Resurrecting an old thread as I'm being presented with some similar numbers and wanted to share my experience with others and get some input too. Maybe I'm going about this incorrectly? Maybe what I'm doing is the right thing to do? This is all coming from a guy who never done this before, is moderately mechanically informed, but doesn't have the space or tools to do serious mechanical work himself. Maybe this will help inform a future forum go-er who finds themself in a similar position.
Brace yourselves for a lot of words... if your Sprinter (or potential Sprinter) has a noisy rear end, you
may end up seeing similar numbers yourself. Had I known most these numbers were going to be so high, I may have haggled a bit more with the seller. There are some
excellent threads here for a DIY rebuild... but unfortunately that just isn't a card in my hand.
Back story: I purchased my van knowingly with a droning wah-wah noise (mostly upon acceleration.. but still some on coast) from the rear end. Not a super high pitched whine.. but a slightly grumbly sounds that increases pitch with speed. It wasn't super clear how loud it was at the time because the van had studded tires and *nothing* in it. It is unclear how long it had been like this... PO said they replaced the driveline and center bearing and that didn't solve the noise. After purchase, it was confirmed audibly by two shops who don't do rebuilds... then to learn more, the second shop drained the diff and we found lots of glitter but no big chunks. It was refilled with liqui-moly 85W-90 GL5. On the ground, my drive line has no perceivable play at all but I was told there was a bit of extra noticeable backlash when the van was on the lift.
So far, here are the options I've encountered:
Option 1 - New/Remanufactured axle:
1) shop 1: I've had a brand new Daimler axle quoted in the rough $5k-$6k range. (I actually see this as a deal because the axle assemblies I see for sale are in the
$8000 range.
2) shop 2: A reman Jasper axle, installed, would cost me ~$5500.
Comments: Yes, this IS the safest way to go. I do understand how a shop wouldn't want to go any other direction.
Option 2 - Rebuild the current axle:
1) shop 1: ~$1800 (off the cuff) for a rebuild at a local diff shop with rave reviews (due to the guy behind the counter's genuine friendliness and willing demeanor, this is actually my choice so far.. many shops don't offer this). Details are still TBD... and I'll learn more next week. Does this include R&P? Wheel bearings, etc? More to come. The shop has a long wait time... and I find this a good thing.
2) shop 2: ~$3950 at another shop for a full rebuild including R&P and wheel bearings.
3) shop 3: ~$2000. I don't believe this included a ring and pinion (I was told this is rarely needed) or wheel bearings but I can't quite remember.
Comments: Yes, I should take off the diff cover and inspect the gears myself. Maybe a ring and pinion aren't needed? It doesn't seem that difficult but the rest of the van (cleaning, rust treatment/mitigation, painting, locks, slider door, window, blower, etc) is keeping me busy as is. I think (but could be wrong) that the rebuild route seems like a pretty reliable option... i.e. minimal risk.
Option 3 - Swap with a used donor axle:
I've found these from ~$300 to $1950. Shipping has varied from $100 to $800 (Florida to Oregon). Warranty is commonly 30 days. Note: this is just the axle itself and does not include the shop's labor to install it. Axle condition obviously varies dramatically. Getting photos of the actual axle itself... is not trivial. I've called and asked. All agreed to send photos but only 2 of 6 pulled through. Lots of the listings show the van.. but not the axle. Lots have rust. Sometimes I'd judge the unseen axle by the visible rust on the van. Some axles have been smashed beneath a van in a mud pit for years. Is that bad? Depends how much/long? LKQ Heavy Truck in Tampa has had a really nice looking 2004 sitting there for 5 years (yes.. 5 years.. image says 2016)... and its still $1950. The Mercedes axles are more expensive than the Dodge axles. There are *lots* of axles out there. Many of the axles show "0" for mileage. Sometimes they do show a VIN though. Sometimes I've been able to plug the VIN into the free carfax alternatives and every once in a while it would uncover some mileage data. At least it would help you know if they are super high mile. Dakota Auto Parts (found here on this forum) has quite a few axles and Joe is really nice and helpful there.
There were three axles I would have pursued if I went this direction.
preferred donor axle 1: $750 and had about 180k miles on it. Shipping would have cost me $200-$300.
preferred donor axle 2: Local-ish (2 hour drive) looked to be in OK condition (backing plates bent but minimal rust). It had ~285k miles and was $650.
preferred donor axle 3: From a distinguished forum member, was going to be ~$500 and had ~140k miles and only a little rust. Shipping would be ~$200. Had timing worked out better, I would have likely gone this route. Who knows... maybe I still will if it's available later.
Shop 1: $800 labor + donor axle
Shop 2: $300-400 labor + donor axle
Shop 3: ~$1100 for a shop-sourced donor axle + labor
Comments: While this
could be the most cost effective route, it also feels like a bit of a gamble to me. It was also not easy to find a shop to sign up for this. Most that did, were not "Sprinter shops".. and I'm not knowledgable enough to know if that makes a difference or not. I know there are some ABS components in there that may or may not be novel. It was also an added bit of effort to organize a delivery with the vendor and shop. Then... I may actually be stuck with an extra axle and it could sit in my front yard for a while and look beautiful. Or maybe the shop has a scrap guy who wants it? I didn't get that far.
Other notes I've had in the back of my head.
1) Rebuild kits: Timken rebuild kits aren't super easy to find these days (or maybe I'm looking in the wrong places). Rock Auto has been out forever. A few other online retailers say "not available". Ebay has some Timken master kits for $230-$300. Europarts has their kit in stock currently (may be Timken, or SKF, or Koyo).
2) Ring and Pinion: I've seen a set for ~$560 (USA Standard Gear) and another for ~$635 (Nitro Gear - 3.73)
3) Wheel bearings (europarts): ~$90 per rear wheel.
Question 1: How important (if at all) is it to do wheel bearings at the same time as a diff rebuild? I swear I read somewhere they share the same lubrication.. and thus may be compromised if the diff fluid is contaminated with glitter... but I was told by a shop they don't). The diff shop says "they don't do Sprinter
axles... but they do do Sprinter
diffs". I'll need to learn what this means in terms of wheel bearings.
Question 2: Any of you auto masterminds have additional thoughts on what should be considered here? To be frank, I've likely overthunk this whole thing. It has taken some time but has also been informative and I do feel like I've learned some things. Some might say "just pick a shop and go for it... just trust them and let them do their job." I've been burned once already (not axle related) so I do like to understand what options are available before pulling the trigger. I have some motorhead friends who say "just put in a used axle and it will likely be fine" and others who say "a rebuild is just not that difficult". I'm stuck here learning the nuances of both options.
Question 3: What would make a differential un-rebuildable?
Question 4: It's my understanding that if a new ring and pinion is required, there is a certain "break in" method that needs to be implemented. Any advice here?
Some photos... for the visual people:
Hey, not much rust!