Yukon Gear Hardcore Rear Nodular Iron Cover for Jeep Wrangler JL Dana 44/220mm
A Rubicon or Gladiator on 35s and lockers spends a lot of time dragging its rear axle over rock, and the thin factory cover on the Dana 44 is what takes the scrape. Owners shop for this part after a cover gets caved in or starts seeping oil around the flange, or before a build so the locker and ring gear are protected from day one. The Yukon Hardcore YHCC-D44JL-REAR is a nodular iron cover for the 220 mm Dana 44 rear under the Wrangler JL and Gladiator JT. It comes powder coated black with a stainless accent plate, stainless cover bolts and magnetic drain plugs, and ships at about 14 pounds.
The 220 mm figure is the ring gear diameter, and it is how the rear Dana 44 is told apart from the 210 mm Dana 44 up front. On a Rubicon the rear carrier is the factory locker, and on a JT the rear axle also carries the weight of a bed and whatever is in it, so this housing works harder than most. The 12-bolt cover seals the back of the center section and sits at the lowest, most exposed point. When it gets pushed in, the dent can reach the ring gear or the locker, and a bent flange lets oil escape until the bearings run hot. A cast iron cover resists that hit, and its stiffness helps hold the open back of the housing square so the carrier bearing caps flex less under load. The inside is contoured to return oil to the gears faster, which helps during slow, hard climbs where there is little airflow.
Wipe the housing clean and find the true start of the leak. The cover seam is one source, but pinion seals and axle seals leak in different places and need different parts; our cover leak guide walks through it. If the gears already sing, drain the oil, look at the magnet, and read the Dana 44 problems and rebuild cost guide before deciding whether the rebuild and the cover go in together using the Yukon JL Dana 44 220 mm rear master kit.
Yukon lists this cover for the Dana 44 / M220 rear on the 2018-2024 Wrangler JL Rubicon, the 2018-2022 Unlimited Rubicon, the 2020-2024 Gladiator JT, and 2018 JL Sport, Sport S, Unlimited Sport, Sport S and Sahara models that were built with the 220 mm Dana 44 rear. It does not fit the JL Dana 35 rear, which takes the JL Dana 35 Hardcore cover, and it is not the front cover. Because non-Rubicon JLs came with either rear axle, read the axle tag or the housing casting, or send us your year and VIN and we will check it.
With the Jeep level, drain the axle, remove the old cover and clean both flanges to bare metal. On a Rubicon, keep sealant and debris away from the electric locker wiring and actuator. Chase the 12 bolt holes, then seal with a thin bead of gear-oil-resistant RTV or a cover gasket and tighten the supplied bolts in a crisscross pattern. Refill with the gear oil your owner manual specifies until it runs out of the fill hole. A cover swap is the right time to fix weak links behind it: the Eaton Detroit Truetrac for the M210/M220 32-spline suits non-Rubicon rears, and the Yukon chromoly right rear axle for JL/JT Rubicon covers the long side shaft.
| Brand | Yukon Gear & Axle |
| Part number | YHCC-D44JL-REAR |
| Fits | Yukon Gear Hardcore Rear Nodular Iron Cover for Jeep Wrangler JL Dana 44/220mm |
| 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.
Yes. Yukon lists 2020-2024 Gladiator models with the Dana 44 / 220 mm rear axle.
Only if your Sport has the Dana 44 / M220 rear. Yukon lists 2018 Sport, Sport S and Unlimited models built with that axle. Many non-Rubicon JLs have the Dana 35 rear instead, which needs the YHCC-D35JL cover. Check the axle tag or send us your VIN.
No. This is the rear cover for the 220 mm axle. The JL front Dana 44 is a 210 mm axle with its own Hardcore front cover.
Yukon lists stainless cover bolts, a stainless accent plate and magnetic drain plugs with the cover.
No change is needed because of the cover. Refill with the gear oil grade in your owner manual, and add friction modifier only if your carrier is a clutch-type limited slip that calls for it.
