Diff Covers - Banks

[KIBarrister]

If my review of search results is accurate, this may be a can of worms, but I was looking at swapping the diff cover when I upgrade to a Hellwig sway bar. I have no idea if Banks is credible, but I saw a few posts indicated [essentially] it doesn't matter because he doesn't make one for Ram. In my searching (because I hate my day job), I ran across:

Ram-Air® Differential Cover Kit for 2019-2024 Ram and 2020-2024 Chevy/GMC, with 11.5" or 12" 14-Bolt AAM Rear Axle [19288] - Natural Aluminum - Banks

Rejects heat 5x faster with over 2.5x more surface area than flat-backs. Extend lubrication life & fuel economy with Banks Ram-Air® Differential Cover for GM/RAM 11.5/12 inch 14 Bolt AAM

bankspower.com

I think that is saying it would fit the 5th gen ram rear end. I have a 2021 Laramie 4x4 w 3.92 gears. I do a fair bit of towing and at 60k miles, I think it would be wise to pull the cover and clean the magnet, as opposed to a simple drain and fill. I'll be down in the dunes of OBX for ten days later this summer and want to make sure I have everything squared away before then (the cost for a tow off the beach is damn near piracy), and I'd rather not put that abuse on my diffs with worn gear oil...

 

[KIBarrister]

Other option I'm looking at is:

B&M 11306 B&M Hi-Tek Aluminum Differential Cover for Chrysler 9.25-inch - Black

Our engineers designed the line of Hi-Tek differential covers to not only look good but address a number of weaknesses of the factory-stamped steel covers. First, they started by constructing the covers of thick A356.0-T6 aluminum, which dissipates heat much faster than the factory steel unit...

www.holley.com

And, I'm scratching my head with "what is a load bolt, and is it of any benefit?" I have the anti-spin rear axle to the extent it makes a difference.

 

[HSKR R/T]

AFAIK, Banks doesn't make one for the 1500s. I wish they would, because so would buy one

 

[KIBarrister]

Strike that. I think I was mistaken (it seems they do for older generations, and the HD models, but not 5G 1500s).

It looks like my options are B&M or aFe Power. If I am buying the Banks argument, it would seem that B&M is a better option?

 

[Rick3478]

Other option I'm looking at is:

B&M 11306 B&M Hi-Tek Aluminum Differential Cover for Chrysler 9.25-inch - Black

Our engineers designed the line of Hi-Tek differential covers to not only look good but address a number of weaknesses of the factory-stamped steel covers. First, they started by constructing the covers of thick A356.0-T6 aluminum, which dissipates heat much faster than the factory steel unit...

www.holley.com

And, I'm scratching my head with "what is a load bolt, and is it of any benefit?" I have the anti-spin rear axle to the extent it makes a difference.

Like you, I'm considering the B&M as well as these similar parts from G2 Axle & Gear.
G2 AXLE & GEAR | HOME

G2 AXLE & GEAR | HOME

www.g2axle.com

The load bolts tighten up against the carrier bearing caps inside the differential to give them more rigidity and support. Might be useful for abusive off-road or drag racing, but probably not for routine street use. Arguably, they might also increase the risk of routine road bumps and flexing to crack the cover seal and make it leak, so might actually be a bad idea for street use. Apply your own pet theory.

I don't think anti-spin makes any difference. I have the e-locker and B&M/Holley says it will fit.

 

[HSKR R/T]

There's not really enough benefit from regular diff covers to make it worth swapping, IMO. I'd only go for the Banks one if they ever release it for the 1/2 tons.

 

[Rick3478]

There's not really enough benefit from regular diff covers to make it worth swapping, IMO.

The idea is to keep oil, gears, and bearings cooler. And like catch cans for intake cleanliness, improvement may be marginal. Just running to the store for groceries, probably not worth it. Towing a big cargo or travel trailer, might improve longevity a bit. And looks cool, for the few people who will see.

 

[DustRunner]

If my review of search results is accurate, this may be a can of worms, but I was looking at swapping the diff cover when I upgrade to a Hellwig sway bar. I have no idea if Banks is credible, but I saw a few posts indicated [essentially] it doesn't matter because he doesn't make one for Ram. In my searching (because I hate my day job), I ran across:

Ram-Air® Differential Cover Kit for 2019-2024 Ram and 2020-2024 Chevy/GMC, with 11.5" or 12" 14-Bolt AAM Rear Axle [19288] - Natural Aluminum - Banks

Rejects heat 5x faster with over 2.5x more surface area than flat-backs. Extend lubrication life & fuel economy with Banks Ram-Air® Differential Cover for GM/RAM 11.5/12 inch 14 Bolt AAM

bankspower.com

I think that is saying it would fit the 5th gen ram rear end. I have a 2021 Laramie 4x4 w 3.92 gears. I do a fair bit of towing and at 60k miles, I think it would be wise to pull the cover and clean the magnet, as opposed to a simple drain and fill. I'll be down in the dunes of OBX for ten days later this summer and want to make sure I have everything squared away before then (the cost for a tow off the beach is damn near piracy), and I'd rather not put that abuse on my diffs with worn gear oil...

Jay from Banks here. Forgive the silly question.... Is your '21 a 1500 or 2500? We offer a Ram-Air rear differential cover for the new AAM axle with 11.5/12" ring gear. Originally, we had not planned to offer covers for 1/2-tons because we found the axles weren't reaching the same temps as the 3/4 and 1-ton trucks because largely because their towing capacities were lower. The heavier loads on the ring and pinion are what generate the heat. However, as towing capacities increase on the 1/2-tons, we are considering engineering covers for these trucks as well.

