Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Need help big time.

[tleclair]

Noticed gear lube leaking from pinion seal on rear end. Pulled the fill plug and notice large amount of metal shavings on plug. Took it into the dealer on Tuesday to have it checked out. They called me that morning and said it needed new bearings and seals but gears and differential looked O. K. said it would be about $800 to do the job. That night at about 5 o'clock they called me back and said while putting it back together the pinion gear wouldn't tighten up and they stripped the threads on it? Now they tell me its going to cost about $1900 because it needs a new ring & pinion. :--) Does this sound right? Should I have to pay for it if they screwed up putting it back together? Looked at the pinion gear on Wed and it looks like they cross threaded the nut on the pinion and cranked on it to get it tight and screwed up the threads? On top of that they're waiting for the ring and pinion to come in and it might be hear on Sat. Also found out while they were working on it that they wreaked one of the hubs but they said that they would eat the price for that. What can I do or who can I talk to to see if I have to pay for the Ring and Pinion gears. I don't think that I should have to pay for their screw up. Has anyone ever had a problem with a pinion gear not tightening up for some reason. Just in case maybe they didn't screw up.

 

[emjay]

Usually the pinion threads are much harder than the nut threads, which means you really have to try hard to damage the pinion gear threads(i. e. drop the nut into an impact socket, then use an impact wrench to cross-thread the s**t out of it).



Sometimes the old nut will sieze on the hardened threads and break them. I've only seen this on 25+ year old vehicles, though. If they stripped the pinion threads, they should eat the cost of the gears, too. What a bunch of hacks! :{



BTW, were there actual slivers of metal, or just "steel mud"? Incorrect preload on the diff bearings can cause failure. Did you have those gears installed or are they stock?

 

[tleclair]

The only thing ever done was normal gear oil changes. Otherwise everything is stock. Truck has 105,000 miles on it.

 

[tleclair]

OOPS forgot to add that there was some slivers large and small.

 

[emjay]

Ok, well, they should pay for the R/P if they stripped it. You can see a picture of hardened threads that were siezed and subsequently broken HERE

If the threads are stripped, they will be damaged the full travel length of the nut (in other words, as far as the nut went on. ) Make sure they didn't just use the wrong nut, or just strip the nut!

 

[tleclair]

Thats pretty close to what the threads looked like on the pinion gear but times that by 3. I'll get the parts back when the truck is done and take pictures and show them. Thanks

 

[work2muchplay2little]

This would be a good time to document everything that's happened so far - especially names/times and what was said by whom and when. Take lots of pictures - make them show you what was damaged and document, document, document. Also get the general manager and the regional DC rep involved now so you've got as wide a trail as possible from the start. This sounds like something a good dealer would take care of as it's just barely out of warranty. You could certainly get it done somewhere else cheaper or even buy a used rear axle for a lot less than they're trying to stiff you for. Best of luck!