Opinions on Rebuilding Rearend on a Budget!

[mustanggt94]

Anyone who might have read or responded to my thread in the Talk section knows that I recently broke one of my stock axles at the track. When I took it apart, the broken axle ate into the diff a little. May not be bad but if I'm going to buy new hardened axles then I will upgrade to the 31-spline. Problem is, I don't have much money to throw around right now (just made $500 working on a van for my company). Here is what I'm thinking:

1) New Ford Racing M-4204-F318 Differential (31-spline that's in the 03-04 Cobras with the Carbon clutches) ($256 from Summit)

2) Moser 31-spline axles ($260 from Summit, plus $20 for new Moser studs)

3) Probably get new bearings and shims from my buddy who works at a Ford dealer. (Kits sell for $90 retail)

4) Either paying the guy my buddy knows at the dealer to install it all, about $100 or doing it myself, for free. I've done differentials before and I put in the gears myself I just don't have the measuring devices to make sure everything fits tight and is shimmed correctly. Opinions on that one?

This puts me at about $635 with shipping plus another $100 if I don't want to do it myself. Any other options to help me save money would be greatly appreciated! Also if you know any places I could get the diff or axles cheaper (but I prefer to buy new, not used) let me know. Thanks!!

:SNSign:

Oh and does anyone know the difference between the Ford Racing M-4204-F318 and the Ford Racing M-4204-F318C....the "C" one, according to the FMS catalog is for the 2003-2004 Cobras. Does that mean the other one does not have the carbon clutch discs? I'm pretty sure it doesn't, from the way FMS is wording their descriptions.

 

[rio95]

Anyone who might have read or responded to my thread in the Talk section knows that I recently broke one of my stock axles at the track. When I took it apart, the broken axle ate into the diff a little. May not be bad but if I'm going to buy new hardened axles then I will upgrade to the 31-spline. Problem is, I don't have much money to throw around right now (just made $500 working on a van for my company). Here is what I'm thinking:

1) New Ford Racing M-4204-F318 Differential (31-spline that's in the 03-04 Cobras with the Carbon clutches) ($256 from Summit)

2) Moser 31-spline axles ($260 from Summit, plus $20 for new Moser studs)

3) Probably get new bearings and shims from my buddy who works at a Ford dealer. (Kits sell for $90 retail)

4) Either paying the guy my buddy knows at the dealer to install it all, about $100 or doing it myself, for free. I've done differentials before and I put in the gears myself I just don't have the measuring devices to make sure everything fits tight and is shimmed correctly. Opinions on that one?

This puts me at about $635 with shipping plus another $100 if I don't want to do it myself. Any other options to help me save money would be greatly appreciated! Also if you know any places I could get the diff or axles cheaper (but I prefer to buy new, not used) let me know. Thanks!!

:SNSign:

Oh and does anyone know the difference between the Ford Racing M-4204-F318 and the Ford Racing M-4204-F318C....the "C" one, according to the FMS catalog is for the 2003-2004 Cobras. Does that mean the other one does not have the carbon clutch discs? I'm pretty sure it doesn't, from the way FMS is wording their descriptions.

Those prices are right and that is the same I'm doing, except for the mosers. I'm going superior of strange.

 

[SublimeRT]

Buy a used 31 spline trac loc for under a $100 and a rebuild kit with the good clutches which shouldn't be any more than $75 and you'll have a diff. just as good as that '03-04 one. You'll need 2 new ABS exciter rings too more than likely. Most of the time the stock ones break when trying to take them off the old axles. You can get them at a Ford dealer and should be about 15 bucks a piece. A differential cap stud kit is cheap insurance too IMO. They're about $30. Another suggestion that can be done anytime really, is have the axle tubes and torque boxes welded up and get a set of upper and lower battle boxes from someone like UMI Performance.