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Rear differential

4K views 17 replies 8 participants last post by  gooseyloosey 
#1 ·
So, apparently I need a new one. :crybaby2:

[youtube:1jy23gk4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm7D5VRfaTI&feature=related[/youtube:1jy23gk4]

There goes ~$2K I was saving toward the DUB Pimpstars.
 
#4 ·
Oh, fortunately its the open one. I'm sure the locker is an extra $1K.

I was getting the "its a bad wheel bearing" noise from the rear end. Noticeable mainly when the windows were down.

Apparently the main bearing that the pinion shaft runs through is the culprit and there are no LR part #'s available for rebuilding--I'm sure there is someone that can do it, I just don't have the time to chase them down :( Now oddly enough, the dealer has these in stock which leads me to believe...

I'm not sure why this happened, but its especially painful as I loved that differential to death. I changed the oil at 35K with LR fluids, played in the snow with it...you know, the stuff guys who love their differential do with their differentials.
 
#8 ·
Hold the presses Goose...before you change the rear differential, double check your tires for wear.

I also had put my RRS on the rack and thought that the rear diff was the cause of the "wheel bearing" type noise I was hearing, and while it's true that it does give off some noise, my problem was that my tires had started to wear out.

Definitely worthwhile flipping to your offroad or other tires first...before shelling out the 2K for the diff...worth a shot!

And remember that I'm at 122K and haven't changed it but did the oil change just like you.
 
#9 ·
PJPR01 said:
I also had put my RRS on the rack and thought that the rear diff was the cause of the "wheel bearing" type noise I was hearing, and while it's true that it does give off some noise, my problem was that my tires had started to wear out.
.
I feel for you goose - hope that is not the case. I too side with PJP. I had the noise earlier this year too and it went away with new tires. Pushing 80k and changed my diff fluid sometime ago too, hoping I won't have this issue as well.

Good luck
 
#10 ·
I have rear lockers and changed the fluid for only the second time at 130K+ miles, and only because you guys scared the hell out of me a few month back, the first time I did it by the book at 75K! I don't want to jinx myself, but no problems or noises so far (170K miles and counting), and the locking plates back there have seen their fair share of action in the past 5+ years. I do hope for you it's a false alarm, like others have suggested. :pray:
 
#11 ·
Thanks for the help guys, I wish it was anything but this, but unfortunately something was not right with the diff. I've never had a diff problem in any car I've ever owned, so this was a new adventure.

Paul, what was different about this versus w/b or tire wear was that the sound was most noticeable when going slow and then kinda went away as you sped up(or the pitch got higher so only dogs could hear it? idk). With the other two issues, I've always had the sound get louder as I go faster. The best I can describe the sound at low speed is someone taking a ceramic dinner plate and sliding it across a stone countertop. It didn't whine like most diffs do when the gears go.

Net $950 for the rebuilt diff minus the core, and another $900 in labor and some other odds and ends rung the bell at a bit over $2K. Although their labor rates absolutely kill me, I had the dealer do this job because:
1. If the seals go prematurely on this one...
2. I have a case # open with the mothership and hopefully they'll prorate this for me :pray:

As I was driving home from the dealer last night I saw some guy with a 70's El Camino on his front lawn (its NJ) for sale for $1900. I thought, hmm, I could buy that car for asking price for what I just paid for my new diff. `)
 
#12 ·
gooseyloosey said:
The best I can describe the sound at low speed is someone taking a ceramic dinner plate and sliding it across a stone countertop. It didn't whine like most diffs do when the gears go.
Did you check you brake pads and those clips to ensure its not touching the rotor. Would be nice if you could get it on a rack to see where the noise is actually coming from
 
#13 ·
Frisco_TX_RRS said:
gooseyloosey said:
The best I can describe the sound at low speed is someone taking a ceramic dinner plate and sliding it across a stone countertop. It didn't whine like most diffs do when the gears go.
Did you check you brake pads and those clips to ensure its not touching the rotor. Would be nice if you could get it on a rack to see where the noise is actually coming from
Oh yes, worked from outside in...checked that, the epb, the wheel bearing. Ran it on the rack and it was coming from the diff. I did have a cracked epb shoe that got replaced in the process, but that was unfortunately not the culprit.

Its got the new diff now and the noise is gone.
 
#15 ·
It's a remanufactured one.

They did not open it, although I asked them to b/c I'm curious too, but that would have cost me even more $, as they normally send the core back intact for remanufacturing.

The service manager said they had some similar situations previously and it was the pinion bearing.
 
#18 ·
I'm sure it can be done by a competent trans shop.

It just becomes an issue of how soon do you need your RRS back, since it may take a shop a week or so to get parts and put it back together.
 
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