So, I was in my library reading a Car&Driver (I think) the other night and ran across an article about Deep Cryogenic Treatment. I usually hear about DCT in the context of brake rotors. But the article was talking about its use on engine/transmission components (as well as tubas lol). According to the article, when steel is made it is usually heated to 1800+ deg. This converts the molecular structure to type a (forget technical term). Type a is soft and malleable. Then the steel is cooled quickly to form tybe b molecular structure. Type b is hard but brittle. Then type b is slowly heated (to a lower temp) and cooled to form type c. Type c is both hard and strong/durable. The problem is, some of the steel remains in type a (I think). DCT is used to convert the last little bit of type a remaining.

This got me to thinking, maybe one diff option is to disassemble and DCT the stock differential? I know not all steels benefit from DCT, but would those more knowledgeable comment?

 

That's what my mechanic mentioned to Lips2000 when he was looking at my diff parts. I plan on doing some more research on this in the next month or so.

Wesmaster

 

The three types of steel I believe you refer to are "Austenitic","Martensitic", and "Ferritic". We use DCT frequently in our applications on aircraft flight control system components. You have a viable idea however DCT is extremely expensive due to the process controls required. The process is not viable after production as the gears (i.e. critical tolerance) have been ground. Post thermal processing would lead to distortion. If the failure rate were high enough your solution would definitely be considered by Honda Engineering. However today the consensus is that failed rear ends have been abused or overloaded.

Utah

 

Cryo treatment has become much less expensive over the past few years. Whole engines and gearboxes are treated, so it seems like a diff could be.

 

Utah S2K, the article addressed your concerns about tolerances by saying that the process was extended out over days. It was a very gradual cooling and return to temp. And it claimed a whole transmission could be done for $500 (cost of DCT, no labor). But then again, what do I know but what I read lol