armyhockeynut
Ft Myer, VA
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Joined: 02/08/2001
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UPDATE...stopped at truck shop which I have much faith in. Mechanic rode around and said sounds like bearing failure. Said the damage is done, taking it for the weekend wont make it any worse. So we are going camping one last time this year. Dropping the truck on Sunday when we get back and they will tackle it Monday am. Was willing to check it today, but knew my perdicemant, and didnt want to mess "opening a can of worms"...He truly thinks it is a simple fix. Yeah...Said getting the parts local may be tough, but has a good source in Michigan. With camping season done, there is no rush on the truck, but I aint telling him that. Also i did not mention anything about the first shop that looked at it...
THANKS again for all the feedback. Will do final update next week when the truck is done...
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dodge guy
Bartlett IL
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Joined: 03/23/2004
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Very good, everything you mention is exactly what you should be doing. I agree the rear will most likely be OK for at least a few more trips. so don`t worry about your 1 last trip.
Keep us posted on the outcome!
Wife Kim 
Son Brandon 8yrs
Daughter Marissa 7yrs
Dog Shadow 
07 Cherokee 32B
02 Excursion 4X4 V-10 4.30 gear, Hellwig sway bar
Reese HP dualcam,Prodigy brake controller.
A bad day of camping is
better than a good day at work!
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dfb
gardnerville
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Joined: 09/29/2005
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My Dodge started to do it between 25 and 27 mph... Changed the Gear oil and all is ok now...
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Jarlaxle
New England
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Joined: 11/18/2006
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Worth a shot...what do you have to lose, $20 worth of gasket & gear oil?
John
1984 Ford B-700 school bus conversion, Thomas body
A bunch of other vehicles
3 nutty cats (Maya, Vierna, Briza)
One lazy dog (Marmaduke)
One wife (Liz)
"A wasted youth is better by far than a wise and productive old age"
-Jim Steinman
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jpjulian
Illinois
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Joined: 02/22/2009
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Had a '99 GMC Yukon. Great truck, when used as a station wagon. When towing my then Sunnybrook TT, I would get about 150 miles before the rear end would start to whine. That TT weighed a bit over 6,000 lbs. 3.73 gears, tow package and no axle or gross weight ratings were exceeded. 9 rear-ends over 36,000 miles with the end coming on July, 3, 2002 on US20 about 40 miles west of Albany, NY. The dealers replaced bearings, ring and pinion gears and who knows what all but the documentation was such no lemon law could be imposed. GM said I was towing improperly. Funny thing is that we towed that same trailer with a Ford Explorer to New Mexico and back. 2 dealers in Illinois, one in Indiana and finally one in NY couldn't get the rear-end to work right. Dealer in Cobleskill, NY bent over backwards to keep me in a GM as Ford was next door and Dodge was across the street. We came home in a new Tahoe with 4.10 gears and that truck was bullet proof for the 5 years we owned it. Mileage sucked but no rear-end problems. Traded that Tahoe for an F250 PSD on July, 3, 2007. Coincidence?? No, but the Super Duty is a 40 mule team by comparison.
Joe
2008 Big Horn 3370 5th wheel, 2008 Ford F-250 Extended Cab, 6.4L Diesel. Retired Illinois State Trooper. Kids gone. Dogs gone. We're gone!!
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bucky
Eastern Shore of MD
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Joined: 05/07/2003
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Just FYI, as the OP has made his decision. You won't find a used rear in a yard for $150-$250 anymore, at least not on the right coast. $1000 and up is what we are being quoted, with the big dually stuff even higher. A reman from Jasper or other sources is into the $2500 range and up. Plus labor.
99 F250 PSD CC LB 3.73 4X4 7360 lbs, and it can sink in the mud FAST, 2004 Coachmen Catalina TT 297RKS 8200 lbs on the road.
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Dave H M
IL
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Joined: 08/11/2006
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Berings a problem? No offense but you must live in outer mongolia. 
Last time I did a Diff, and this was in AK, the bearings were in stock in Anchorage.
Do differentials have hard to get bearings now a days?
