the miniscule low spots and gaps between the two faces.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I ended up going back to RTV on my front cover, several very thorough attempts to get it to seal with the LubeLocker were unsuccessful.

 

[JasterMereel42]

To clarify, the cover doesn't deform. When you smack the cover on a rock, it compresses the gasket and when the rest of the gasket pushes the cover back out, the now low spot starts to weep. When you use RTV sealant, the cover can't compress the RTV because the two gasket surfaces are as close together as they can get with the RTV just filling in the miniscule low spots and gaps between the two faces.

That's a really great explanation.

 

[TheBoogieman]

I'm using a stamped 5/16" Alloy cover. @jjvw is using a stock 3/16" dana44 cover from an early 00s Dodge. @rasband is using a Barnett I believe. All three of ours have leaked with lubelockers and bashing on rocks.

Didn't all three of you guys bend your Currie tie rod too?

 

[jjvw]

Didn't all three of you guys bend your Currie tie rod too?

Several times each!

 

[TheBoogieman]

Several times each!

Hard asses.