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D30 Ruff Stuff Issue

B

BADaXJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Maine
i installed my D30 ruff stuff cover this weekend and i ran into a couple problems... i ended up grinding most of the cover at the top corner to clear my JCR OTK steering. I also didn't notice that some of the holes didn't line up until i had it in place with the RTV about to cure and 8 out of the 10 bolts in place (my fault for not checking i guess). i ended up getting nine of them started and had to drill out the last hole to get the last one in. not a huge deal but since i had the countersunk option, the bolt is a bit tweaked when torqued down as the head gets pulled to one side. I'm not complaining about the quality and i don't want to shy anyone away from the cover, it is incredibly stout and a well made piece. This is just my experience and I'm curious if anyone else has had similar problems? I never saw anything along these lines when i was searching on here before i bought it... no real surprise it didn't clear the tie rod since it has to stick out further than the stock cover and i just thought i'd throw a warning out there for future record to avoid surprises for others. Not sure what to think of the holes not lining up though... what do you think the chances are that the bolt holes on my housing are out of spec?
Again, still a great product in my opinion and well worth it:patriot:
 
You absolutely have to START all the bolts before you torque ANY of them down with countersunk bolts.

I know I had to play with mine for a while before all the bolts would line up, but never had to drill anything out.
 
yeah, i had them all just started and not torqued... i even tried taking some out and putting others in. just no way i could get that last one, even with all the other bolts loose...
 
MoparManiac said:
You absolutely have to START all the bolts before you torque ANY of them down with countersunk bolts.

I know I had to play with mine for a while before all the bolts would line up, but never had to drill anything out.
Click to expand...

Same here, start them all be hand and tighten them all equally.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by MoparManiac
You absolutely have to START all the bolts before you torque ANY of them down with countersunk bolts.

I know I had to play with mine for a while before all the bolts would line up, but never had to drill anything out.
Same here, start them all be hand and tighten them all equally.

Same here, start them all be hand and tighten them all equally.
Click to expand...
yeah, i tried with just a couple threads on each bolt, the heads were no where near the countersunk portion and the cover had some play but just not enough. even after loosening all them further and removing a couple, i still could not get that pesky one in. i'm thinking there may have been an issue with the two bolts on the drivers side, vertically inline with each other. the top one barely went in and was pulling against the bolts diagonally opposite. After that bolt was started, there was no more play in the cover even with all bolts loose and the bottom one was at least 3/32" off...
 
most aftermarket diff covers require some maneuvering and tweaking to get all bolts in place and ready to go - i know on my ruff stuff and arb i had to start a couple - wiggle and also drill some of the inside of the hole out to get just enough clearance for the threads to engage - also there is always a chance that there is some tolerance in the cover from welding even though i think they are machined flat and your axle may not be totally true as well... i used lube locker gaskets to keep from having to mess with rtv = less mess and clean install... going on couple thousand miles and no leaks from covers
 
I have 4 of Dans covers, 2 D-30's and 2 8.25's, never had that issue. Like stated above, start all bolts first and if you still have the issue Dan will take care of it I'm sure.

If you think his covers are beef you should check out his axle truss's....dang! The medium duty rear axle truss weighs about 50#.
 
Like any other fabricated cover, sometimes the fit isnt always spot on. The 30 and 8.25 cover i have on now went on pretty easy, the 8.25 took a little wiggling and had been clearenced on the inside edges for the carrier caps. for giggles i put the cover i bought on the hp60 im building. it took a little bit to get all the bolts started and sitting flush. i also had the grind a little bit on the inside edge of the PS where it was hitting the carrier cap. i hold nothing against Dan and all axles i build get his covers.


(all covers have countersunk bolts)
 
No problems with my D30 or D44 covers. Started all bolts by hand, then torqued in a star pattern, a couple twists here, a couple there, until I had them all down.
 
Darky said:
torqued in a star pattern, a couple twists here, a couple there, until I had them all down.
Click to expand...

i think thats the most important part when putting the covers on. one of the times i was putting my 30 cover back on i started at the bottom and by the time i got to the top couple of bolts, i was unable to get them seated correctly. the people at lubelocker also recommend this procedure when installing a cover with one of their gaskets.
 
I've just got to ask: BADaXJ, did you call Ruff Stuff before you started hacking on the cover?
 
nope, i did not call them. it was sunday night, the rtv was curing and i had a 2hr drive ahead of me. there's not much that calling would have done at that point and i don't expect a replacement. When stuff doesn't fit right, i just make it fit and move on. I didn't see much point in hassling them and waiting another week for something that i could fix in 5 minutes with a drill. not to mention i ground out a good portion of the cover already for tie rod clearance. In my opinion, thats just the way it goes when you start modifying so many things.
 
I just saw an email from you referring to this thread. We take any responsibility for any cover that pulled too far during welding prior to machining. If you got it on we will cover any wharantee you wish. If you need a replacement give me a call and we will rush one out....Thanks for the support guys!
 
I've got jcr otk steering with the ruffstuff cover for my hp dana 30 and didn't have any fitment issues. I actually just had to go and make sure I didn't have any contact between the cover and tie rod, I wonder why you had to grind some of the cover? Anyway, Dan is awesome to deal with.
 
I didn't mean to create such a stink about it... i'm still a very happy customer and impressed with the service. i simply wanted to see if anyone else had similar problems and throw out a couple words of advice for other members. check the bolts first and obviously a thicker cover will stick out further. Aside from that, very happy with the cover and looking forward to putting it to good use. I'll also be ordering one for my 8.25 without hesitation when the budget allows. it's nice to see a company take pride in quality for a change!
Thanks Dan:patriot:
 
I've got jcr otk steering with the ruffstuff cover for my hp dana 30 and didn't have any fitment issues. I actually just had to go and make sure I didn't have any contact between the cover and tie rod, I wonder why you had to grind some of the cover? Anyway, Dan is awesome to deal with.
Click to expand...

well, i guess i'm wondering now... how far are your tie rod ends seated into the knuckle? mine are pretty deep and i'm thinking that my tie rod may be just a hair lower than yours... due to the sahpe of the cover, being higher up would have a bit more clearance i guess. the middle of my tie rod hit right on the top bend in the cover. is your tie rod above the bend?
 
I have Wonton OTK steering with my ruff stuff cover with tons of clearance. I had an issue with fitment with my D30 ruff stuff cover it was welded wrong and Dan sent me a new one right away.
 
I just got off the phone with Dan... Great guy to deal with. It sounds like the clearance issue has to do with the fact that my coil buckets have been relocated and the only thing left to hit is the cover. Regardless, he offered to replace it with no questions, but i settled on a discount on a cover for my 8.25 to make up for the holes not matching:thumbup:
 
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