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Jeff10236
Annapolis, MD
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Joined: 12/20/2008
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Well, it looks like you've made your decision about how you're going to start this, and I'm not a mechanic so I can't really comment on what the original mechanic did. However, a quick plug for the dealer. If you don't have a local independent mechanic you already know and trust, it can't hurt (in the future) to give them a chance. In my book, if the estimate is about 10% more (up to about $1-2000, then 5% more since 10% on a bill over $1-2K is getting pricey) it may be worth it. Why would I pay a little more at the dealer- you have mechanics who work on your brand vehicle everyday versus someone who may know them and their nuances, but not nearly as well as someone who that is all they work on.
Mainly I want to comment on what I read as your main question, what if, after taking it in and they get started on it, it turns out to be a really expensive repair- keep it or repair it?
Since your truck only has 77K miles I'd lean towards a repair. With today's vehicles, a 9 year old truck with only 77K miles on it probably has quite a bit of life left. Lets assume your repair ends up at $5K and in the next 3 years you put another $3-5K in repairs into it. Lets assume in 3 years you get rid of it to buy your motorhome. Spreading out the cost to compare it to a payment on a new truck (for which, presumably, any repairs would be covered by a warranty) you will then be paying between $220 and $280 a month on your truck. How much would your payment be if you bought a new or late model used truck? If you weren't going to be replacing it soon on a motorhome your savings could be even more. However, you would have more repairs over the years as well and in that case, if you wanted a new truck or didn't want the hassle then I'd say replace it.
The one possible game changer is that you want to replace your truck and trailer with a motorhome in a few years. How many years is a "few years"? Would you be willing, and able, to move up your timetable? You could make this that thing that makes you move on a motorhome sooner rather than later. If you decide (after the mechanic looks at it) not to do the repair you could sell or trade your truck as is but not get much, or you may want to do the repair and then sell (check blue book values both ways, and consider the extra time it may take to sell without the repair, and decide which is the better way to go). You would of course also need to sell or trade your camper. Then use that as some or all of your downpayment on the motorhome and you don't have to worry about the truck lasting another season or two.
-BMW 325i
-Cheap 4-season tent
-Will buy a nice spring/summer weight tent this spring
-Starting to seriously shop pop-ups and tow vehicles (targeting for this next camping season)
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Engineer9860
Eagle Scout dad
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Joined: 08/10/2003
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I am 99% certain your problem is not the gear set, or "ring, and pinion".
Usually when the gears give up they will howl either in the power mode, or coast mode. In only 1% of cases will they howl in both the power, and coast conditions. And when this happens it is because the rear axle was allowed to be operated without any oil at all, which does not seem like the case here.
I cannot diagnose a bearing over the internet, but I would definatly rule out the carrier bearing before I tore the rear axle apart. Checking out the carrier bearing is only a 30min job, and considering it is subject to a more harsh operating environment than the axle bearings I would start here first.
2002 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 8.1/ZF6sp RC/LB
2001 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 6.0/4L85E EC/SB
1997 Chevy Blazer 4x4
1994 Chevy K-2500 4x4 C6P 5.7/4L80E
1979 Chevy K-30 4x4 4sp 4.10
1977 Chevy K-30 4x4 4sp 4.10 454
"The Queen of the Skies"
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Ezlife55
Oliver, BC, Canada
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Joined: 03/30/2008
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I have a 04 2500HD D/A with 80k miles. While in for service at my trusted indie mechanic he advised that the pinion seal was leaking. I sd go ahead and repair it as well as the emergency brake as the pedal would release and retract but leave the light and warning audio on. The following may help the OP assess the estimates he's been getting, although I didn't replace any bearings..,
Parts
2 liters 75-90syn gear oil $41.28
pinion seal $42.31
2 axle oil seals $99.96
freight for parts $27.48
Labor
1.8 hours $153.00
Shop supplies $13.39
Tax $45.29
Total $422.71 CDN pesos so USD cost should be about 70% of this this.
I know the OP may need bearings so his cost will be greater but this will give an idea on part of the job.
My whole bill that day was $840.73.....not using the EB on a reg basis when not towing cost me $418.02 for park brake levers and 3.4 hrs labor. I vow to use my park brake in the future.
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