So i took my 01 1500 5.9 4x4 in to a shop to have the pinon seal fixed, it was leaking. Guy says my rear end is making noise. I go out to hear it. It's a lil idk like a howl. I didnt even notice while driving. I thought the hum was my mud tires, its still not a lot if noise. Truck has 190k miles, i put 90k on it. He says if i find a complete axle its $800 labor, 6 hours labor. And a good used one is like 1k😢. To fix it the current could be 2k to 3k!😢 he wont know till he opens it up. And if it freezes then it be on the higher end of repairs. Does anyone know how long roughly I have til it might freeze up?

 

If it's just a bad bearing, that wouldn't be 2k. You're being robbed.

Have him put it together and call another shop for a second o-pinion. Ha! Punny!

Anyway, sounds like this guy needs a few repairs done to his boat...

 

I have a 98 1500 2wd and it has made a noise like a brake shoe lightly rubbing on a drum(but from the diff) for over 100k miles. I have towed a bunch and hauled 275 gallon water tanks in the bed(2800# Firestone airbags) and it is still doing it. I asked here when I first bought it and no one seemed to know so I just drove it expecting to replace the diff and never having a problem, just a noise. Although now at 205,000 miles it is making a whining noise on slow turns when the diff is compensating. I find these corporate 9.25" axles on Craigslist and Ebay all the time for $200-300, so I'll worry when it goes out.

 

 

I will try to post a video of noise in next few days

 

What's the truck worth? Can you fix it for less than 25% of the cost. If not sell for the 75% and tell them the reason why. I'd buy and run it till it howled real loud, maybe 100K from now or until it hits the junk yard. Before the bearing seizes you will know long before that happens. See the wheels turning when they are on fire during a police chase? That's my personal thought though.

6 hours is a lot to swap a rear end out and bleed the brakes, especially with a lift and proper tools. "Sealed pinion flange and shaft. Cleaned around pinion area." Did he replace the seal or slapped some RTV around pinion area? If he replaced the seal he would have to remove the drive shaft and the yolk on the pinion shaft. When he reinstalled the yolk back on did he reuse the old crush collar? Get the right preload? If not, the pinion bearing to bearing race could be to tight or to loose. Does this sound come on when under load and quiet down with normal load driving? The same with backing up? Many possibilities.

I would go to another mechanic. #1 If all he did was slap some RTV on it instead of a proper repair of replacing the seal, that tells me he doesn't have an ethical personnel/business practice.

 

As stated bring it to another repitable shop for a second opinion. Just tell them you want the bearing noise verified and ask them to quote it. Don't tell them the price the first shop gave you. 2k is absurd. You should be looking around $700-800 for pinion and side bearing replacement.