Diff Setup Around CLT (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Elliott]

Hi All -

Now that my FZJ80 is back on the road, I'd like to install the ARB's that came with it. I have some of the tools to do this myself (most notably missing would be highly accurate torque wrenches) but have always worried about doing so.

Thus, I'm wondering if there's a reliable shop for diff setups in or around CLT? Any idea what a reasonable going rate might be per diff to set one up with an ARB?

For clarity, I'd pull each diff out and deliver them to a shop complete with new ring and pinion vs. asking them to pull apart the axles.

Many thanks!
Jeff

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Don't have a recommendation for Charlotte, but if you can't find a shop, East Coast Gear Supply in Raleigh (brier creek specifically) is an excellent outfit. You can ship them, or mudship them, the differentials and they'll ship back completed. You may need to correct the routing of the copper air line as per previous experiences.

 

[lt1fire]

Hi All -

Now that my FZJ80 is back on the road, I'd like to install the ARB's that came with it. I have some of the tools to do this myself (most notably missing would be highly accurate torque wrenches) but have always worried about doing so.

Thus, I'm wondering if there's a reliable shop for diff setups in or around CLT? Any idea what a reasonable going rate might be per diff to set one up with an ARB?

For clarity, I'd pull each diff out and deliver them to a shop complete with new ring and pinion vs. asking them to pull apart the axles.

Many thanks!
Jeff

Talk to Marshall @Trollhole he isn't that far from Denver. Not sure if Stan @NCFJ does that kind of thing.

Other options in Charlotte are Tarheel 4wd, Race Worx (formerly caronlina truggies) or even 4WP

 

[FrackMacker]

My mechanic in Charlotte is pretty bad ass, has 4-wheeled his own yotas and can definitely handle differentials - pm me for details

 

[uzj100]

Marshall or bring it to the guys at east coast in Raleigh.

 

[Jeff Elliott]

Thanks all!

Any idea what a reasonable going rate might be per diff to set one up?

 

[GLTHFJ60]

No clue. $6-800? @fourtrax iirc had some diffs set up recently.

 

[jfz80]

Iirc 750 for labor per diff at ECGS.... think that was gears and locker but an older price. You save 200 by pulling third and bringing it in a 5 gal bucket.

If you can wait while the truck is down and want perfect I'd contact Ken or 'Zuk' at gearinstalls.com but you incur shipping cost as well.

 

[lt1fire]

Per diff on a loose third the going rate around here is 2-300 for locker install.

Ken was in that range for the front diff on the 100 as was Tor.

I'd imagine it's around that in Charlotte also.

 

[fourtrax]

It has been a few years but, I dropped off my pair of eLocker thirds to ecgs and told them I wanted 4.88 gears and new Toyota bearings. They suggested it be setup with solid spacer instead of crush sleeve since I was wheeling it. I picked them up a week later and gave them about $1,250.00 installed them and got a permanent grin. Could not be happier.

 

[Jeff Elliott]

Well folks, I finally called ECGS as I moved my firstborn into NC State this weekend and figure I'm going to be making several trips to the Raleigh area going forward... here's what they said:

• $100/hr for labor - since it's a bare 3rd member, 2.5 - 3 hrs. = $300
• Ring n Pinion = $200
• Install Kit = $200
• Possible need for yoke = $40 if needed
• Possible need for seals, etc. on ARB = $0 - $100

So, best case is $700 and worst case is ~$850. Given this, would you do ECGS or somewhere in CLT? In fairness, the fella I spoke with at ECGS seemed to know his stuff cold.

Thanks all!

 

[fourtrax]

ECGS will set it up right. ask for solid spacer instead of the crush sleeve if you go off road, well worth the extra $40

 

[fj40z]

ECGS rebuilt the rear 3rd in my previous 80 and couldn’t have been happier with their service. Mine was factory locked so they weren’t adding lockers or anything so wasn’t as costly though.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

EGCS all the way.

 

[Jeff Elliott]

Well folks, I finally got this done. It is a bit of a head-scratcher though... Took both loose thirds to ECGS and here's the breakdown:

Front HP already had an ARB but I thought the wrong ratio (I wanted to go 4.88). ECGS confirms 1) that it's 4.88 already, 2) that the R&P is an OE Toyota set and 3) that it has the wrong carrier bearings. So, without a R&P set they charged $753 to rebuild the front.

Rear was stock, brought them a loose ARB, they provided R&P and installed ARB - cost $658.49.

The front still doesn't make sense in terms of a) it being a stock 4.88 R&P and it costing $753 with no gear set - more than the rear which required one.

Thoughts?

 

[GLTHFJ60]

That's right in line with both their quote and what all of us said it should cost. Why do you think you got ripped off?

The ARB carrier bearings are often different than the OE carrier bearings. What they're saying is accurate.

 

[Jeff Elliott]

Don't think it was a ripoff at all @GLTHFJ60 so I'll edit the prior post so it doesn't seem that way. Biggest questions are:

1) Why the front, without requiring a new R&P set costs more than the rear with a new R&P? Just counterintuitive IMO.
2) The impossibility of it having a 4.88 OEM ring & pinion - every search I've done says Toyota didn't make such a beast but ECGS is convinced that it's Toyota.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Maybe it's harder to set up the HP front diff? Did you ask them?

Also ask them about OE ring and pinion. It's likely that they guessed at your question why you had 488s already. It's not likely that they read the ratio stamping on the gears wrong

 

[Jeff Elliott]

Yes, I asked all the questions... like three times now. I'm going to pick up the thirds end of the week and will take pics and post - hopefully the experts here corroborate what ECGS is saying and I do, in fact, have 4.88 OE gears - as I have been told numerous times that's not possible. Stay tuned and will post up what I get back.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

You misinterpreted what I said. There was no OE 4.88 gearset to my knowledge, so that was probably a guess on their part, in response to your question about why it was already 4.88. It is very unlikely that they incorrectly identified 4.10 gears as 4.88s.

If you pulled both diffs out of the same truck, and it was running/driving, then the ratio in the diffs had to have been the same. You did not indicate that you bought a 4.88 gearset for the rear diff. That tells me that both diffs were 4.88s before, probably from a prior owner. That would explain why you didn't have to pay for gears for either diff.

Edit, I'm stupid and can't read. Where did you get the front diff from? Clearly it didn't come out of your truck if your rear diff, that you took out, had the stock 4.10 gears in it.