How to repair and replace a rearend of 97 Chev. Sliverado 3500 1 ton?

Answer 1

you did not state what is wrong with the axle.
is the ring & pinion or differential shot?
or is there something wrong with the hubs.

contrary to what the dude before said, an axle from the 88-2001 GM trucks is going to cost a whole lot more then the previous year 14 bolt rear ends. the rear ends from a 73-87 body style truck are a dime a dozen and should only cost you $100-$200 at a junkyard.

the 14 bolt axle had some design changes that started in 1988, and they arent as common as the old version (the old version came in the 3/4 and 1 ton trucks, the 1988 3/4 ton trucks used a semi floating axle as well as the full floating).
also since they arent as plentiful as the old design 14 bolt, they cost more, i would expect to pay in the area of $900+ to from a wrecker.
depending on what bearings need to be replace, if its the differential bearings, you can get the entire kit for around $110-$150, and a gear set for $200, and then add $300-$400 for a shop to set them up. luckily from the 14 bolts design, they are probaly the easiest axle to setup gears on so the shops dont charge as much as they would say a Dana series axle.

they also charge less if you just bring them the housing out of the truck instead of the entire truck, its easier to replace everything while it is sitting on a bench instead of under the truck.

Answer 2

Repair of that rearend (depending on what is wrong with it) would cost you more in bearings alone than it would cost for a replacment from a recycler (salvage) - as an estimate the bearings would cost you around 250.00 and the machine shop would run another 150 to 200 to set everything back up (with the rearend out of the truck)

Used rearends for those trucks run about 200 bucks (if they don't like you)

For replacement procedures check a chiltons (type) manual -
Basicly you put it in the air: drop the drive shaft : take off the shocks : remove the brake lines : support the rear end : unbolt the rearend from the leafsprings : drop the back bolts on the leafs and roll the rearend out / reverse that to put it back together - not a hard operation just heavy work.

Answer 3

Don't try to repair it, you'll probably mess up the pinion depth. Just go to a junk yard and get another. I've seen too many people screw them up. Not worth the trouble. I've changed rear ends from different vehicles and changed shock mounts and spring mounts with great success. I've never bothered with repairs unless it's something simple like C lock replacement or something. Just be sure you suspend the vehicle rather than put it on stilts. Unless you have an actual lift. It can be very dangerous if you only use jack stands. No need to get killed working on a vehicle.

Answer 4

SALVAGE YARD BAD ADVICE!!! If your gonna keep the truck ,exchange for a reconditioned differantal ] Check ur Yellow Pages ......do it yourself repairs not recommended....it requires real skill and talent and special tools....