after thinking about it for the past 2 days i've decided to try making a Diff cover skid plate/cover for my dana 30...

still in the design faze but this is where i started

some really thin cardboard/construction paper i snagged from work... we use as dividers for our packaging

really want to run some type of skull for a main cover....

all the structure for the cover

then attach the skull to the front

and then there you have it..... maybe some more metal here and there, but just a basic design for now..... i made the eyes so that you can stick a socket extension through the eye-hole to loosen the drain plug

i know there's a bad angle to see the fill plug hole but the skull wasn't fully centered..

will prolly start cutting out pieces tomorrow

 

very nice. i really like the punisher looking skull for the cover. cant wait to see it actually done. might have to steel that idea. ok maybe ill craft something of my own though. what size you thinking of making it out of?

 

lol yea when i thought skull the Punisher was the first thing that came to mind haha
but i was checking out other diff covers on ebay and warn and quadratec and they look like they're made out of pretty thin metal... like 1/8th or 3/16ths so i'm prolly gonna stick right around there.... i may get some steel rod and add it in there a lil bit




i know these are more press formed than welded pieces like a puzzle but i'm sure i'll be good....
i've got a few more ideas for covers so i may have some others in the future also

 

i like the design

 

ok so i did a few designs and decided to start with something fairly simple.... nothing to intense or crazy, this is what i ended up with

still need to drill the holes for the bolts but this is it


used an old diff as a rough template


after finish welding to face side, flipped it over and double seamed the inside


figured id see how weight load would affect it...


full weight and it wouldn't budge

 

i like! looks better and stronger than the stuff you can get out of quadratec

 

good stuff man, I like it, pretty cool how you have your XJ sittin' on it, haha

 

that is bad a$$ the xj sitting on it

 

lol its actually my MJ

 

very cool man. More patience than i've got. Props to you.

 

thats even cooler its an mj on it the point is there is like 3000 lbs on it and it didnt even warp

 

looks cool

 

i'm not really sure what the weight would be for just one tire.... though the curb weight value is 3,090 lbs...... i guess if you were to divide that by 4 and then figure there's more weight in the front than the back then, just throwing it out there.... 780lbs....... but yea no warp or nothing still fit the "jig" just fine..... maybe i'll post it in the for sale section after i'm finished hahaah
make a few to share hahaha

 

what would you be asking for one

 

hmmm.... i really don't know... all the ones i've looked up on ebay are $60 plus shipping so let me finish it and get it out on the trail and let me find out if its even worth any money lol......
i've kinda came into this fab with the thoughts that it wouldn't last it was more of a "try it out" project.... so let me bash on it and if it holds up then maybe i'll make a solid fab jig and start gettin some people some diff guards.... i'd hate to sell one and find out it doesn't function for $H!t ya know..?