Yukon Gear Hardcore Nodular Iron Cover for 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL Rear Dana 35
The Dana 35 under a Wrangler JL Sport or Sahara hangs its 12-bolt cover right where rocks, ledges and stumps catch it, and the factory stamped cover dents long before the housing does. If yours is creased, weeping gear oil from a bent flange, or you are about to start wheeling on bigger tires and want the rear center section armored first, the Yukon Hardcore YHCC-D35JL is the cover made for this axle. It is cast nodular iron with a black powder coat, a stainless accent plate and stainless cover bolts, and Yukon includes magnetic drain plugs. It ships at about 11 pounds, several times the weight of the stamped part it replaces.
The JL Dana 35 is a newer design than the YJ and TJ Dana 35, built around a 200 mm ring gear and often listed as the Dana 35 M200. It came under JL Sport and Sahara models, while every Rubicon got a Dana 44. The cover closes the back of the center section and is the only thing between the ring gear and whatever the axle drags across. A crushed stamping can be pushed into the ring gear teeth, and a bent sealing flange lets oil out until the pinion and carrier bearings run dry. A thick iron cover takes the hit instead, and because it is far stiffer it also braces the open back of the housing so the carrier bearing caps move less under torque. Yukon shapes the inside of the cover to throw oil back over the gears faster for cooling, which matters on a long climb or when towing.
Make sure the leak is the cover and not the pinion seal at the front of the housing or an axle seal out at the wheel. Clean the area, drive, and look where the fresh oil starts. Our differential cover leak guide covers when a reseal is enough. If the axle already whines, drain it and check the magnet for metal; worn bearings need a rebuild with the Yukon JL Dana 35 master overhaul kit. The Dana 35 problems and upgrade guide explains where this axle runs out of strength.
Yukon lists this cover for the 2018 and later Jeep Wrangler JL with the Dana 35 / M200 rear axle: 2018-2024 Sport and Sport S, and 2018-2022 Unlimited Sport, Sport S and Sahara. It is a 12-bolt cover. It does not fit the older YJ or TJ Dana 35, and it does not fit a JL that left the factory with the Dana 44 / M220 rear. That axle takes the separate Hardcore cover for the JL Dana 44 220 mm rear, and the front Dana 44 uses its own 210 mm front Hardcore cover. Non-Rubicon JLs came with either rear axle, so check the axle tag or the casting on the housing before ordering, or send us the year and VIN and we will confirm it.
Park level, drain the axle, and pull the old cover. Scrape both sealing faces to bare metal and wipe them dry with brake cleaner, because leftover sealant is the usual reason a new cover leaks. Chase the bolt holes, lay a thin, even bead of gear-oil-resistant RTV or use a cover gasket, and run the supplied bolts down in a crisscross pattern. Refill through the fill plug with the gear oil weight your owner manual calls for until it runs out of the fill hole, and add friction modifier if your carrier needs it. If the cover is coming off for a locker or gears anyway, the Eaton ELocker for the JL Dana 35 M200 and the JL Dana 35 pinion install kit go in through the same opening.
| Brand | Yukon Gear & Axle |
| Part number | YHCC-D35JL |
| Fits | Yukon Gear Hardcore Nodular Iron Cover for 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL Rear Dana 35 |
| Vehicle fitment | Jeep Wrangler Jl (2018) |
| Type | Diff Covers |
| Condition | New |
| Ships | Same business day (in stock), from the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
Only if it has the Dana 35 / M200 rear axle. Yukon lists 2018-2024 Sport and Sport S and 2018-2022 Unlimited Sport, Sport S and Sahara with that axle. Some non-Rubicon JLs came with the Dana 44 rear instead, so confirm with the axle tag or send us your VIN.
No. The JL Dana 35 is a different design from the TJ and YJ axle, and the cover pattern does not carry over.
Yukon lists the nodular iron cover with a powder coat finish, a stainless accent plate, stainless cover bolts and magnetic drain plugs.
It sits in the same place as the factory cover and is shaped to protect the ring gear area. It is thicker than a stamping, so check clearance to anything you have mounted near the axle, such as a track bar or a skid.
Either works on clean, flat faces. Most new leaks come from old sealant left on the housing, so scrape it to bare metal first and let RTV cure as its label directs before filling.
