differential cover bash guard

[ForOffRoadDriving]

last night i made up a bash guard for my new axle so im just posting it up here for feed back. let me know if you see something i should change before it makes it to the paint stage!

http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz30/wrench_werks/18%20April%202011/20110417183947.jpg
http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz30/wrench_werks/18%20April%202011/20110418140913.jpg
http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz30/wrench_werks/18%20April%202011/20110418212147.jpg
http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz30/wrench_werks/18%20April%202011/20110418212202.jpg
http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz30/wrench_werks/18%20April%202011/20110418212623.jpg
http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz30/wrench_werks/18%20April%202011/20110418221916.jpg
http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz30/wrench_werks/18%20April%202011/20110418221930.jpg
http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz30/wrench_werks/18%20April%202011/20110418225046.jpg

[88_Eddie]

nice work, looks awesome man

wish i had a torch like that when i was bending my 1/2" solid bar, had to use a handheld propane torch, took forever!

[alwaysFlOoReD]

More for aesthetics than anything else, add some horizontal bars [follow the outside edge] to make it look somewhat like a spider web. Maybe use some 5/16" bar that's curved slightly.

Richard

[4.0B2]

that'd be cool..

but regardless- looks good, should be pretty functional to!

and A LOT cheaper than an offroad diff cover

[ForOffRoadDriving]

More for aesthetics than anything else, add some horizontal bars [follow the outside edge] to make it look somewhat like a spider web. Maybe use some 5/16" bar that's curved slightly.

Richard

thats what i was thinking, at least between the two vertical ones on either side of the ring gear. this was all brought on by me almost backing into a rock while trying to hook up to a trailer. that was when i had just rebuilt the axle that is currently in the truck so i wasnt about to take it back out to build one so now that im building another axle i figured i might as well make one this time.

[Iron Ranger]

It looks really awesome actually. :icon_thumby:

The only thing I'd do is put 2 more bars from the top to the cage to brace it. Since, if you were to smash straight down onto a rock, the force could bend up the flange surface(s) where the bars are welded. Then it would cause diff leakage.:sad:

Better to over-do it than to wish you over-did it, right? :D

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk35/ironrangerpt/20110418221930.jpg


Something like this would help out a bunch.

[ForOffRoadDriving]

well the rods are welded to a plate that bolts on over top of the cover, i had to cut the lip on the cover in the middle and then pound the lower portion of the flange out flat so that the guard could bolt over top of the cover. did i make that confusing enough?

[alwaysFlOoReD]

What you're saying is the guard is separate from the cover. That should work to prevent what Iron Ranger was worried about.

Richard

[Iron Ranger]

well the rods are welded to a plate that bolts on over top of the cover, i had to cut the lip on the cover in the middle and then pound the lower portion of the flange out flat so that the guard could bolt over top of the cover. did i make that confusing enough?

Oh ya, I didn't see that part! :icon_twisted: It looked like it was welded right to the diff cover.

No, no. Never mind what I said. Your system will work perfectly! :icon_thumby:

[ForOffRoadDriving]

i added some more gusset work to the guard last night, then finished cleaning things up and slapped on some paint.

http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz30/wrench_werks/18%20April%202011/20110420210645.jpg
http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz30/wrench_werks/18%20April%202011/20110420212657.jpg

heres the wrench that i used to bend the rods on the guard after the torch ran out of gas

http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz30/wrench_werks/18%20April%202011/20110420213315.jpg

paint!

http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz30/wrench_werks/18%20April%202011/20110420224656.jpg
http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz30/wrench_werks/18%20April%202011/20110421100122.jpg
http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz30/wrench_werks/18%20April%202011/20110421100142.jpg

[4.0B2]

paint either the guard or the cover a different color.. make it stand out.. i vote the guard should be orange! lol

[Surrey]

That is simply gorgeous.
Very nice work.
I need to make one for my lol7.5" once I get a damn welder...

[ForOffRoadDriving]

i was thinking blue cover with a black face and a yellow guard? i dont really know yet, maybe ill just stick to my original smiley and just add the guard?

[CountryBoy78]

Looks good gives me a idea when I want to fab up some armor for my ex.

Have you made any more tail light guards lately?

[ForOffRoadDriving]

i bent up the driver side tail light guard perimeter yesterday, but its been raining too much for me to fit and finish them.

[CountryBoy78]

Can't wait to see them:headbang:

[ForOffRoadDriving]

http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz30/wrench_werks/18%20April%202011/20110424141807.jpg
http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz30/wrench_werks/18%20April%202011/20110424141844.jpg

[BONES]

Haha, awesome!!

I've been thinking about adding a guard to my rear 9", but somehow not covering the pumpkin too much! LOL

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i263/CBONES4X4/Wheeling/wheeling%202010/SnowX4ingFeb72010118.jpg

[ForOffRoadDriving]

^ i like that design! you should be able to build a guard for that thing pretty easily since you could just weld it right to the axle, or weld a strip of plate along the ring surface to make it stronger and then you could just paint the design back over it?

[3.0ranger1227]

Haha, awesome!!

I've been thinking about adding a guard to my rear 9", but somehow not covering the pumpkin too much! LOL

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i263/CBONES4X4/Wheeling/wheeling%202010/SnowX4ingFeb72010118.jpg

make one out of tube and plate that looks like a goalie mask. that would be sweet lol :icon_hornsup:

Like this but more opening around the mouth area:
http://forums.watchuseek.com/attachments/f21/162392d1234505973-friday-13-hockey-mask.jpg

[BONES]

Haha, great idea on the hockey mask, lol, if I was a hockey fan that would be sick!

Yeah I'll just weld what ever I build right to the housing for sure.

Maybe I should give the Jack O Lantern steel braces, or a steel goatie......

[4.0B2]

maybe you could forget about mallcrawler looks and just go for strength...lol

oh wait who am i kidding- look at my b2!!!!! :icon_rofl::icon_rofl: