[ryangus]

So, how much should it cost, including labour, to rebuild a rear diff from a 93 LWB Vitara?

[Fatzook]

ryangus wrote:

So, how much should it cost, including labour, to rebuild a rear diff from a 93 LWB Vitara?

What are you getting done? Just wheel bearings and seals? Or a full 3rd rebuild with new carrier bearings, pinion bearings etc and seal?

What about brakes?

Need a little more info mate.

[ryangus]

Not really sure - basically, I put the Vitara I'm looking to sell into the mechanics to see what needed to be done for a Safety Cert. Apparently bugger all he tells me, and then I asked him to check out the whine in the diff and tell me how much to fix it.

I'm lead to believe it was a full rebuild, but not sure what that entailed. After picking it up, it is indeed much better - no noise and smoother gear changes. Not saying he's ripped me off or anything, but was a fair bit more than I thought. Any guesses what it should cost, and how much I paid?

[Fatzook]

ryangus wrote:

Not really sure - basically, I put the Vitara I'm looking to sell into the mechanics to see what needed to be done for a Safety Cert. Apparently bugger all he tells me, and then I asked him to check out the whine in the diff and tell me how much to fix it.

I'm lead to believe it was a full rebuild, but not sure what that entailed. After picking it up, it is indeed much better - no noise and smoother gear changes. Not saying he's ripped me off or anything, but was a fair bit more than I thought. Any guesses what it should cost, and how much I paid?

It really does depend on what he had to do. If new carrier bearings and pionion bearing were fitted, the diff would need to be lapped, and That could cost anywhere between $350 and $500. Plus you mechanics time to remove it and re-install it. And I assume that he would have re-packed the wheelbearings etc during re0-assembly, so the bill could be asmuch as $1000.

Did you get an itemised invoice?

[ryangus]

Invoiced isn't really itemised. It says:

"Rear Diff Centre( second hand part) $xxx

Noise in rear diff - remove rear diff. Found unserviceable. Supply & fit second hand rear diff.

Labour $xxx"

[Fatzook]

Right.

So the bearings in your old diff must have had some end float causing the crown wheel and pinion gear to mesh in a way that caused them to wear irregularly, hence making your diff unservicable.

Any chance you can give us some numbers on what you paid for the diff centre?

[ryangus]

$477.28 ex GST

Excuse my ignorance (not much of a mechanic, obviously!) but on another level, would it have been an option to fix this problem by putting a rear locker in?

[ninjadaniel]

the rear locker wouldnt include the crown and pinion gears which is what would have been causing the noise- so no. You got a good price, generally 2nd hand diffs from wreckers would be up to $350 not including the labour to fit it & it takes an experienced person about 1-2hrs

[steak_knife]

ryangus wrote:

$477.28 ex GST

Excuse my ignorance (not much of a mechanic, obviously!) but on another level, would it have been an option to fix this problem by putting a rear locker in?

Not for that sort of money, you would of needed a good ring & pinion to fit a locker, & by the sound's of it yours was buggered!

[Fatzook]

ryangus wrote:

$477.28 ex GST

Excuse my ignorance (not much of a mechanic, obviously!) but on another level, would it have been an option to fix this problem by putting a rear locker in?

And there is the problem.

Nothing you can do about it now, but your mechanic has just called a wrecker and bought a secondhand diff centre for about $375, then chucked his markup on it, which is a ligitimate practice.

Depending on what model vit you have, this centre could have been picked up much cheaper.

JMO tho.

I wouldn't say you were ripped, but he did you no favours.

[Fatzook]

Sorry, just to clarify, you paid $477 for the centre alone? Or including labour?

[ryangus]

Fatzook wrote:

Sorry, just to clarify, you paid $477 for the centre alone? Or including labour?

Centre alone.

Labour price appears to be only about 2-3 hours, but this included other stuff like inspecting the rest of the vehicle for safety cert fixes.

I have no real reason to believe he ripped me off, he's always come across as a genuine guy, and has a pretty good rep around the place apparently.

I was just a bit taken aback at the price - a bit like when I quote some people for IT work I do I spose

[shandy92]

hi mate,
i had to do the same to my 96' SWB vitara about april 08, i didnt know much back then.
i got a full rear diff, eg all carrier, bearings, gears ect for around $350-400 plus labour. i also had other things looked at while he was there and the total bill was around 850 buckaroos:( i was young and had to much money and parents who didnt know any wiser.

i dont know if that helps you at all, hope it does

Mitch

[303zuke]

Did he return your old, unservicable diff back to you? After all, it does belong to you.

[ryangus]

303zuke wrote:

Did he return your old, unservicable diff back to you? After all, it does belong to you.

No - I didn't ask, and he didn't offer.