I’ll admit, the only maintenance I’ve neglected with this truck is the rear diff. 136k and almost 15 years and I’ve never charged the fluid.

truck is a 5 speed manual.

in reverse, mainly when going straight you can hear and feel a clicking, popping, thumping sound. You can feel it throughout the whole truck, like you’ve backed into something.

started as just a single trump randomly, now it’s multiple thumps and I can barely back up. No issues going forward.

8.8 with 3.31 open rear end.

I was quoted $2500 - $3000 which is like half the value of the truck. Does that seem crazy? It does to me.

 

Where did you get it quoted? Local Shop, Dealership?

 

You can probably pick one up from a junkyard for a few hundred dollars. The quote you got seems very high.

 

I agree, insanely high!

 

It was a local place that specializes in trucks, suvs, etc. I’m going to look into some other options. I’m without a truck that goes backwards so time is of the essence.

I appreciate the replies.

I’m just trying to get this fixed for as little as possible and get something new.

 

I would think you should expect to pay $1000 to have the rear diff rebuilt so yeah I think that is overpriced.
most of the pull it yourself salvage yard places around here are 150-200 for a rear end, or the full service places 500-600. You could get lucky but you could also get one that also Has a problem so be cautious.
I have been investigating my options for my truck and that's what I've found so far. I haven't got prices from any local shops. I have the ability to do it myself but finding the time to do it is a different story.
I would call some other shops and see what they say.

 

have you tried cleaning it up and servicing it? Seems like it’s worth it to try?

if you can use a rear end out of a 5.4, they should be readily avail for cheap, but Have no idea about compatibility.

 

Something to consider looking at first and foremost. It might be possible something screwy is going on with the parking brake, you might want to remove the rear rotors and make sure a brake shoes not falling apart in there and only catching when you go in reverse?

 

Did your local shop actually inspect the rear dif (cover off and inspection of gears), or did they just glance at it and say oh yeah that will be 3,000 cool ones.

 

Why not just buy an Eaton diff and throw it in there? $700. If you don’t want to do DIY I’d ask around town to see if there is a shop that could install it for a reasonable price.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/e...BoCX8QQAvD_BwE