Installed the AEV rear diff cover

[Epsilon Plus]

Although the website says it comes with a magnetic drain plug, it does not. It also says it reuses the "stock magnetic fill plug", which it isn't (magnetic). The instructions online and with it are strictly for 19+ Ram. They didn't bother to edit them for the GM twins. Maybe this is why they think stock is mag fill. Either way their crappy drain is not mag as advertised. Skipped their crappy powdercoat slag filled hex drain and installed magnetic IP-03X Gold Plug that I had bought for the transfer case (and painted it so it wouldn't shine against the hammertone grey). 

 

Other than that, nice cover, looks great, heavy duty but overall 3/5 on execution for the things mentioned. Especially because they are well known for OEM fit/finish and the integrations with GM at grand scale and especially because this cover isn't cheap and is at the top end of the competition.

 

Cover was heavier than ****** to lift up there under the truck. Had to use a floor jack to assist. Thing is iron and ROBUST. Large fill port up top is nice especially because I have a 37" spare and room is tight. Still clears though. Took about 4.5 qts to fill (75-90 FM). The flex pack gear oil is a must. 

 

P.S., F-you to AAM or GM or whatever dumbass thought it was cute to put red thread locker on each of the 14 f-ing bolts (& the 12 up front). A speed ratchet would be nice here. 

 

Cheers.

 

 

[Black02Silverado]

Nice, what made you go with this cover over the others?

[Z45]

Eye food?

[Epsilon Plus]

Strength. Looks. Company rep (hence the aforementioned disappointment).

 

Nodular iron isn't the best for heat control, but I primarily haul family and sail boat fuel. I'm more likely to take the truck overlanding one day than tow 14,500 across the USA.

 

Was going to do all PML covers at one point, but they just look so basic. Also aluminum doesn't really fit the rugged theme of my overall build. If PML ever comes out with their front cover with drain plug I might do that one since it's shielded by a skid (ironically aluminum because ZR2 ). Taking that cover off to drain was a PITA. Drain plug would be nice.

[Chuck FB]

On 8/9/2025 at 9:18 PM, Epsilon Plus said:

Although the website says it comes with a magnetic drain plug, it does not. It also says it reuses the "stock magnetic fill plug", which it isn't (magnetic). The instructions online and with it are strictly for 19+ Ram. They didn't bother to edit them for the GM twins. Maybe this is why they think stock is mag fill. Either way their crappy drain is not mag as advertised. Skipped their crappy powdercoat slag filled hex drain and installed magnetic IP-03X Gold Plug that I had bought for the transfer case (and painted it so it wouldn't shine against the hammertone grey). 

 

Other than that, nice cover, looks great, heavy duty but overall 3/5 on execution for the things mentioned. Especially because they are well known for OEM fit/finish and the integrations with GM at grand scale and especially because this cover isn't cheap and is at the top end of the competition.

 

Cover was heavier than ****** to lift up there under the truck. Had to use a floor jack to assist. Thing is iron and ROBUST. Large fill port up top is nice especially because I have a 37" spare and room is tight. Still clears though. Took about 4.5 qts to fill (75-90 FM). The flex pack gear oil is a must. 

 

P.S., F-you to AAM or GM or whatever dumbass thought it was cute to put red thread locker on each of the 14 f-ing bolts (& the 12 up front). A speed ratchet would be nice here. 

 

Cheers.

 

 

So I gather you've drained both diffs now and I had a few questions relating to the process. One item was if you had found out what the gm torque spec is on the cover bolts as I expect its rather critical not to over torque because of the reusable gasket to avoid crushing it and causing a leak. Just speculating maybe that is why they used the loctite to hold the bolts in place as the torque value is not very high ... but again I haven't a clue what their torque spec is. 

 

Did you in fact reuse the factory gasket or throw in new ones. I had bought a rear gasket for my truck just to have on hand and when I priced out a front gasket it was stupidly priced here in Canada and passed on that but asked them what their shop does and the partsman who had been a pit tech to begin with said they sucked the front diff out rather than even pull the cover. He had no idea if there was a magnet inside the front diff because he had never pulled one off and obviously its not as if I could expect a young partsman to have all the answers. I expect you can fill in a few blanks to what I am curious about. 

