I decided to roll the dice and bought a used front diff from an 07 LR3 from All Foreign Auto Parts in Pittsburgh Pa. I don know the condition of the diff, only that it has ~145k miles on it. Should I open it up to inspect the condition prior to install or should I just install it and drain it and check the oil after a few hundred miles?

Second question is are there any tips or tricks I should know before tackling this job? This diff is going into my 08.

 

I would certainly open it up, inspect the bearings, etc. In fact, if it was me I would do at least a minimal rebuild by replacing the input/output bearings. Or take it to a shop that knows diffs for a look at it.

 

Here’s my advice, buy the kit on eBay with Timken bearing and Cosco seals from LK8Parts for $210 and pay a pro to install. Don’t use a mechanic. Find a shop that specializes in differentials. Rebuild the one you just bought then have them swapped. That’s what I did and was happy to do it.

If you do the install, it may be worth it. But for 6 hours shop time, I would not take the chance!

 

Does anyone that has done this job, at home without a lift, have an estimate on time for pulling the old diff and installing new?

 

You could call a shop and ask for a estimate on time. I saw one guy took him 10 hours to do the job. It looked pretty involved with plenty of knuckle busting moments. Did you ever do it?

 

I bought a reman diff from Winchester Gears and had a local indy install it. Their standard billable hours for diff removal and install (including removing and reinstalling the left front axle) was 7 hours. No idea how long it actually took them.