I have a 01 Dodge Ram 2500 Laramie with a cummins turbo diesel and it has 260K on it. The seals in the rear end are all leaking and there is a groove around the rear differential so my mechanic isn't sure if putting new seals on will help. The bearings are shot and he says there is water from the outside that has actually gotten into the rear differential. Has anyone used speedi-sleeves? How good did they work? My mechanic thinks I should have a different rear end put in because he has not heard of the sleeves being very effective in the long run and is afraid the inside of the rear differential is shot. I can have a different rear end with 89K put in it for $1400 or... can have the seals and rear bearings and all that good stuff replaced and try out the sleeves which i'm not sure what will end up costing me. I need advice, and I need it quick! What should i do??? I use the truck to tow my horse trailer... Thanks!

 

have him drain the rear diff, fix the leak, replace th fluid then drive it for a day. if it makes any noise, replace it. if not, your good. then look into preventive measures. i have drained water out of one before. all i did was the above mentioned and it hasnt failed yet. it was about four months ago

 

oh and to be safe, fill it and drain it two or three times before you drive. just to get all of the water out. and replace the bearings. probably needs it anyway

 

are we talking about the pinion seal or the axle seals ?

if its the pinion seal, all you have to do is replace the yoke, or sleeve it. i don't know if you bother with sleeving the yoke or just replace it.

if its the axle seal, and a sleeve is available, i'd try it.

which bearings are shot ? wheel bearings are replaceable with a medium amount of work.
pinion and carrier bearings are part of the rear end setup and will cost a lot to replace. if these bearings are shot, it might be cheaper to replace the entire rear end rather than rebuilding it.

i've got a brother in law with a 3500 diesel and he got water in it. they did a rebuild, replacing everything, and spent a fortune on it. beware of that route through the money pit.