My rear: 8.8, 3.55, LS, 2wd with 105k miles.

My pinion bearings are going....not sure about the others until its taken apart. I also know I will be needing a new passenger axle shaft as mine is pitting, so if I rebuild it, that will be replaced too. My shop's quote is $400-$500 just for the pinion bearing, plus anything else. Proobably close to $800 with the axle shaft, if not more, plus tax.

I am leaning towards a low milage junkyard axle. I called one yard, they told me the newest I could put in was a 2007. They have an 07, with 60k miles on it, for $450.
From what I know, I could put any ranger rear in, 07, or newer?

Another yard has a 2009, with 30k miles (front end collision), for $650 (might get him down to $550 or $600 cash).

What is my most logical option?

Can someone confirm....the 2009, or hell, even a 2011 will bolt right up, right?

 

A newer axle will fit. They are wrong.

Also I would just rebuild the one you have. They say that the L/S will go out at around 75,000-100,000 so that would be expensive with the used ones.

 

+1....if you get it rebuilt then you know everything is good...you could buy one from the junkyard and a month down the road, have it blow out on you.

 

If it was my truck, I'd get one from the yard with low miles. Just look at the vehicle to see where the damage was and make sure nothing touched the back end.

Those prices for used rear ends seem high to me. They are like $100 at the junkyard here but your in Canada so I don't know.

 

I say yard. You can pick <50k 8.8 all day, you might even get some disc brakes out of it.

 

I did some more research...I was able to find an 8.8 with around 80k-90k miles on it for $69 at this one pick n pull.

I figure hell, even if I go through 1 a year....it will take 10 years to add up to the price of that low milage one at $650.

 

He said in the first post that they were like $450-$650 from the yard.

$69 is a great deal! I would get that. You could sell it and triple your profit easily if you didn't want to swap it in.

 

I saw. Thats why I say it seems high.

 

Update: I went to the $69 yard today....they had a 2004, 70k miles 8.8, 4.10 gears, but open, not L/S. Truck was t-boned :(

I found another one 2 hours away and they will deliver it to my driveway for $370. It has 30k miles from a 2009, 3.55 gears (like I have), and limited slip. Alot better than down the street at $650. I think this is my best bet. Funny, a 3.73 ratio is $600, and a 4.10 is $550, none with this low miles. I guess 3.55 isn't in demand.

Plus, I found a bud at work with the tools to redo a rear end....I am gonna borrow those and rebuild my old one in my spare time and learn to setup gears.

 

^Good deal

 

$350 isn't too bad for having it delivered!

 

$388 with taxes....will be here Monday.

 

When replacing the Pinion Gear, replace the Ring Gear with it. They are a matched set.... Even if on looks good, change both...

Also, WHY is the axle splines pitting? Is there something to cause corrosion?

I wish you well. I am in the process of rebuilding mine. The cross pin with the spiders/planetary gears broke.

Pinion & ring gear $280
Spider gears $75
Seals. & bearings $115
Axle O-rings $2
Oil$ 15

these are for new parts.... Am looking into a salvage unit...

 

Soo, im thinking that he got this figured out about 4 years ago now.

But to answer your question. He said his axle shafts were pitting not his splines. They tend to pit where the axle shaft makes contact with the bearings. Mostly it is due to wear.