| Author |
Message |
    
Jeffry Scott (Jeffry)
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 03:57 pm: | 
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I am trying to decide between diff protectors or a front skid plate as my first upgrade to my new 96 Disco.
Which upgrade is probably more important? Are either important? ... When I off-road I don't do anything extreme, but can get into a lot of rocks here in AZ - enough rocks that some protection seems like a good idea.
The Disco already has bilsteins and HD springs and an ARB bull bar w/ warn winch from the previous owner.
thanks,
jeffry |
Eric N (Grnrvr)
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 04:01 pm: |
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Get a diff guard |
Steve (Scrover)
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 04:01 pm: |
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Go diff. guards:
oops! |
Jeffry Scott (Jeffry)
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 04:07 pm: |
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Diff guards, ok, then the next question is brands or sources? They all look similar but the prices seem to be all over the place. |
Rick Cordova (Imx)
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 04:24 pm: |
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a Skid plate will provide you with better coverage. One that I went with is from Trek Outfitters, it protects most of you most vulnerable. Diff. gards are good but your diff is tuff. Skids will allow you to go up thru and over things a bit easier w/breaking your sway bar, linkage and others. |
Eric N (Grnrvr)
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 04:57 pm: |
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The face of the diff is very weak and if you hit a sharp rock then you run the risk of punching a hole in it. The diff is also the lowest and most prone to hit rocks part of your truck. The skid plate will do nothing to protect your diff. It will protect your steering rod though. |
Brian Friend (Brianfriend)
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 05:04 pm: |
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Diff gaurds. I've poked a hole in my diff. I was lucky that it was small enough to fix it with j.b. weld.
I don't have a skid and i don't think I will ever get one. They look cool though.
Diff gaurds and sliders. Especially if you are in a lot of rocks. If you look at my profile or my gallery you will see the importance of sliders. I do have them now...home made type. |
Peter Matusov (Pmatusov)
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 05:17 pm: |
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Diff Guards. I don't let my wife to drive Disco to work without them.
seriously, when i set about putting them on around Christmas, i noticed a big dent on the front diff.
somehow, it never happened in the jeep. all that was needed is to find another front cover off a D44 to fit the rear D44.
peter |
bellamy brown
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 05:20 pm: |
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jeffry. I am in Phoenix and after several hard knocks have decided on front diff guards and rock sliders. Skid plates cut your clearence down substantially even if they do LOOK cool.They also serve as a plow in the Yuma and similar dunes. |
Robert Sublett (Rubisco98)
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 05:21 pm: |
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Diff guards first, then rock sliders. I got my diff guards from Dee at http://www.roverbiz.com and they are quite stout. Opinions on what brand Diff guards are the best are kind of like A$$holes, everybody has one. I've only had Dee's and no other product, but I can say that I knocked the absolute hell out of it the first weekend it was on there and it did it's job. It has a little dimple from a very large rock. I got damage on my doors that weekend from some rocks b/c I was thinking I didn't really need sliders. Those were ordered the following week from http://www.rovertym.com All the accessories that you'll need you can get from www.expeditionexchange.com You should never have any problems from any of the above mentioned vendors. Welcome to the roverhood |
Danno (Danno)
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 05:49 pm: |
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$G has a 2 for $95 special going on. |
Peter Matusov (Pmatusov)
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 05:53 pm: |
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i was too lazy to back out the bolts on Dee's guard to adjust its position when I was installing it - pounded the shit outta it with a sledgehammer, and not a chip came off the powdercoating. i didn't even know powdercoating can be so tough.
peter |
Blue (Bluegill)
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 05:53 pm: |
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that $G special is pretty much by one get one free. Dee's appear to be very high quality though, so check them too.
-Blue, Phx, dented front diff now protected by $G |
Kim S (Roverine)
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 06:10 pm: |
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I am far from anything considered heavy duty offroad, but I would have been in much pain by now if it weren't for 1) diff guards, and, 2) (for ME personally) rock sliders (I have come down on those things hard a few times). Since you have a D1, maybe protect your steering after the diff guards. Just my .013692 cents ...
Kim |
Blue (Bluegill)
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 06:21 pm: |
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Sikes, who you foolin? You're fawking heavy duty hardcore eXtreme offroad. Foo. |
Axel Haakonsen (Axel)
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 06:30 pm: |
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Diff Guards first. Then sliders. It's also just a matter of time before your steering links will bend, so you might as well budget for the Rovertym HD steering links, too. If you have those you won't really need a front skidplate, but they do look cool.... |
Kim S (Roverine)
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 06:41 pm: |
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Blue,
Sikes 
(hmmmm, where's the POR 'fingers'?) |
Peter Matusov (Pmatusov)
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 07:19 pm: |
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here's the finger, Kim -
 |
Kim S (Roverine)
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 07:39 pm: |
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Ah yes, I see now |
Jess Alvarez (Jester)
| | Posted on Saturday, January 04, 2003 - 03:41 am: |
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Jeffry,
Agreed with most of the rest. Diff guards first. I got mine from SG because they were buy one get one free. Hell, they even shipped them when promised...a rarity. (Still havent received my front bumper that I ordered back in November.)
Bellamy, Jeffry I am also in Phoenix. Drop me a line if you want another Rover on a trip.
