Member Since: 02 Jan 2012
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 888
I've used normal "clamp on" ones and QT ones in the past and have also used the Steve Parker replacement diff pans.
The Gwynn Lewis ones though are the best I've had and also the cheapest. They may not appeal to the "bling" brigade but they are there to do a job, not look pretty - pretty sure that's not a concern for Lambert
The QT ones are OK but they make doing any work on the diffs a PITA and, if you think about it, what are you trying to protect ? The diff itself is stronger than any guard I've ever seen wrapped around it and all you end up doing is reducing ground clearance. I found that the QT ones just bent until they were touching the diff or diff pan and then just made getting the diff out a real task. They do look pretty though... until you hit something hard with them.
The clamp on ones will come off if used regularly off road. Most people used to "cure" this problem by welding the clamp on ones on with 2 or 3 welds around the circumference. Usually they come off when you get it sat on the axles in mud/peat and are dragging the vehicle in the opposite direction with the winch. The rear one comes off when winching forward and the front one when winching backwards. I lost count of the number of times my co-driver anded up picking them out of the mud, no matter how tight you do the bolt up. Welding them on solves the problem, but also makes it difficult to clear any mud from between the guard and the pan.
The Steve Parker ones are pretty good but aren't really tough enough for serious use. They have a 6mm centre section which is fine but the rest of the pan is only 3mm and, although stronger than the original, I've put dents in mine a few times on rocks and tree stumps. They are well worth using as replacements for leaking diff pans but not enough protection on their own.
The GL ones are thicker steel than any of the others, cost a fraction of the price, don't reduce ground clearance and don't interfere with any work you might need to do on the diff. You fit them once and forget about them and their design (unlike most) transfers any shock to the axle rather than the diff or pan. I've had one fitted to the front diff of my challenge motor for a few years and have yet to hit anything hard enough to cause them a problem. There is a decent gap between the guard and the diff pan that reduces mud build up between them and makes it easy to clean them out with the jet wash.
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7th Sep 2013 6:24pm
