I've been looking at options to upgrade (for the helluvit) or replace (when they fail) my stock diffs (2.5). I won't/can't spend $230 EACH for the UE upgrades, so here's what I need to know.

1) If I want a "sealed diff" for silicone oil, is that controlled by the diff CASE, or the cup n' stuff inside?? Can you upgrade just the cup & gears (RR or UE) WITHOUT doing the cases, or are they critical for a sealed unit?

2) What's the skinny on the Maximizer diffs? They look nice & sophisticated, but do they work with the stock cases, or do you need AL ones? Are thy good for "cross training" (a little racing, a litte jumping, a little street work & a lot of general bashing), or are they really only suited to racing? Do you want to/have to grease or put silicone in these units?

3) I DO see how AL cases are good to have, regardless of if & how they affect "sealibility", as stiff cases don't flex & your gears last longer. So if I score some cases somewhere, what do I do next to create a sealed, durable diff for less than $100 a piece (not including th cost of the cases)?? Get RRs gears & keep rest of the innards stock? Get a maximizer, which is a complete unit? Does UE have any "gear-only" or "gear/cup" options that are somewhat affordable?

Thanks for any insight you can provide me!!

Dean