OK so I am having some problems with the rear end. I get the slight shudder when accelerating from a stop. I also get a hum from 70-75mph when my foot is on the accelerator. Extremely annoying on the highway. Changed the diff fluid and added the friction modifier. No luck so I took it to the dealer.

The dealer says I need new clutch packs and ring & pinion. $1800.00 installed.

Has anyone had this done? Is this a fair price? Thanks.

 

I got my clutch-packs done a few years ago while I was still under warranty. Since then I have had a couple of seals go, but was covered under extended warranty. With all the issues I have had with the rear end in this truck I wasn't taking any chances!

That price does sound fair to me up here in Canada though, repairing/replacing parts in the rear-end is a real PITA and takes time.

 

Had the same problem. First changed the ring and pinion, just before factory warranty ran out. Then again last summer about 65k - 70k miles, changed ring and pinion, bearings, races. Cost about $1800. Thank God for extended warranty.

 

For $1800 you could just replace the ring and pinion with better ones, and replace the OEM LSD for a True Trac, and have all this done by a performance shop that knows what to do, unlike Ford service departments.

 

Punisher hit the nail right on the head. If I needed that done, and had to pay for it myself, there is no way I would shell out that much coin on factory stuff. You can get a complete gear change on a 4x4 for ~1500, thats 2 new sets of gears, master install kits F&R, fluids and labor.

 

Mine did that exact thing, dealer preplaced the clutch paks and all is well.

 

I've fixed more ruined stuff by "performance shops" than I can recall. Are their crummy dealers? Sure. Not everyone who advertises "high performance work" is a beacon of light either. Try not to paint with such a broad brush.

 

You're right, there are good dealers out there, but there are also good performance shops. That's why it is the customers responsibility to do some research on the shop/dealer to find out if they do good work. I personally don't trust dealers or performance shops until I do some kind of research on them.