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No more drain plug?

Summitsearcher

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My JT has the drain plug. When I have a vehicle without one, I use a heavy steel cover with a 1/8" NPT bung welded near the bottom as a drain.
Your JT now has a bung hole? Sorry, couldn’t waste a good opportunity.🤣
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Jeep-A-Kneez

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Dang, beat me to it.
However, I've done the same with transmission pans.
Mine is a Sport S, 12/20 build date with standard axle and do have drain plugs.
 

whiteglad

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if you buy that one, have fun fitting a 10 bolt cover to your 12 bolt advantek housing.
 

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Cape taco12

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if you buy that one, have fun fitting a 10 bolt cover to your 12 bolt advantek housing.
Ha I just googled D 44 cover with drain.

ARB cover for JT has it, or ask ballistic to put a drain in the JT covers. Either way way easier than drilling and tapping an axle.
 

Jaxmax

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I would have to wonder why they are taking out the drain plug? Because the drain plug gets banged up a little or could it be the large drain hole is in a critical place for strength that might weaken the axle housing? Just saying…….Jack
 

legacy_etu

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I would have to wonder why they are taking out the drain plug? Because the drain plug gets banged up a little or could it be the large drain hole is in a critical place for strength that might weaken the axle housing? Just saying…….Jack
I'd wager it's a cost cutting move. Dana has to recoup some of the costs associated with all the replaced rear ends with a failing diff lock sensor. ;)
 

ShadowsPapa

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I would have to wonder why they are taking out the drain plug? Because the drain plug gets banged up a little or could it be the large drain hole is in a critical place for strength that might weaken the axle housing? Just saying…….Jack
Both.
 

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ShadowsPapa

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I'd wager it's a cost cutting move.
I'd bet the change in processes is costing as much as almost a year's worth of pipe plugs.
If you check the design changes that came into play when these were made for the Gladiator, they stressed the extra housing strength and ribbing - but left that weak spot on place?
That plug is a tapered pipe plug - that means when it's put in place properly - it's actually spreading the area around the hole. I've seen other things cracked when pipe plugs were put back in a bit TOO far. I've seen castings split. It creates a very weak spot next to the edge of the casting and then you wedge a pipe plug into that spot, shoving outward on the casting.
My money is on strength after reading of the other changes for Gladiator and - seeing busted castings just by virtue of a pipe plug being in that hole. (and the picture on page 1 here doesn't hurt)
 

MoxiesDad

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You sure about that? Mine isn't. It's a straight thread with a sealing washer under the head.
Same here, front drain plug is straight thread.
 

ShadowsPapa

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You sure about that? Mine isn't. It's a straight thread with a sealing washer under the head.
Was going by pictures which maybe aren't the same axle then.
If that's the case, and it appears to be so, then there isn't that sort of force there. I've seen Jeep and other axles both ways.
It is still a hole in a casting. If the plug is snagged at any speed it's not good.
I have seen cast parts crack around holes in other assemblies.

When a common bolt is torqued into a threaded bolt hole, the positive 30⁰ angle of the upper surfaces of the threads contact the lower surfaces of the threads in the bolt hole. As the torque is increased, the two surfaces will automatically want to slide away from each other. This force results in radial outward strain causing the bolt hole to bulge outward slightly.
Over time this load overpowers the cast iron and cracks form to relieve the strain. Because cast iron does not stretch or bend, cracking is the natural result. Often these bolt holes are close to edges.
Likely a drain plug won't be exerting this sort of force, but still............
 

jac04

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Over time this load overpowers the cast iron and cracks form to relieve the strain. Because cast iron does not stretch or bend, cracking is the natural result.
As far as I know, the center section is ductile/nodular cast iron. Strong stuff with good elongation. I design screwed connections for power plant equipment that use both gray cast iron and ductile cast iron. It's a real stretch to try to say that the forces generated in a straight threaded connection that is properly designed and assembled are going "overpower" the cast iron "over time".
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