A rear end specialty shop quoted me $1K for a Dana Power lock installed in my open diffed D70. Anyone have a better idea? I can't run a detroit because I tow all the time. One wheel peel sucks....
The only thing I can tell you is to do it yourself. Get some good instructions and understand how everything works and it shouldn't be too hard. It would also help to find a friend who has done it before to help. Alot of people will tell you a professional has to do axles, but they aren't hard you just have to know what the specs are and have the tools to do it right and the patience to make sure everything is correct.
A grand just for Labor? or for the parts too? When I was in AZ I found several shops that would do the install (labor) for $150-300 if you brought them the parts. Search around. If it is $1000 for just the labor then that is robbery. For parts and labor that might not be to bad since the L/S diffs can be kinda pricey sometimes. Harley
If it is a true Dana Powr-Lok and not the inferior Trak-Lok (Trash-Lok), figure on roughly a $550 price tag for the actual carrier and about $120 - $150 for the install kit (carrier bearings, pinion bearings, shims, ring gear bolts, pinon nut and seal). Toss in a couple hundred bucks for labour and some tax and you could easily be around the $1K mark. As for doing the job yourself, unless you are equipped with the appropriate press, bearing puller, case spreader, dial indicator and thorough knowledge ring and pinion set up and adjustment, IMO, it is money well spent to have a pro install it.
I just had a PowerLok put in my D70 for $840 complete including synthetic as well as bearings..............maybe shop around a bit.
That was indeed a new POWER lock unit, not a trash lock, installed. Hoss, you are right on, I called Randy's R&P and $569 for the locker and $669 for new bearings and shims for a complete install kit. He made it sound like it isn't that hard to install. I think I have the mechanical ability, but I don't have a dial indicator.
I thought about trying to find an used D70, and even called around. I figured sure, a good late D70 with disks and a Power lock will cost a lot, but I could just trade back my open D70 with disks and get away with just paying a few extra hundred bucks for the higher value of a power lock version. The problem was the local yard I have always worked with and had good service/prices from doesn't have one, nor could they find one in the area. I like the idea of a D80, talk about the beefy bling, but I don't think I need that kind of strength and I'm sure one would cost me a pretty penny with disks, even over trading my D70 back in to the yard, probably more cash than just buying a new Power lock. Plus I thought I read somewhere that the width or something was slightly different on the 80, even with 3/4 SRW versions. That doesn't make sense, but I recall some sort of conversation on that in a thread once.
I am about to have a spare D80 on my hands. They said they didn't want my old D80 back when they replaced my D80 under warranty so I told them to throw it in the back of my truck. So when I get the truck back finally I will have a D80 housing that will need new gears. The D80 L/S inside MAY be useable still. It is not a disc brake axle though. $1000 for a new L/S, bearings, and install isn't to unreasonable. You might be able to shop the price and get it a little cheaper but what it comes down to is which installer has the best skill at installing gears. I would want the guy with the best skills installing my gears, not necessarily the guy with the cheapest price. Gears aren't rocket science but they are a very critical part of the drivetrain. Harley
Yeah, the drums wouldn't work. Hey, but you've got a spare D80, I'd put in the shop someplace for decoration....opcorn: The shop that quoted me the price is called "The rear end shop" and are known around town. They do all the 4x4's and have worked on my K5 twice. They have the best rep. The owner has a crazy 70-72 K20 on a D60/80 combo with 44's. They have been mentioned in Fourwheeler magazine once.
I am probably going to put the R&P on the wall. There is probably not many people who have a lunched D80 gearset. Maybe I will use the D80 for a future buggy build. I have a lead on a couple Fords with D60's front and rear. The rear isn't going to be strong enough for my use without alot of mods so maybe a new R&P and some welding of the L/S and I will have a bulletproof rear axle for a buggy. Harley