What are the benifits of the covers?

 

Higher fluid capacity and lower running temperatures.

 

Okay so i have a noob question, i have yet to change the rear differential in my truck (30k) do the rear differential covers use a re-usable gasket or do i need to pick one up every time i change the oil?

 

Both front and rear have reuseable gaskets. They are very nice and seem to hold up to multiple changes w/o ever loosing a drop.

Warranty spec is 75W90 full synthetic rated GL-5. Some dealers recommend 75W140 full synthetic for towing in hot climates.

Two other things...

Some of the rears have "fill line" stamped on the cover considerably lower than the plug. They apparently tend to blow seals if filled above that. You could easily miss the stamping if you didn't know to look for it.

Book says 30 ft/lbs cover bolts, 24 ft/lbs fill plug, but lots of folks have broken off bolts before reaching that torque. On my last truck I got through the first change fine so I thought I'd be fine, but on the 2nd change one broke. I'd recommend maybe 20-25 ft lbs, or if you snug them down with a 3/8 ratchet they will be fine. Dodge also uses a thread compound that is difficult to remove.

 

Don't forget that they look sweet! The rear one is very visible on a stock stinkbug stance truck. I also like the added drain plug for cleaner changes and the dip stick for checking fluid quality.

I'm running the Mobil 1 75W-90 oil, $9/qt at Autozone. My rear axle now takes 8 quarts with the MH cover.

 

Interesting . . . how do you know you've reached and not exceeded the fill line? I would assume the normal process would be to keep filling until it comes out the filler hole. However, with the fill line below the hole, how do you know when to stop filling?

 

I would also like to know the answer to this question. My 04 has 192K miles but well taken care of and runs great. Both front and back differentials don't leak a drop. Do mine have reusable seals also? My rear differential does look like it could stand to be replaced but is it really necessary?

 

I hope there is a better way, but you would just have to use your finger and feel the fluid below the hole and estimate it being close to the fill line.

Why can't they just put the stinking hole in the right spot...

 

Just make sure to clean all the dirt from around the cover before removing them so you don't give yourself any surprises.

 

I just dip an allen wrench, or piece of clean wire.

 

I'm 70 years old and have had many vehicles in my life, and never changed differential lube until i got my first cummins powered dodge..... i am not sure if it's necessary.
i put a lot of miles on various trucks and never had any issues with any gears.
the only reason i changed the lube in my current vehicle was i re clutched the diff

 

I put a PML cover on my truck last spring. They recommend 15 ft-lbs for their bolts. I was leary about 15 being enough as its 1/2 of what Dodge wanted.

But a year later and the cover is dry as a bone,no weeping anywhere.

It looks like 15lbs is indeed enough.

 

Yeah, those stock bolts have kind of a hard, brittle feel.

The one I snapped off probably didn't reach 10 ft lbs and the head just fell off. Fortunately it was easy to remove, which seems to be the rule reading other threads.