Rear diff covers, panhard stud removal

[shifty]

I know, if you've seen one, you've seen a thousand rear diff covers. I'm assuming on my '68, I can literally use any rear diff cover out there as long as it is 8.875"? Probably the only thing I'm doing to my rear axle housing for dress-up is throwing a chrome rear diff cover on, and I see most are around $20-25, and come with gasket + bolts. Just thought i'd ask anyway.

On a related note, how do I remove the big, bulky panhard bar mount on the top corner of diff? I can't really see any clear way to do this, there is a rubberized coating on the back side, I think? Nothing given in the Chilton/Haynes/whatever manual I have. I thought about just cutting the rear diff housing on either side and pulling it that way (I'll never use it again), but didn't want to eat up any more cutoff wheel than needed.

[ChiefRocka]

Here's one I made for a 14bolt....
-
-

-

-
This particular one was to mount the pivot for a Watts:
-

[Shane]

can't remember how I got the panhard mount out/off ... but it's possible cause mine is gone. give me till this weekend to get back over to the shop and i'll look at it a bit closer, going from memory here and could be wrong, but I think it's a bolt on affair.

p.s. you'll regret using one of those chrome diff covers ... i haven't seen one yet that didn't eventually leak ...

[XXL]

Originally Posted by Shane

can't remember how I got the panhard mount out/off ... but it's possible cause mine is gone. give me till this weekend to get back over to the shop and i'll look at it a bit closer, going from memory here and could be wrong, but I think it's a bolt on affair.

p.s. you'll regret using one of those chrome diff covers ... i haven't seen one yet that didn't eventually leak ...

I too don't remember what I had to do to get that mount off... but brute force tends to be my method, and I didn't break the loop in doing it. I seem to recall that it's a large "washer" with a stud that's threaded on both ends-- one for the Panhard bar and one to mount it to the rearend. I'm not much help on that one... but, like Shane says, the chrome diff cover will leak. After cutting up my stock cover to build a Watts link mount, then scrapping the Watts and sticking with the ECE Super Track bar I already had, I needed a quick cover... so I bought one of the $20 on ebay. I've been throwing gaskets and silicone at it ever since

[shifty]

So, it sounds like powdercoating the original one is the better way to go, eh?

My new axles should be here in 10-14 days. Once they get here, I plan on emptying the pumpkin (probably never had the fluid changed), taking some brake cleaner or kerosene to the guts (per other suggestions I searched), then tossing a better looking cover on.

For the panhard mount, it looks like there is a rubberized coating on the back side of it, and it almost looks like it could be a nut. I didn't try to cut it off though to see what's up w/it.

I kinda want to keep the provision there - no telling what it could ever be good for, but ...

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by shifty

So, it sounds like powdercoating the original one is the better way to go, eh?

My new axles should be here in 10-14 days. Once they get here, I plan on emptying the pumpkin (probably never had the fluid changed), taking some brake cleaner or kerosene to the guts (per other suggestions I searched), then tossing a better looking cover on.

For the panhard mount, it looks like there is a rubberized coating on the back side of it, and it almost looks like it could be a nut. I didn't try to cut it off though to see what's up w/it.

I kinda want to keep the provision there - no telling what it could ever be good for, but ...

I tried everything I could think of but mine wouldn't budge. In my case, I was simply removing it for cosmetic reasons. Since I'm using a 'suoer track-bar' type set-up & I'm skilled in the art of disassembly & dicing things up, I opted to whack the threaded portion off & smooth out what remained.

Now the 'boss' that's cast into the housing has a nice 'plug' vs. an open hole.

[slammed1]

The panhard bar mount on my rear diff wasnt that hard to remove by using a large hammer after the nut and washer were removed. I left the hole for now but for cleanliness may ground it off later.

The truck 12 bolts us a specifc rear cover as long as you get a cover for a Chevrolet truck 12 bolt your golden......oh,stay away from cheap Taiwan chrome diff covers if you can.

[jlaird]

I just bought a stock rear diff cover from LMC. To my surprise, it was a genuine GM part. Seemed like it was a heavy gauge steel.

[PipsC10]

I used a mini sledge and knocked out the stud from mine. It seemed as if it was pressed in because it would not budge and then it shot out like a rocket and almost hit my Dads truck that was in the shop. I just picked up another rear end and did the same thing, only this time the stud came out very easily.