fabbed differential covers

M

mobbthatjeep

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Eureka,ca
im thinking of making a differentail cover for my d30 for my 89 xj or one for the back for a metals shop class project.
do any of you guys have good pics of some you made or good plans for making them you could post?
thanks
 
Not offhand, but if you want a template for the mounting surface, just get a gasket...

I've actually been thinking of writing a CNC programme myself - can't decide whether to get slab steel or slab aluminum, and just machine it as one piece with a fill and drain plug...

Why? Because I can, and because I need a "special project" or three for my degree anyhow...

5-90
 
5-90 said:
I've actually been thinking of writing a CNC programme myself - can't decide whether to get slab steel or slab aluminum, and just machine it as one piece with a fill and drain plug...
Click to expand...
Sounds cool...are the OX ones made like that?.
 
Just cut up an old one. Here's one i whipped up for my 8.8 the other day

IMG_4434.jpg
 
Thayer said:
From 4x4wire...
dana44ox5.jpg

dana44ox4.jpg
Click to expand...

Looks like it to me...

For a one off, that is very cool! For mass production that is silly.
 
5-90 said:
Not offhand, but if you want a template for the mounting surface, just get a gasket...

I've actually been thinking of writing a CNC programme myself - can't decide whether to get slab steel or slab aluminum, and just machine it as one piece with a fill and drain plug...

Why? Because I can, and because I need a "special project" or three for my degree anyhow...

5-90
Click to expand...

How about steel so it'll protect whats behind the cover ? I wonder how fun that'll be to make :)
 
CNC is just "set and forget" once you get the programme dialled in. I'd thought of steel at first - but finding steel several inches thick is a bit difficult - easier to find thick brass! (Now there's a thought... Unique factor...)

Anyhow, once you have the programme dialled in for co-ordinates, you really only have to make changes to spindle speeds and feedrates if you want to use a different material. Other than that, the same programme could be used to make one out of titanium or styrofoam.

5-90
 
welll acually i was looking more for homemade covers because im still in highschool and we dont have a cnc machine but next year at college i think im goin to try to make one like that ox one because im taking a cnc class
 
there was one on here a while back where they used a rear sway bar. ive been workin on one with a spare 30 cover i had and a rear sway bar off of a TJ. the bends are pretty close and with some heat and a little bending to it. it works.
 
5-90 said:
CNC is just "set and forget" once you get the programme dialled in. I'd thought of steel at first - but finding steel several inches thick is a bit difficult - easier to find thick brass! (Now there's a thought... Unique factor...)

Anyhow, once you have the programme dialled in for co-ordinates, you really only have to make changes to spindle speeds and feedrates if you want to use a different material. Other than that, the same programme could be used to make one out of titanium or styrofoam.

5-90
Click to expand...

You wouldn't have to have a 6" chunk of steel, just lots of plate. Stack the plate is progressively smaller pieces, weld them together on the outside and CNC the inside.

Or cut the plates inside and out individually, stack them togethger and weld the inside for the stepped look.

I think it would look silly- the Ox cover is terrible, imo.
 
SCW said:
You wouldn't have to have a 6" chunk of steel, just lots of plate. Stack the plate is progressively smaller pieces, weld them together on the outside and CNC the inside.

Or cut the plates inside and out individually, stack them togethger and weld the inside for the stepped look.

I think it would look silly- the Ox cover is terrible, imo.
Click to expand...

True - but all those welds are time-consuming as all Hell, and are potentials for leaks (I don't care how good your welder is - that's just too much detail to deal with, y'know?)

I'd be more inclined to use aluminum - maybe with a steel cage over the bottom, for protection - but aluminum is easier to machine and easier to get. Even if I used brass or bronze, I'd still make a steel cage to go overtop the thing down bottom...

Titanium? Ooh - fun - I'd have to look up speeds and feeds for that, but imagine the pure novelty of having one-off titanium differential covers... Granted, I'd want to go D44/D44 or D60/D44 before I did that - the covers would be worth more than the D35/D30 I've got now...

5-90
 
SCW said:
You wouldn't have to have a 6" chunk of steel, just lots of plate. Stack the plate is progressively smaller pieces, weld them together on the outside and CNC the inside.

Or cut the plates inside and out individually, stack them togethger and weld the inside for the stepped look.

I think it would look silly- the Ox cover is terrible, imo.
Click to expand...

not to mention residual stresses showing up as warpage during the machining process... that could be fun
 
Nah - machine first, then stack and weld. Then normalise to remove residual stresses (which will probably cause warpage of the mounting flange...)

Actually, simpler to machine as a single piece. Fab up a jig to hold it when you're doing the outside, and you can do the inside from solid.

5-90
 
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