I recently purchased a 99' Dodge 2500 with a dana 80 rear axle. It was set up way wrong. Preload ,contact pattern, and backlash were all wrong. I bought a new ring&pinion and had a local repair shop install it.They Quoted me 7hrs @ $490, but once they tore into it they said that since it was installed incorrectly before, they had to measure everything out from scratch. It took them 21hrs @ $1470 labor to do this. Are they being honest or did I get swindled?

 

I dont think that it should have even taken them 7 hours. If it takes them more than that, they dont know what they are doing. I will look up the book time tomorrow and let you know how long it should take according to Dodge.

 

They said that since they had no previous backlash and preload measurements to go by, they had to start from scratch and measure the whole thing out as they went as if it were in the assembly line.

 

Call the BBB of your state. It is insane to think it would take seven hours let alone three days. Maybe consider AG. THat is defenatly fraud. We had mine in and out seven times to get it right and only spent four hours. That was a new carrier and install kit and new gears. Not to mention all their smoke breaks.

Randy

 

Holy cow!?!?! Yes, you got swindled......a shop that spent 3 days trying to set up a ring and pinion set has clearly demonstrated they have absolutely no idea what they are doing. To say they had no measurements to go by is what made it take so long is another indicator that they are probably in over their heads. I would do what oestreich84 suggested and get the book time for the job from DC and offer to pay that amount. It may very well have taken them 21 hours but that was obviously because they were incompotent not because there were some unforseeable technical problems......and there is no excuse they can give for you having to pay for that. Unfortunately they are playing on your ignorance of the issue by hoping that you know less about ring and pinion installs than they do. It could come down to a call to the BBB if that is what it takes - but don't do that until you are armed with the correct info from DC on what the book time is for the job.

FWIW, the last time I did ring and pinion work on my Jeep, we installed new ring and pinions, bearings and carriers for both front and rear D60's including some extra time for the ARB air line install in the front diff, it took 6 hours.....this was at a fully equipped shop with help from a friend who builds Dana axles for a living but he doesn't do anything different than any other experienced mechanic.

IMO, a reasonable time to re & re the rear D80 diff should be 3-4 hours when done by a properly equipped shop with an experienced tech.

 

I'd be a little concerned that they are not very experienced with setting up gears! If you want them to live backlash and preload need to be set up carefully especially with the torque that our trucks put out. If the shop was competent there is no way that the price should have gone up just because the previous gears were poorly set up!!

 

Thanks guys, I have already paid for the work, but I know now that I will investigate further if I have this type of work done again.

 

Don't just give up!! You were robbed! Call the owner back with DC numbers and complain and threaten the BBB. Yes it took me 21 hours to setup my first 8.8 rear but that was my time on my truck in my garage, now complete rebuild new everything maybe 4 hours with a smoke or drink break.

 

I've never been inside of the case on my Dana 80, but I've heard that they are not like typical Dana axles in that there are "Spanner nuts" inside the case that actualy hold the carrier in place and are used to dial in the backlash. If this is the case, then these guys are truly feeding you a line because the only thing they would have to really mess with is the shims on the pinion and I'm not even sure if the D80 has those either. But as an experienced axle guy, you can not ask for an easier set up than that of an axle with spanner nuts. It is SO easy to adjust the backlash this way. Instead of having to guess with shims (anyone who has set up a D44 or D60 knows what I am talking about). And as far as them not having any data to go on for the proper preload and backlash meaurements, any experienced shop that does ring & pinion set ups would already know that info right from the start. By the way, if they didn't know the correct info, how did they know it was set up wrong to begin with?

 

The 80 has shims under the carrier bearings and under the pinion. As I said before we had the pinion in/out numerous times to get it right. But should not have taken anywhere near that. Go back and talk to manager and as I said go to the BBB.

Randy

 

I completely spaced out today and forgot to get the numbers I already wrote myself a note so that I won't forget to check tomorrow.