Front end differential growling/rumbling noises

[fastkurve]

Had 4 wheels bearings replaced 2 years ago, done about 25k since then.
Jacked the truck on stands last saterday, and had my younger son keep the engine rev'ing at 2000 rpm, check at all rolling elements with a stethoscope, everything was fine, beside the front differential being very noisy when probing it.

So, had the truck checked at the shop today, told me that the front differential bearings are shut. (he checked it with a stethoscope too, but I did not told him I done it on my own before, I was curious to find out if he was ending up with the same diagnostic than me)

Question for you guys:

What should I expect in term of price to do the job ?

In my mind, if it is only a matter of replacing all bearings & seals, cleanning and removal/strip/rebuild/install , this should be very similar to a rear end job.
The shop asked me 750$ for the differential and 300$ labor....seems too much to me , what is/are your experience about this ?

thanks for sharing,

Robert

 

[IZwack]

That price sounds about right. But if you can find another axle housing fully loaded and matches the current gear ratio, you can probably swap the old one out and the new one in in one weekend.

However, if it's just a bearing, you can probably replace it yourself instead of swapping out an entire differential. The only problem is finding which bearing it is (one of the carrier bearings or one of the pinion bearings?).

I also think its odd that the front differential needs to be replaced instead of the rear as the rear is typically the one that needs attention. Do you drive this in 4wd on the snow frequently? If so, try to disengage the 4wd as soon as you hit dry pavement in the winter as the combination of 4wd and dry pavement puts unnecessary and excessive stress on the drivetrain (including the differentials).

 

[fastkurve]

Thanks for sharing! No, I did not run in 4wd on dry pavement, I well aware of the stress impose on the drive train by doing so. The shop guy was telling me that he was doing some like mine a few times a year. Hey ! He had one unit freshly rebuilt on his shelves To me, all of this, if nothing else is damaged, resumed to replace bearings and seals, 750$ for this only? That's why I find its price on the high side....

 

[pet575]

My front diff went bad as well. Same thing, growling etc. that got worse and worse. You can get a front diff in a few different places used for under $500 before shipping. Doesn't seem difficult at all to swap it out. Make sure you get the same gear ratio as the original.