After a lot of research, I have figured out an inexpensive process to exchange your differential for your LR2/Freelander 2 for one of the beefed-up differentials from Bell Engineering. Austen doesn't have to ship you anything.

Please read this carefully. It is important you follow all the instructions, particularly those related to filling out the customs declaration.

1. Go to www.meest.com. They are my preferred freight consolidators (in shipping industry lingo, a freight consolidator receives shipments from many senders, consolidates them into one air or sea shipping container, and saves you money). I have used them several times to ship ham radio donations to Ukraine, via Poland and Germany.

2. Use the site to get a quote for shipping to the UK. My differential fit in a box 18x13x11 inches, 40 lbs. For air freight they quoted me US$93 and change delivered to Bell by air in 5-7 days. If you are not in a hurry, shipping by sea is somewhat less expensive but obviously takes weeks. If your car is not running while you are waiting for the new diff, and you need it now, use the Expedited service.

3. IMPORTANT! MAKE DARN SURE that you include a customs declaration (download a blank one here, fillable PDF) that CLEARLY states it is a broken differential being sent for repair and return, and that the differential is for a Land Rover LR2. Include year and VIN #. State that the differential was manufactured at the LR factory in HALEWOOD, MERSEYSIDE, ENGLAND. In description of goods use "BROKEN DIFFERENTIAL FOR REPAIR AND RETURN" and use Harmonized Tariff Code 8708.40, with a value of zero. If you want to insure it, fine, but you risk Bell getting charged an import duty and he will refuse the shipment if that happens. Meest has NEVER lost one of my shipments.

4. I chose to use FedEx for the ground part to the Meest warehouse. It was the cheapest, and Meest will provide you with other choices, sorted by price, in Air, Sea or Expedited categories. Meest will provide you with a prepaid shipping label for you to print and attach to the box. DON'T FORGET TO ATTACH THREE COPIES OF THE CUSTOMS DECLARATION TO THE BOX. You can ask for one of those clear waybill plastic envelopes, stick the forms there and close it.

5. Notify Bell that the box is incoming. Ask Austen to send you the invoice for the exchange diff as soon as it arrives. Pay him, promptly. I use Wise Transfers to pay directly to his IBAN account, goes directly into his bank, and they have the lowest international money transfer fees that I have ever found. When sent to an IBAN the money arrives in minutes (sometimes seconds!) once they have it. Ask Austen to notify you when the new diff can be picked up.

6. Go to <TBD still working on that> for the return and arrange for the box to be picked up from Bell and sent back to you. Austen will give you his box dimensions and weight (which are usually 24kg and 50x40x30cm. Use the same customs declaration, but with the exporter and consignee reversed, obviously. There should not be an import duty since you can prove you sent it there for repair.

Done. I figure the whole thing will cost me one very broken differential and about $800 or so, and I will have the perfect backup when the one I got from China eventually gives up the ghost. Much cheaper than a standard OEM diff.

 

I edited the instructions to change the recommended return shipping service to Parcel Hero, since Meest does not do shipments from the UK to the US. Prices are just as reasonable, since they do parcel freight consolidation.

(Changed my mind after reading their reviews. Stand by while i find another service.)