Differential Rebuilding In The NoVA Area?

[Wake]

Looks like I'm going to need a front differential rebuild soon. Lots of junk on the drain plug and vehicle seems to drag on and off as I'm driving it.

I talked to my local shop today to find out who they use to rebuild differentials or if they do it in-house and was told that nobody in the area of Fredericksburg does that anymore. All the shops in the area do a core exchange with a big business out of state rebuilder.

I thought about a salvage yard differential but as expensive as they are and as big a problem as these front diffs have with eating themselves I'd rather not go through the hassle and expense of a used diff only to need to have that one rebuilt as well.

I'm a bit surprised as I've had that work done in the past (years ago). I'm thinking of trying to find an off-road shop somewhere to check with them. I lived in MD for a few years when I first moved to the D.C. area and had Maryland Speed transplant a G80 into a Trailblazer I owned.

Any suggestions for good off-road shops from my NoVA brothers/sisters?

 

[z0lt3c]

I've been searching for a rebuilder in the NY/NJ/CT area, can't help you w/ NoVA directly, but I can relate my experiences. I have found a few local shops who will do the rebuild themselves, including the dealer, but most cannot commit to a firm price until opening up the case and seeing what needs to be replaced. I've gotten quotes as low as $750 if only the carrier bearings need to be replaced including parts and labor. On the other hand, the best value seems to be to purchase a rebuilt differential from a speciality shop and just find a local shop to remove your old one and install the new one. Best price I've seen on a fully rebuild differential is $1000 after core refund. I have found 3 shops, 1 in NYC, 1 in PA and 1 in IL who have a good reputation and offer similar pricing and core policies. I have a local shop quote $250 for the R&R with a differential I supply. So low end, $750 to rebuild mine with minimum new parts or $1250 to have a refurb'd unit replaced, these seem to be the best options. As a sidebar I do have a source in VA for 4L60/4L65 rebuilds but he doesn't do differentials.

 

[Wake]

Thanks for the reply.

So it appears that my only option if I can't find a good off-road shop is the core swap.

The only concern I have, at least with the eBay units I find as a source is that they only have a 3 month warranty on most rebuilt units I come across. That makes me a little nervous as it doesn't sound like they have enough faith in their work to warrant them past that time. I figure even a so-so job of rebuilding would last at least that long. Then there's the hassle of the core swap, shipping the old one back.

Maybe I'll try the local salvage yards to see what they have and for how much. Might be worth it to grab a cheap one and install it then rebuild the stock unit myself. Then I'd have a spare if the salvage unit went bad. I've rebuilt one unit (rear) about 20 years ago so I should be able to tackle this. I just don't have the setup in my garage to make it convenient to do so and I really didn't want to deal with the crush sleeve. LOL.

I scouted eBay and saw a local pickup unit in Brooklyn for $120. Maybe I'll get lucky and find one locally in the next month or two for a bargain price. My Escalade isn't a daily driver, only a couple thousand miles a year so hopefully I have some time to find a suitable donor.

Who in VA do you use for transmissions?

 

[z0lt3c]

For a rebuilder, check out; http://www.gmgearheads.com/ -- They offer a 1 year warranty standard and will extend it up to 3 years if you choose the "professional" rebuild option. They happen to be somewhat local to me, so I have the added benefit of being able to pickup and avoid shipping (twice including the core return). Here are the two ebay auctions I'm watching;

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251409244528 - This one has the longest base warranty @ 2 years.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/121232632217 - This one only has a 6mo warranty but is the cheapest option at $850

w/r/t to salvage yard units, I would not buy one to use as-is. My 2003 escalade only has 80K miles and the differential is shot, I don't see how a junk yard unit is going to be in any better shape. I guess if you got it cheap enough, you could use it as a core and rebuild it yourself. Given $150 for the core and then $250 for a rebuild kit, that would be a nice savings. Would be a good way for somebody on the forum to make money who could do it.

w/r/t the transmission rebuild, I have used Colonial Transmissions in Petersburg, VA to supply refurb'd units..