Heat kills moving parts, including...
Heat kills moving parts, including differentials. Most truck owners are oblivious to the heat generated in the differential. After a long drive or heavy haul, try to hold your hand on the differential cover (careful!)—it should give you a new perspective of the heat generated within.
The most overlooked and neglected component of a truck’s drivetrain has to be the differential. Most truck enthusiasts accessorize their rigs with lift kits, tires, wheels, grilles, custom paint, performance upgrades, and more. When it comes to truck maintenance, there have been many campfire arguments about the best engine oil: synthetic or dinosaur. We’ve heard hours of debate on the most efficient air filter: dry or oiled. Forums go on and on, debating the best type of spark plug element: copper or iridium. But rarely is there any discussion about protecting the differential. Not only is the poor differential often the forgotten part when it comes to accessorizing a truck, it’s also the most neglected component when performing preventative maintenance.
Every truck manufacturer has a recommended oil change interval for the rear differential. These scheduled oil changes allow for quick inspection of the oil for metal shavings and other contaminants. Over time, the oil will break down due to wear particles and heat. Yes, heat. Most truck owners are oblivious to the heat generated within the rear differential. Higher speeds, heavier loads, and long drives generate heat…and heat kills.
There are a few ways to remedy this issue: drive slower, haul lighter loads, drive shorter distances (none of which are likely), or install a larger-capacity, heat-sink differential cover like one from ATS Diesel Performance.
The engineers at ATS Diesel understand the concept that heat kills and the differential is the overlooked orphan of the truck accessory world, so they designed a good-looking, feature-packed differential cover for your rig. ATS blended function and form together when designing these differential covers. They increase fluid capacity by 2.5 quarts, have magnetic drain and fill plugs, and a built-in heat sink to keep the temperatures down. Rather than using the standard fins to cool the oil, ATS incorporated its logo and a graphic of the Colorado Rockies to make the cover visually appealing and functional.
After installing an ATS rear differential cover, you can now brag about how cool your rearend is. Your truck’s rearend, that is…
01. After removing the OEM...
01. After removing the OEM differential cover, Jacob Looney inspected and cleaned the ring and pinion, differential, and housing before installing the new ATS differential cover.
02. The ATS differential...
02. The ATS differential cover includes a fill port in the top of the cover and a drain hole at the bottom; both plugs are magnetic for collecting any metal debris in the oil. The engineers at ATS cleverly designed the ATS logo and Colorado Mountains on the outside pan as a convective cooling mechanism that looks cool, too.
03. The differential kit...
03. The differential kit includes a new gasket and the hardware required for the installation.
04. Attention to detail is...
04. Attention to detail is critical at ATS. Jacob ensured the hex bolts were tightened to the proper torque to ensure a leak-proof seal on the gasket for miles of trouble-free operation.
05. One of the features of...
05. One of the features of the ATS differential cover is the larger oil capacity. Jacob won’t need all 30 gallons in this barrel, but the differential will now hold an extra 2.5 quarts of gear oil.
06. The ATS differential...
06. The ATS differential covers are built to last using exacting specifications. The cover is significantly stronger than the OEM cover, provides extra oil capacity, and includes built-in heat dissipation. All these features make for a great bolt-on accessory that functions as well as it looks.