Fix or sell 2003 Taco TRD rear diff is bad

I have a 2003 Tacoma crew cab TRD with 242k Miles. The rear differential is going (pretty bad) and I’m trying to decide if it makes more sense to have it fixed (than sell) or simply sell it as is. I know a lot of guys are snatching UP these 1st gen Tacomas for rock, mud and snow crawling and thought that for the right person they would upgrade the differentials anyway. I’ve found a couple complete rear ends with about 80k miles for around $2000 installed at the dealer with a 6 month parts and labor warranty. Could also instal myself and save the roughly $500 dollars. If anyone has any insight it would be greatly appreciated.

 

What's wrong with your current rear end?

Some people won't bother with the 8.0 and would rather build up an 8.4 non e locker. The 8.0 that you have just adds the convenience of already having a rear locker.

So again, what's wrong with it?

Someone here may want it.

 

You tell us. Is the vehicle worth a $1500 - $2000 investment?

 

$2000 for a stock rear end is a LOT. Even $950 (from link below) seems a bit much for an axle assembly, I've seen them go for half that in some places, like ebay or craigslist.
http://www.car-part.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi

These are not hard to replace yourself if you have a couple jack stands and a wrench.

But then again, you probably don't even need a whole axle housing, just a diff.

Whole 3rd members: $750
https://eastcoastgearsupply.com/i-131078-8-tacoma-fj-cruiser-4runner-e-locker-3rd.html

Hell, you might just need a gear set.

 

He's got a double cab; it's still worth some money.

Only thing that'll destroy value in that thing would be if the frame was toast.

 

I've seen people want to sell their trucks for less. Like, oh no my bushings and shocks are bad. gotta get rid of it.

Those cases are usually just people looking for an excuse to get rid of their truck and get a new one. Nothing like getting a new truck with a $400/mo payment because you didn't want to spend $500 on bushings and a tuneup.

 

That’s what I’m trying to figure out. I was thinking about selling it before the diff went out and was curious if its worth the time and trouble to fix it if someone else would be interested in it “as is” for slightly less money... The roughly $1000, which I could replace the 3rd with myself? If I put $1000 in it to fix it will I see that return when I sell it?

 

A gear set would probably do the trick but I have to admit, I’m not quite confident enough to rebuild that on my own. I did find a 3rd on eBay that would work for my truck for roughly $950 ( shipping included) with 87k on it. With gear oil and gasket etc I’d be out roughly $1k. Didn’t see a 3rd on car-part.com when I looked yesterday...

 

That's hard to say. If you do it yourself, you're MUCH more likely to make your money back.

But it's not just about making your money back, it's about being able to sell it at all. When you sell a truck with KNOWN problems, you are automatically reducing the number of people who will be willing to look at it.

Buying a "known problem" is a huge gamble. It could be $150 for gears, or $1000 for a whole axle assembly. I can guarantee that even if it's only going to take $150 for a gear set, someone will lowball you based on a worst case scenario and assume they pay a shop to do it (i.e. your $2000 estimate).

So yes, IMO, it's 100% worth it to fix before you sell.

That said, if you sell it, I'll bet you you'll be back here within 3 months regretting getting a new truck and missing your best gen. You wouldn't be the first...

 

The vehicle’s frame has some slight discoloration but since its spent the majority of its life out west, the frame’s in really good condition for the age.

 

That’s great information, I believe that! I’m the same way when buying a used vehicle, got to be suspicious when purchasing a used vehicle. I guess what I’m hearing is that there’s not a strong enough demand for these trucks from people who are building them out to sell “as is” simply because they want the chassis. Put the money in and I will get close to the value from the work if I choose to sell after.

 

Haven’t torn open the carrier to know the exact problem, just had a reputable Toyota specialist look and confirmed it was my rear diff and not my U joints as originally thought Based on the roughness of the ride at certain speeds I’m guessing that its likely a gear and or pinyon problem.

 

Well, there is a high demand for these trucks, so you're going to get more for a 1st gen Tacoma with a busted axle than you would a Ford Ranger or something with the same axle problem. There are also popular mods that people may do where it doesn't really matter if your shocks and balljoints are blown since most people will replace those anyway.

But you said you were considering selling it before the diff started going out. So you just gotta consider your time and effort, too. Don't think about it purely in a monetary sense. I mean, if we did that, NONE of us would ever buy a new car since it never makes pure financial sense to get rid of a car that's 100% paid for and might cost $500 in maintenance every year, and replace it with something that's guaranteed to cost you $400 a month.

So, if you are hesitant to go thru the hassle of repairing it, figure out a number that you'd want to get for your truck, with our without the diff. Then post it up, maybe you will get that person who's planning to throw some tons and 40's at it anyway, and they don't care about the stock diff. But if you sit there for 2 months trying to sell it and no one is offering you what YOU want for it, it may be time to fix the diff.

 

Thanks everyone for the response, I’m leaning toward ordering the used replacement 3rd and installing it myself but my only hesitation is if the spindles on the axle shaft are damaged it would probably make more sense to replace the entire rear end? Is it common for there to be damage to the axle shafts if the vehicle still operates for the most part? Should I tear into the carrier to be sure before committing to the 3rd and not the whole rear end assembly?

 

I think it's worth repairing....if you repair it and the truck is in good working order for it's mileage, you'll get much more for it than if you sell it with 240k miles and a busted rear diff. You can try just subtracting the cost of the repair off it's value and listing it for that, but most people that see the rear diff is busted are going to lowball the heck out of your offer I bet. The time/money involved with getting it fixed isn't usually something people want to have to do when buying a used vehicle. If it was something more minor like the timing belt was due to be changed, that'd be different. Just my 2cents anyway

 

This seems like a reputable dealer and its relatively low miles.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1996-2004-...10-Locking-Rear-Axle-Carrier-87K/283561198240

 

Timing belts aren't really that minor, IMO. I was quoted $900 to have mine done. Did it myself for like $250 but it took a whole weekend. But if I were looking at buying a truck that I knew the TB needed replacement, I'd lowball by $900.

I sold my 86 4Runner (22R-TE) with ~320k miles for like 3 grand with a blown motor like 15+ years ago. They guy was planning a motor swap anyway so he actually would have rather the motor not been IN it at all, lol.

 

true but I just meant as far as something that is going to make the truck non-driveable versus something that needs to get done soon but you can still drive it in the meantime

If I was buying a truck that was due for a timing belt I would negotiate the cost of the job off the asking price for sure, unless it was already priced that way

 

Yeah, I gotcha.

But if the rear diff goes out, just take the rear driveline off and run it in front wheel drive.

 

What in the rear end is bad?