Blue, do you ever come back to the valley of the sunstroke, or do you just enjoy freezing your butt off in...Ohio is it? |
Chris Browne
| | Posted on Saturday, January 04, 2003 - 06:07 am: |
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My recommendation would be the Southdown under axle guard that protects both the steering and the front diff. More expensive than a simple diff guard- see my photo in gallery
I have a rear diff protection too |
Chris von Czoernig (Chrisvonc)
| | Posted on Saturday, January 04, 2003 - 10:28 am: |
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Just to add a note to what Chris B said...
The axle guard and steering guard are 2 differant units. The axle guard will not protect the steering but does cover the entire axle providing the best diff protection out there but you loose a bit of clearance for that and it will act like an plow/anchor in deep mud/sand.
The Southdown guards, in my opinion offer the most protection but like I just said above, you have some sacrifices with the front one.
If you are looking for Diff protector covers, Dee's covers have a good reputation with a bunch of people here. SG's I would avoid only because the ones I have run, kept coming off when ever they hit something. Better than bashing my diff directly I guess but if it comes off and I dont know it, what good is it doing me?
Chris von C. |
Al Oliveira (Offroaddisco)
| | Posted on Saturday, January 04, 2003 - 10:43 am: |
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Chris, I'm pretty sure the $G needs to be welded in place. They'll hold with just the bolt but they're really better if you tack weld them. I've been on trail rides with people who had the $G diff guards just bolted and we stopped 2-3 times a day so the diff guard could be pounded back on with a rock. When welding them on they stay put but be sure to keep an eye on them as they can still bend and press against the housing causing problems. |
Chris von Czoernig (Chrisvonc)
| | Posted on Saturday, January 04, 2003 - 12:06 pm: |
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I hear ya Al.. a bunch of people here have found thats the way to go with the SG ones. I dont have ready access to a welder. Here is my last SG front diff guard..
 |
Blue (Bluegill)
| | Posted on Saturday, January 04, 2003 - 12:59 pm: |
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ouch |
Jeffry Scott (Jeffry)
| | Posted on Sunday, January 05, 2003 - 12:36 pm: |
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Ordered diff guards, now am wondering on sill protection.
That will be a few months off as I save for it, but I've seen prices ranging from 220 to well over 500 ... why is there such a big difference for two pieces of metal that bolt to the frame?
Brand reccomendations for ease of install, etc .. |
Al Oliveira (Offroaddisco)
| | Posted on Sunday, January 05, 2003 - 12:41 pm: |
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For sill protection I wouldn't look any further than RoverTym. |
Robert Sublett (Rubisco98)
| | Posted on Sunday, January 05, 2003 - 05:57 pm: |
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I love my RoverTym sliders, they've already saved the doors from more damage with that little "step". I was in a deep V-ditch after taking a slide, and the truck was pretty much resting on the sliders. This happened on both sides, and the scratches on the sliders would have been gouges in my doors. www.rovertym.com |
Chris Browne
| | Posted on Monday, January 06, 2003 - 12:25 pm: |
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Can I update Chris Von C's comment re steering.
On the D1 behind the front axle is located the steering damper and the tie rod that transfers the steering action from the right wheel to the left. So the under axle southdown guard it will protect that part of the steering system.
To protect the box/pitman arm and the link to the right wheel etc you need the steering guard as well. |
gp (Garrett)
| | Posted on Monday, January 06, 2003 - 12:52 pm: |
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damn chris. what the hell did you hit? i have smacked my SG diff guards hard and have some nice dents in them, but you have taken it to a new level. |
Chris von Czoernig (Chrisvonc)
| | Posted on Monday, January 06, 2003 - 05:16 pm: |
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Garret, just a rock up at Paragon. It was a big one but I was crawling over one in front of it. I really didnt hit it that hard, just in the right spot I guess. We almost didnt even realize anything had happened other than forward movement had stopped. We thought we were hung in the rear so we got out to look and thats what we found.
Chris von C. |
Al Oliveira (Offroaddisco)
| | Posted on Monday, January 06, 2003 - 05:34 pm: |
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lol... Last time I was at Paragon I was on a trail and actually found a $G diff guard. It belonged to someone in my group who lost it earlier |
Chris von Czoernig (Chrisvonc)
| | Posted on Monday, January 06, 2003 - 09:12 pm: |
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LOL.. They have a whole box of them up there of ones found on the trails. |
Kim S (Roverine)
| | Posted on Monday, January 06, 2003 - 09:51 pm: |
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Chris, (if I missed this above, sorry) The big Q. I'm wondering about is: Was there any signifigant damage to your diff?
... I have SG (LOL, not "$G" because these were relatively "cheap") both front & rear on the family wagon. However, mine are welded on (I didn't even know there was any other way to attach them).
Kim
I just try (aka: I whine & beg) to avoid some of that hard, sharp, scary stuff, but it doesn't always work out that way |
Eric Pena (Evalp)
| | Posted on Monday, January 06, 2003 - 10:44 pm: |
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I second Axel's comment farther up. If you get the steering links you wont really need a front skid and, all though I don't have one, I here they can be a plow in deep snow and mud and just complicates things.
You already got some diff guards and I think that was good. I say go to Rovertym to check out sliders next. They seem to be VERY well built and I like how they come out a bit from the body kinda like a nerf bar. |
chrisvonc
| | Posted on Monday, January 06, 2003 - 10:56 pm: |
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Kim,
I dont think anything happened to the actual diff. Like I said, I was only creeping and I think the majority of the twisting to the top of the guard you see in the pictures happened while coming off.
Chris |
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