Whole New Rear Axle
03-30-2021, 12:28 PM
#11
JK Freak
It sounds to me that the shop is taking the easy way out, they won’t have the time in on a rebuild that they probably don’t have a tech that can, or wants to do a rebuild, replacing the whole thing they can get warranty through somewhere besides them to cover it if something goes wrong. Personally I always preferred to do a rebuild because we got the labor time and I trusted our techs enough to not have to worry about comeback warranty because of the labor not done right.
some shops now just want to replace an assembly instead of going through and fixing it
some shops now just want to replace an assembly instead of going through and fixing it
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03-30-2021, 02:15 PM
#12
JK Newbie
Thread Starter
I'm with Travis here. "Your JK won't go into gear"? What has that got to do with the diff? Unless I misunderstand not going into gear is to do with the transmission (manual or auto), if the Jeep won't move fore or aft with transmission in gear then yes it could be a locked diff requiring a new one. But even then it only needs a guts of the diff not the entire housing assembly. They don't know how to set up a diff? I understand the frustration though being so far from home and needing to be back there.
03-30-2021, 02:23 PM
#13
JK Newbie
Thread Starter
It sounds to me that the shop is taking the easy way out, they won’t have the time in on a rebuild that they probably don’t have a tech that can, or wants to do a rebuild, replacing the whole thing they can get warranty through somewhere besides them to cover it if something goes wrong. Personally I always preferred to do a rebuild because we got the labor time and I trusted our techs enough to not have to worry about comeback warranty because of the labor not done right.
some shops now just want to replace an assembly instead of going through and fixing it
some shops now just want to replace an assembly instead of going through and fixing it
03-30-2021, 02:25 PM
#14
JK Jedi
To regear one axle should be a couple hours max for a legit shop. Cost of gears including master rebuild kit, about $300 +/-. Cost of labor on 1 axle, about $750 +/-. IMO, that shop simply does not do any/many regears and is taking the easy way out which is cost WAAAAY more than necessary.
At the VERY least, since you are not there, they should remove the diff cover and snap a picture of the gears for you.
At the VERY least, since you are not there, they should remove the diff cover and snap a picture of the gears for you.
Last edited by resharp001; 03-30-2021 at 02:27 PM.
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SuperMonster (03-31-2021)
03-30-2021, 02:27 PM
#15
JK Newbie
Thread Starter
Maybe you can explain to us what landed the jeep in this situation? Maybe you don't know I guess....sounds like maybe the kid has it off at school. If that is the case I can understand how it's hard to get accurate information from "young adults" for various reasons 
In general though, outside of an accident that bends the housing, there is rarely reason to replace the full axle.
In general though, outside of an accident that bends the housing, there is rarely reason to replace the full axle.
. As for what caused it, I don't know. The shop says the Jeeps notoriously have weak pinion gears for the amount of torque it puts out and that these will go out like this. He said it's not unusual.
03-30-2021, 04:26 PM
#16
Super Moderator
That's interesting, have not heard or read about weak pinion gears.. there have been recent posts on Spyder Gears chipping and breaking.. guess they could lock up the rear.. As resharp001 posted.. cost to re-gear is much less.. in PA its 6 hours labor in the labor time books..$600. Get them to open up the diff and send photos..BTW when re-gearing you change out the Pinion and Ring gears.. if Spyder gears are broken.. you can put in a Limited Slip unit at that time. if rear housing is not bent or damaged why replace?
03-30-2021, 05:50 PM
#17
JK Jedi
There's a simple reason you've not read or heard about these weak D44 pinion gears over the last 14 years. #TheThingsAShopWillSaySMH
I've stopped short of saying it but the jeep just needs to tow this to a different shop. There are all kinds of off road shops in Boise, and even going over to 4WP would be better IMO. Someplace that is used to doing re-gears. I mean, it's all up to you, but I think it's been pretty clear that everyone thinks you're not being treated properly.
(I bet there's a bigger story behind what really happened here with the jeep that maybe you'll be told in your later years)
I've stopped short of saying it but the jeep just needs to tow this to a different shop. There are all kinds of off road shops in Boise, and even going over to 4WP would be better IMO. Someplace that is used to doing re-gears. I mean, it's all up to you, but I think it's been pretty clear that everyone thinks you're not being treated properly.
(I bet there's a bigger story behind what really happened here with the jeep that maybe you'll be told in your later years
)
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03-31-2021, 05:02 AM
#18
JK Freak
Even with the extra towing you would be cheaper with a rebuild at a different shop, if they are charging 10 hours for a rebuild they’re out of range bad, even then the 4 extra hours would still be cheaper than the whole new assembly and 6 hours, which is high for swapping the diff’
03-31-2021, 05:17 AM
#19
JK Jedi
Picture clears up a bit when you start to realize that Dowdy's Automotive is a general full service auto repair and maintenance business. It is not an offroad shop. I think that is what really threw all of us off. I can now totally understand why they are going the route they are. Jeep needs to go to an offroad shop. An offroad shop is going to have seen this sort of thing all the time.
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