Let me preface this by stating that I am not a mechanic or an engineer. I do not own a 2 Gen. I take my 2001 Xterra off-road and work on it now and then.
So letâs review;
I assume the Rocky Road Guard is
THIS ONE made for the Titan. $139. Although the Rocky Road model looks much more robust than the one I had back in the day. Iâm not a fan of Diff guards. Sorry Jeff but in the picture you posted it looks like ya threw out the anchor! Ha ha, I mean are you hung up there bro? Mine always got hung up, partly ripped off or completely ripped off. Iâm thinking I probably spent the cost of the thing on replacing the hardware on it almost every time it was on the trail. It was a twisted mess by the time I finally gave up and trashed it. This guard looks and most likely is much better than the one I had. Maybe the rear diff on the 2nd Gen needs more protection than just a cover can provide? Educate me broâŚ.itâs just this old guyâs uneducated opinion.
The Offroad Gorilla/Ruff Stuff 3/8 steel you first asked about at $140 is a basic tried and true heavy duty cover.
Ballistic Fab 3/8 steel $140 is also a basic tried and true heavy duty cover.
The
ARB at $206 (yikes) has a magnetic dipstick and drain plug. Ballistic Fab and Offroad Gorilla only have fill plugs. The dipstick/high fill hole is both an advantage and a curse. Since the fill hole is high you can adjust the amount of fluid you run in the diff. This is an advantage if you have changed the driveline angle. If youâre running at stock angles you need to check the dipstick to make sure you have the correct amount in there. This doesnât seem like a big deal unless youâre a lazy f@ck like me and like to just fill the diff âtil it over flows. I guess the drain plug could be convenient but if Iâm draining the fluid out of my diff I like to take a look in there. I mean why else would I drain the fluid? Scheduled maintenance?
For me the all three covers do the same thing; protect your diff when smashing it into stuff.
The lifetime warranty puts the Offroad Gorilla/Ruff Stuff at the top of my list, then the Ballistic Fab and then the ARB.
IMHO