how strong is the pumpkin?

[redrockphil]

I was wondering how strong the rear diff case is? I saw a couple of guys this weekend and they were bashing around (on 12" to 24" loose boulders) and not caring at all. The guy said to me "theyre cast so they wont break from that". I just couldn't trust him. And when I say bashing, I mean bashing HARD. Bouncing off them. Anyone here have had their pumpkin break?

 

[xj92]

Which rear axle is it? The 35 is supposed to be pretty weak, but the 44 is strong.

 

[Tucker]

Mashing the diff case to the point that the gears self-destruct isn't all that hard to do, a good dent in the right place and you're done for the day. Diff covers are a good investment, those guys were just asking for trouble without them.

 

[sidriptide]

El Destructo wheeling.... fun and expensive..... even more fun in someone elses rig.. i am more worried about the tubes, d/shaft and brake lines than the pumpkin itself.... but i try not to use it as a skid plate..
mike

 

[redrockphil]

My reasoning was... if pumpkins are so strong, why are diff covers so popular. It's fine if thats what they wanted to do. But they were telling me it's fine to do it. If I would have attempted this trail, I would have deffinitely have hit it hard. They were all encouraging me to do it. That just pissed me off. I mean being ignorant and killing your own rig is one thing, but spreding ignorance and telling others to bash up their rig is funked up.

 

[b-suth]

Was this on a trail in the salt lake area (like mineral basin)? I am just curious as to the location.

 

[sidriptide]

sounds like you were wheeling with a bunch of A-holes.... somehow i get the feeling the were'nt "treading lightly " either.. drive your rig the way you want to.. rock rash is to be expected, but thats just rediculous..
mike

 

[IntrepidXJ]

My reasoning was... if pumpkins are so strong, why are diff covers so popular.

I believe the diff covers are only meant to protect the actual diff cover, which is the weakest part of the pumpkin

 

[KarmirXJ]

you are talking about the center section right? if yes I dont think your gonna break it, or dent it. Do you realize how thick Dana center sections are? Ive been on comp events and seen some 44s 60s and even 70s take it hard (landing and bounching rigs off the centersections) havent seen any problems yet...


should of told those guys their fawking morons. just because you have something that wont break doesnt give you the right to fawk everything else up. IMO these are the kind of idiots that cause our trails to get closed

 

[redrockphil]

Was this on a trail in the salt lake area (like mineral basin)? I am just curious as to the location.

Good guess! Thats exactly where it was. In the boulder section. Some gnarly obstacles there.

 

[Renegade Jpr]

Factory diff covers suck, I would invest in some diff covers from Crane. As for the pumkin, its 3/8 to 1/2 thick steel...I dont think your going to dent that...But the diff covers are only 1/8 thick, and Dana's are just stamped steel. If your lucky you might have a 3/16 thick cover, but I wouldent count on it.

 

[pancake]

Damn! The cran covers are ~$200 each!!! Ouch!!!

Of course, I'm sure they are very good.

 

[Yucca-Man]

Factory diff covers suck, I would invest in some diff covers from Crane.

I need to get over and talk to them again (looking for a job) but a few months ago while talking to one of the guys at Fort Collins 4x4 he pointed out the Dana50 diff cover as a drop-in replacement for the Dana44 - I'd want to compare them again just to make sure there were no other modifications needed though.

 

[Eagle]

you are talking about the center section right? if yes I dont think your gonna break it, or dent it. Do you realize how thick Dana center sections are? Ive been on comp events and seen some 44s 60s and even 70s take it hard (landing and bounching rigs off the centersections) havent seen any problems yet...

Cast iron is inherently brittle, and can (and will) break under sufficient provocation. It's hard, which means it doesn't bend easily, but when it lets go it cracks or shatters. Diff housings were intended to enclose gears, not to pound rocks. It hasn't happened to me, but I recall seeing pics of a cracked Dana 44 case a couple of years ago.

 

[Apanthropy]

sounds like you were wheeling with a bunch of A-holes.... somehow i get the feeling the were'nt "treading lightly " either.. drive your rig the way you want to.. rock rash is to be expected, but thats just rediculous..
mike

I gotta second this one. There's no excuse to abuse your rig, using the skinny pedal for anything other than a last resort, is a sure sign of stupidity.

Just because you can get away with something for a while doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.