Should I rebuild my R230???

[Guest Grenade300]

I am getting ready to do my R230 swap into my '73 240Z and have already ordered the swap kit with 39 spline stub axles from Ross. I already have my diff and 2 of the 4 CV joints I need.

 

The R230 I have came from a '91 300ZX TT with about 120k miles on it. It turns very smoothly and even the LSD seems to be working well (I can turn the output stubs in different directions EXTREMELY slowly, but I nearly have a hernia doing it). I do need to replace the rear cover gasket as it is leaking a little there (I can do that myself easily), but it is not leaking at all from the input or output shafts at all.

 

Here is my question...

 

The local driveline shop quoted me about $350 to pull the diff apart and press in new bearings, seals and replace any gaskets (soulds like a bit of a rip-off to me). Should I bother with that? I have never heard of a diff going bad unless somebody did something pretty dumb to it.

[Savage42]

I say "seal the cover, put in new oil and call it good". We work on a ton of Z32s at the shop and haven't had a diff failure. (that I know of)

[Guest Grenade300]

Thanks Savage,

 

By the way, do you know if the JDM 300ZX TT's were a different gear ratio than the American 300ZX TT's?

[cockerstar]

See what it's stamped when you replace the cover gasket

[Guest Grenade300]

Good point. LOL. I was asking because I already have a diff and 2 stub axles, I just needed to get two more axles for my Modern Motorsprots diff swap. It was actually cheaper to get another diff with 2 axles than it was to get two rebuilt axles. The diff only has 15k miles on it and I figured that I may just use that one instead of the one that I already have with 120k miles on it. However, it came from a JDM car.