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transparent diff covers


It is attacked by the salt due to the fact that the clear cover is to be oiled at all times, even the outside, if you go to the cleargearz website it states that it is only to be cleaned by soap and water and then wiped with layer of lubricant, such as the gear oil that you will be using. Sodium is a drying solvent and soaks up anything wet and with the amount of salt that is dumped up north to keep the roads dry and clear of ice, it will take its toll on the gleargearz cover. Now, as far as the Polycarbonate, I drive bullet-proof cars for a living in the military for dignitaries throughout the European theatre and we have crack multiple windows by rolling them down to hand documents and ID cards through the windows. These windows are 3" thick, some even more and weigh a couple hundred pounds.
 
Sodium is not a solvent, it is an unstable metal that reacts violently with water. You are probably referring to sodium chloride (salt) which is one of several chemicals used to melt ice. Sodium chloride is also not a solvent. It does absorb water and is used to dry meats,etc. Even when it is dissolved in water to form a salt solution, it is not a solvent. Water is actually the solvent.

Many hydrocarbon solvents can damage polycarbonate and that is why only soap and water are recommended for cleaning polycarbonate. My company developed a cleaning solvent that was used for the Apollo program to clean polycarbonate without leaving any residue and would not harm it.

A drying agent such as salt will not dry out polycarbonate because there is very little water in polycarbonate. Even if it did dry it out it would not hurt it. Polycarbonate has to have all water removed from it when it is molded or it will form bubbles and other problems. A molded part will very slowly absorb a small percentage of water which actually reduced some of its mechanical properties.

You may drive cars with bullet-proof glass but I am a chemist that has worked with plastics and advanced composites in the Aerospace industry for over 30 years.
 
Anyone know where I can get a clear third member for my 9? :icon_twisted:
 
Sodium is not a solvent, it is an unstable metal that reacts violently with water. You are probably referring to sodium chloride (salt) which is one of several chemicals used to melt ice. Sodium chloride is also not a solvent. It does absorb water and is used to dry meats,etc. Even when it is dissolved in water to form a salt solution, it is not a solvent. Water is actually the solvent.

Many hydrocarbon solvents can damage polycarbonate and that is why only soap and water are recommended for cleaning polycarbonate. My company developed a cleaning solvent that was used for the Apollo program to clean polycarbonate without leaving any residue and would not harm it.

A drying agent such as salt will not dry out polycarbonate because there is very little water in polycarbonate. Even if it did dry it out it would not hurt it. Polycarbonate has to have all water removed from it when it is molded or it will form bubbles and other problems. A molded part will very slowly absorb a small percentage of water which actually reduced some of its mechanical properties.

You may drive cars with bullet-proof glass but I am a chemist that has worked with plastics and advanced composites in the Aerospace industry for over 30 years.


Hell, why don't you make a rear diff for tha ford lovers here and yes I was refering to sodium chloride, thank you for the correction. If you work with this stuff, then what would your suggestion be on preventing it from cracking? I just don't want to spend 120-140 bones just to have to buy another in a few years.:icon_cheers:
 
If I were to design a polycarbonate differential cover it would incorporate a metal outer frame (most likely aluminum) with a polycarbonate center. The polycarbonate would be attached without any holes in it. I would probably use a large o-ring to help seal and allow some movement during temperature changes due to the difference in thermal expansion of the various materials. I would have to create a specific design on CAD to make it all come together. Unfortunately, all this would increase the cost of the cover and would probably not sell much because of it.

I guess I will stick to Aerospace where they are willing to pay the cost of fabricating a premium product. I do design and fabricate a lot of parts for my race car but I am the one paying the bill for that.
 
If I were to design a polycarbonate differential cover it would incorporate a metal outer frame (most likely aluminum) with a polycarbonate center. The polycarbonate would be attached without any holes in it. I would probably use a large o-ring to help seal and allow some movement during temperature changes due to the difference in thermal expansion of the various materials. I would have to create a specific design on CAD to make it all come together. Unfortunately, all this would increase the cost of the cover and would probably not sell much because of it.

I guess I will stick to Aerospace where they are willing to pay the cost of fabricating a premium product. I do design and fabricate a lot of parts for my race car but I am the one paying the bill for that.

So what is the race car? And Also I was wondering if a girdle of alum. help with the cracking issue. I was thinking something like this but with out the superlift logo piece. that way there is a more even pressure going around the bolt area.
extremering.jpg
not that I want one just wondering. I will get mine from ruff-stuff when I buy my next one.
 
I had one on my 86 B2 choptop on 35's

Destroyed it in 1 day:icon_rofl:Dragged the diff over a rock and the rock caught the alum ring and bent it to shit and cracked the plastic at the bottom bolt holes and it began leaking.

At the time it was the least expensive stronger than stock cover by a lot

I then ordered a rockcrusher cover that I waited 3 months to receive
 
So what is the race car? And Also I was wondering if a girdle of alum. help with the cracking issue. I was thinking something like this but with out the superlift logo piece. that way there is a more even pressure going around the bolt area.
extremering.jpg
not that I want one just wondering. I will get mine from ruff-stuff when I buy my next one.

Doesn't that kind of block the view?
 
I think it would take more than just a metal frame with holes placed on top of the polycarbonate. The metal frame would need a step machined in it for the polycarbonate to fit into and provide pressure for sealing when the nuts where tightened.

The race car is a full prep Austin Healey Sprite sports car used for closed circuit road racing in SCCA.
 
Way of topic, but here is it. I can't seem to make the image any larger.
olgaspic.th.jpg
 

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