As you research covers you'll find, as we did, that none of the popular cover manufacturers have made any claims about temp reduction, except us. They have all been designed around the theory that "more oil is better." However, we couldn't find any published research or data to prove that any of the manufacturers had succeeded in lowering fluid temps. So, we did our own research. As you may have seen from our multi-part video series, we spent almost two years in R&D, testing competitors and iterating on our cover. Our big ah-ha moment was when we mounted anemometers under the trucks and measured air velocity at various places under the belly at highway speeds. At 55 mph we measured less than 11 mph if air velocity directly behind the diff cover. This meant that no matter how large the cover's oil capacity or how deep its fins were, there was air traveling over the face of the cover. That's when Gale developed the Ram-Air scoops that capture cool road air and channels it up through the fins. We immediately saw a 5X improvement in cooling while towing. Here's a quick video that'll share how we engineered it.

Happy to answer any questions you may have.

 

[HSKR R/T]

The idea is to keep oil, gears, and bearings cooler. And like catch cans for intake cleanliness, improvement may be marginal. Just running to the store for groceries, probably not worth it. Towing a big cargo or travel trailer, might improve longevity a bit. And looks cool, for the few people who will see.

But traditional aluminum diff covers don't actually help with cooling, and if you watched any of the Banks videos of their testing if various covers, the design on most of them actually lead to a reduction in oil splash making it to the bearings.

 

[HSKR R/T]

Jay from Banks here. Forgive the silly question.... Is your '21 a 1500 or 2500? We offer a Ram-Air rear differential cover for the new AAM axle with 11.5/12" ring gear. Originally, we had not planned to offer covers for 1/2-tons because we found the axles weren't reaching the same temps as the 3/4 and 1-ton trucks because largely because their towing capacities were lower. The heavier loads on the ring and pinion are what generate the heat. However, as towing capacities increase on the 1/2-tons, we are considering engineering covers for these trucks as well.

As you research covers you'll find, as we did, that none of the popular cover manufacturers have made any claims about temp reduction, except us. They have all been designed around the theory that "more oil is better." However, we couldn't find any published research or data to prove that any of the manufacturers had succeeded in lowering fluid temps. So, we did our own research. As you may have seen from our multi-part video series, we spent almost two years in R&D, testing competitors and iterating on our cover. Our big ah-ha moment was when we mounted anemometers under the trucks and measured air velocity at various places under the belly at highway speeds. At 55 mph we measured less than 11 mph if air velocity directly behind the diff cover. This meant that no matter how large the cover's oil capacity or how deep its fins were, there was air traveling over the face of the cover. That's when Gale developed the Ram-Air scoops that capture cool road air and channels it up through the fins. We immediately saw a 5X improvement in cooling while towing. Here's a quick video that'll share how we engineered it.

Happy to answer any questions you may have.

I will be one of the first orders if you make one for the 1/2 ton trucks. And so haven't looked, but if it's the same as the older Chrysler 9.25 covers I will buy two. One for my Ram, and one for my Dakota R/T

 

[djevox]

Jay from Banks here. Forgive the silly question.... Is your '21 a 1500 or 2500? We offer a Ram-Air rear differential cover for the new AAM axle with 11.5/12" ring gear. Originally, we had not planned to offer covers for 1/2-tons because we found the axles weren't reaching the same temps as the 3/4 and 1-ton trucks because largely because their towing capacities were lower. The heavier loads on the ring and pinion are what generate the heat. However, as towing capacities increase on the 1/2-tons, we are considering engineering covers for these trucks as well.

As you research covers you'll find, as we did, that none of the popular cover manufacturers have made any claims about temp reduction, except us. They have all been designed around the theory that "more oil is better." However, we couldn't find any published research or data to prove that any of the manufacturers had succeeded in lowering fluid temps. So, we did our own research. As you may have seen from our multi-part video series, we spent almost two years in R&D, testing competitors and iterating on our cover. Our big ah-ha moment was when we mounted anemometers under the trucks and measured air velocity at various places under the belly at highway speeds. At 55 mph we measured less than 11 mph if air velocity directly behind the diff cover. This meant that no matter how large the cover's oil capacity or how deep its fins were, there was air traveling over the face of the cover. That's when Gale developed the Ram-Air scoops that capture cool road air and channels it up through the fins. We immediately saw a 5X improvement in cooling while towing. Here's a quick video that'll share how we engineered it.

Happy to answer any questions you may have.

Welcome!

 

[Rick3478]

Jay from Banks here. Forgive the silly question.... Is your '21 a 1500 or 2500? We offer a Ram-Air rear differential cover for the new AAM axle with 11.5/12" ring gear.

We have 1500's with, I believe, the corporate 9-1/4" diff. They come, optionally, as open, limited slip, or e-locker.

As you research covers you'll find, as we did, that none of the popular cover manufacturers have made any claims about temp reduction, except us. They have all been designed around the theory that "more oil is better."

Not quite all, a bit of hyperbole there. The B&M/Holley and G2 Gear offerings are round shapes similar to the OEM cover. Which is why I have been considering those, for the more proper oil flow. They also have real level/fill and drain plugs, which some of us might consider sufficiently worthwhile by themselves. But yeah, more fins and better engineered air and oil flow that you can bring to the table would be welcomed, I think. And thanks for your input.