The All-New Patented Banks Ram-Air Differential Cover WIPES OUT THE COMPETITION!
When it comes to product development, we only make products that increase performance and beat the competition. So when we tested the popular Diff Covers on the market, we were shocked to find out that they actually hurt performance. This lead to the development of something so New and Incredible that our performance design has a United States Patent. Look, when we set out to build a product for your vehicle, we only engineer the best. What else would you expect from a company with a winning legacy that spans decades. We are here to win, and we just did (AGAIN) in a huge way.
US Patent #10,443,705
Purpose Built
The Banks Engineering team’s goal was to perfect fluid flow and reject BTUs from the fluid as fast the ring and pinion puts them in. If the fluid flow is impeded in any way, it results in resistance and aeration which reduce fuel economy and creates heat, thereby degrading the fluid and decreasing the lifespan of the gearset.
Almost all aftermarket covers have fins for cooling. Unfortunately, those fins are almost useless because there’s little or no airflow immediately behind the differential. Nearly all aftermarket covers impede fluid flow. Why does this matter? Aim a fire hose at a brick wall. It turns out liquid doesn’t like 90° angles or obstructions.
- Die-Cast Aluminum Construction
- A380 aircraft aluminum die-cast for exceptional strength and precise fit.
- 304 Stainless Steel Hardware
- Hex flanged mounting bolts.
- Class-Leading Heat Rejection
- 24 external radiator fins offer 534 square inches of surface area to ensure optimal heat rejection.
- Patented Ram-Air Scoops
- Ram-Air system directs cool high-velocity air through radiator fins, eliminating the dead zone. Designed with breakaway scoops.
- Magnetic Fill Plug
- Magnetic fill plug. 20° angle for easy fill. Simplifies oil changes.
- Sight-Glass with Contrast Screen
- Sight-glass with contrast screen and Viton O-ring seal.
- Magnetic Drain Plug
- Recessed magnetic drain plug. Simplifies oil changes.
Testing
What began with a simple question, resulted in millions of video views, innovation and another patented Banks product.
More than a year ago Gale questioned the benefits of aftermarket diff covers asking, "Are they just bling or are they really doing something?" The answer wasn't as easy to uncover as he'd hoped. Out of dozens of manufacturers, only one claimed to reduce fluid temps, yet no data could be found to back up those numbers. All other manufacturers, and there are many, simply copied the originator's design. Manufacturers still parrot the same phrase today, "More oil means cooler temps." Although there's some truth to it, what Gale and the Banks Engineering Team uncovered were two underlying problems with aftermarket covers; poor air flow and flawed fluid dynamics. The Banks Ram-Air differential cover solves both issues.
After testing covers with flat-backs and those with larger fluid capacities, it was apparent that these covers do not cool as well as advertised and suffer from poor fluid dynamics. As a result, they reduce fuel economy. With its computer-aided and road-tested design, the Banks Ram-Air differential cover retains fuel economy and extends lubrication life!
Many have asked, “Why did testing take so long?” Well, there was no precedent for testing rear differential covers, nor was any data available for rear differential lubricants as tested in vehicles. “There are just too many variables,” said the lubricant companies. Creating the proper test procedures was incredibly time-consuming. We started from scratch several times. We even burned up our chassis dyno and destroyed several sets of tires. It was a humbling process.
In all studies, the stock stamped steel AAM (American Axle Manufacturing) was used as a baseline. Competitive covers tested included Mag-Hytec, AFE, ATS, BD, PPE and others, with Mag-Hytec and AFE representing the ‘flat-back” design category.
Anemometer: Air Velocity
After affixing anemometers fore and aft of the rear differential, a dead zone was discovered. Like the wing of plane, the rear differential splits the air. At a road speed of 70 mph, air speed was measured at 32 MPH in front of the differential and 11 MPH 20” behind the differential. This indicated an area of dead air.
This low velocity dead zone extends as far out as 36” from the back face of the cover. No matter how deep the cooling fins are, they’re unable to adequately reject heat due to inadequate airflow over the surface of the fins.
This discovery resulted in the Ram-Air scoop concept. As the truck moves through the air, cool static air is forced into the Ram-Air scoops and directed 90° up and through the long, thin heat radiation fins.
