Is better it rebuild a rear end or buy a reman

Depends if you have the time, knowledge and tools to rebuild one. A rebuild is only as good as the guy doing it. I like rebuilding my own so I know what I got or go to a local shop I trust if need be.

With that said, time wise, a good reman or new unit is the way to go if you need to get back rolling quickly.

 

i guess i have not rebuilt one myself iv shoved a reman 3rd member in. iv rebuilt light duty rear ends. and it can be a bit time consuming and requires a couple special tools. although fairly common stuff. almost everything has to be set by shims. or in some cases crush sleeves on cars/light trucks. so you put it together check take it apart change shims put it back together check take it apart ect. id have to have nothing better to do for several days to want to rebuild a truck rear end myself. i can go grab a reman third member part with my money shove it in and be right back out on the road. 1 year unlimited millage guarantee on the last one that i bought. and walked it told them what i needed gave them my credit card and they were loading it in the back of my pickup in 15 mins. go shove it in my truck and off i go.

i guess i think of it kinda like a alternator, you can pull a alternator off split the case put a new regulator in it change the bearings put new brushes in put it back together and put it in your truck or you can just get a alternator from the parts counter and put it in.

 

Kinda depends on your situation. I can usually have a diff pulled out, ripped apart and start inspection to see how bad it is and what i need to fix it in a few hours. My local gear shop keeps a great inventory of rearend and transmission bearings, gears, seals and assembly kits.

Also a good variety of reman units, but it would take a huge warehouse to keep every ratio of every model rearend, power divider and transmission ever made in stock, so sometimes I can have a rearend rebuilt myself faster than having a reman or new one ordered in.

Case in point, my friend has a 97 international 9300 with Spicer N400 rears. The pinion bearings were trashed, took out ring pinion and NO one in a 1000 mile radius had a new or reman Spicer N400 rr in a 3:73 ratio. Lead time was about 4 days to get one shipped in. Any of the Spicer N400 are getting very hard to find. They are IHC specific.

My gear shop did have a ring and pinion set, nest kit and bearing overhaul kit instock. I had the rearend rebuilt and truck rolling the next evening.

 

you make a good point. if i was told 4 day lead time on shipping in a reman or you can walk out with parts to rebuild yours right now. id be walking out with parts.

 

Simple rule, if you are asking, then get it rebuilt.

 

Reman. Rebuild. It's the same thing. Mostly. Only difference is who does the reman/rebuild.

You or some company. And warranty.

 

I get a kick out of some people, I am reading about someone rebuilding their rear pig and having the axle lock up on them after a few thousand miles. So others asked "did you set the preload?", "what was the pattern on the ring looking like?", "was there any runout on the ring?"

He responded that he bought the bearings at Napa, had the old ones removed off the pinion and the new ones pressed on, then he threw it back together ... and then asked what's a preload, what pattern and who ran out of what.

 

"What's the difference between new and remanned?"

Pulled 100k up 68 from Baltimore one summer. Was going up the last hill before hitting 79. Suddenly, I felt this hard thump. Thought it was a rod knock. Pulled over and revved the engine. She revved smoothly. Well, I was going to try to make me t to a truckstop, got back on the road and she started knocking again. Called all the shops in Morgantown. None had the parts, but everyone got their parts in Bruceton Mills. They also had a shop. Got towed to Bruceton Mills and discovered it was my rear drive diff. They had it in stock.

"Do you want new or remanned?"

What's the difference?

"$200 and a nationwide warrantee for new."

Well Hell, give me new!

"We should have you out in 1.5 hours. BTW, if you want to go get some food, here's the keys to my pickup. I get off at 5."

Anyway, great place. An old guy and his pretty daughter run that place. Any of you owner ops ever have an issue hill climbing on 68, that's the place I'd recommend.