 

Now if GM had kept the drain plug on the rear diff that would have been handy and not sure if at one time if they had a drain on the front as well. 

[davester]

They did have drain plugs, my '04 3500 has drains on the front and rear, my '12 3500 also has them front and rear.

[Epsilon Plus]

22 hours ago, Chuck FB said:

So I gather you've drained both diffs now and I had a few questions relating to the process. One item was if you had found out what the gm torque spec is on the cover bolts as I expect its rather critical not to over torque because of the reusable gasket to avoid crushing it and causing a leak. Just speculating maybe that is why they used the loctite to hold the bolts in place as the torque value is not very high ... but again I haven't a clue what their torque spec is. 

 

Did you in fact reuse the factory gasket or throw in new ones. I had bought a rear gasket for my truck just to have on hand and when I priced out a front gasket it was stupidly priced here in Canada and passed on that but asked them what their shop does and the partsman who had been a pit tech to begin with said they sucked the front diff out rather than even pull the cover. He had no idea if there was a magnet inside the front diff because he had never pulled one off and obviously its not as if I could expect a young partsman to have all the answers. I expect you can fill in a few blanks to what I am curious about. 

 

Now if GM had kept the drain plug on the rear diff that would have been handy and not sure if at one time if they had a drain on the front as well. 

 

GM doesn't make the axles anymore (dunno if the previous were) but they are AAM units. They both do have flexible rubbery magnet strips inside the diff covers. I re-used both gaskets and they are akin to the transmission gasket material. Designed to be reusable.

 

Concerning torque, I've never bothered or trusted torquing anything under say 75lb/ft or in this case that small when not dealing with something as critical as a rocker stud in an engine or something. I've held a wrench for almost 30 years and just put what I consider reasonable tightness for the application on. 

[JW2024]

The cover looks great. 

[Chuck FB]

41 minutes ago, Epsilon Plus said:

 

GM doesn't make the axles anymore (dunno if the previous were) but they are AAM units. They both do have flexible rubbery magnet strips inside the diff covers. I re-used both gaskets and they are akin to the transmission gasket material. Designed to be reusable.

 

Concerning torque, I've never bothered or trusted torquing anything under say 75lb/ft or in this case that small when not dealing with something as critical as a rocker stud in an engine or something. I've held a wrench for almost 30 years and just put what I consider reasonable tightness for the application on. 

Your right, I just call them GM axles as per the truck manufacturer but yes they are AAM axles. At one point GM established their "GM corporate" axle division I will call it to standardize their axles between their sub brands ( GM, Chev, Buick etc ) and then they spun off that division to investors and who are they ... AAM, makes a persons head spin as Detroit, Allison were also sold off from GM. So going back to my questions, that's good to hear they have magnets in both diffs or should say the diff covers and certainly the dealership method of sucking oil out of the front diff isn't going to clean that strip but is a short cut to doing the service work. 

 

Bolt torque wise, it would be nice to know what they intend for those cover bolts as I've only speculated that they don't overly torque those cover bolts based on their size to be careful of the gasket but red loctite seems a little out there for sure and yet somehow they must have had a reason to go that aggressive on the thread locker compound. Not that I have touched the pan bolts for the trans yet but 80 inch pounds is pretty easy to surpass and certainly the 44 inch pounds for the two filter bolts. With piddly little bolts into aluminum one just doesn't want to make errors "$$$". Most of what I work on I don't use a torque wrench unless I feel it is critical or touchy because of trying to clamp down gaskets evenly, and things like head bolts and diesel engine valve train adjustments etc or working on motorcycle engines with again that aluminum theme and piddly little bolts. 

 

That cover certainly looks a lot more robust then the factory tin hat on both diffs, factory tin is ok until one gets into rocks in off roading without enough clearance, but that's where I am banking on my "Z71" skid plates to protect me 

Edited August 15, 2025 by Chuck FB