I dont think I need a complete rebuild. The rear end is whining under load and I believe it to be the pinion bearings. Has anyone done this repair and are there any curveballs I should be aware of? Am I on the right track as far as the diagnosis goes? The noise def comes from the rear and only appears when you hit the gas. Can I change out the pinion bearings without upsetting lash and tooth pattern?

Thanks,
Greg

 

From everything I have read on this forum about differential rebuilds it seems that setting the pinion is quite important. Not only new bearings and races, but using a new crush sleeve and properly setting the torque / drag at the pinion nut.

Since you'll have everything out of the diff to work on the pinion setup anyway I would suggest you replace the carrier bearings and races, inspect your rear wheel bearings for galling, and go through all of the motions of resetting the lash and tooth pattern of the gears.

Considering all this, I'm not sure if there is really such a thing as a budget rebuild when you want things done right -- not based on time & labor anyway.