I have a 2008 Mustang GT with the stock 3.55 gears. They started making a horrible grinding noise and were replaced at appx 75,000 miles for $1,800. Now, I have 104,000 miles and they are already grinding again! The dealership told me that I am just "accelerating too fast" and that I should replace them with 3.73 gears this time, at a cost of $1475 plus I'll need to reprogram the computer (for an additional $300) to correct for the speedometer error for the lower gears.

I have never had a rear end go out on any vehicle before, much less twice on one car! Almost all of my driving is highway miles, I commute 160 miles each day, 5 days a week.

I would greatly appreciate any advice. Thank you!!

 

Dude...don't go to a dealer for gears unless it's under warranty. Your getting hosed. I am putting 4:10's in my 05 on Wed. for a total cost of $600-650 buck complete. Hell you can pick a new take off rear axle with what ever ratio you want for under 1K delivered. Something is wrong with you rear end...maybe in the machining process. That rear end should last 250K and beyond. Brenspeed did my reprogamming for $20 including shipping because I am running their tune.


http://www.newtakeoff.com/mustang-28.aspx

 

Yeah should be less than that.

 

Definitely sounds like a case of someone at the dealership that doesnt know how to install gears. I'd find a REPUTABLE Indy.

If my dealership told me I was "accelerating too fast" driving a GT, I'd laugh in their face and tell them what a POS they are.

 

Dude, the gears itself is only like $150 :http://www.americanmuscle.com/richmo...355-gears.html
Install TOPS is no more than 700 (and that's being generous...) at any reputable shop. You're getting bent over.

 

Accelerating too fast? They got to be joking. Just about every commerical they have on the Mustang shows it lighting up the tires and getting side ways. It's a muscle car. What in the hell are we supposed to do with it. Wait we all bought this car to just putt around town doing a max of 35 mph. And were going to take 5 mins. to ramp to the breath taking speed.

Smack him on the back of his head and tell him to go work for Buick!!

 

I have had mine replaced twice and the issue I had with mine was the spider gears. The ring and pinion were fine both times.

 

I agree you are getting hosed. Why are you going to the dealer anyway? You must be out of warranty by now.

Find a reputable place to put in after market gears (though I do agree with the dealer that you may want to move to 3.73 gears just for kicks). If you don't already have a tuner you can buy one, and some custom tunes to match your gears, for around $400 (well worth it). Get a cold air intake while you are at it (if you don't have one already) and you will still be at much less than what the dealer is quoting you.

 

They don't call them Stealerships for nothing!

 

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who responded. I was really concerned about Ford quality, but I think the true problem lies with the dealership who didn't replace them correctly 30,000 miles ago, and just trying to rip me off again by charging so much to replace them again. Thanks everyone!

 

Check with a local Mustang club and see who their members use. You can find good local shops that way, I know I did.

 

Holy schitt, $1800 for gears? They better have thrown in a new differential at that price.

New gears are about $200-$300 in parts. Labor should not be over a few hours.

 

I had priced out gears a few years ago for my 05 from Ford and they wanted an unreal price, I think around $700 Cdn, when FRPP was selling for around $250 US. I would assume pricing was higher as people just don't buy oem gears as the norm.
I don't know but last time I looked, the higher the gear ratio numerically the smaller the pinion head is, so I think 3.73's wouldn't be any stronger than 3.55's. I think they're slinging the BS to you to avert you from their previous poor repair job.
As an example, sometimes when diff work is done, people forget to wash the axle tubes of debris that may have collected when the diff failed. Then as driving is done, every turn sloshes diff fluid into the tubes and back out as the car straightens or turns the other direction and pulls debris back into the gear section to be run through the new bearings again.

 

Well, I just scheduled the repair at an indy shop for Wednesday next week. They essentially said a lot of the same things that many of you have said here in this thread. The repair quote is appx.$750 for everything, and said they would have it done in 1 day. They laughed when I told them the dealership said the damage was caused because I am accelerating too fast. They are also going to review my receipt from the previous repair and let me know if the dealership did not actually do everything that they charged me for.

 

There's an independent rear end shop (that actually says Ring and Pinion or something) in town that the old timers said was in service back during their gearhead years. One guy colorfully described the shop as being "older than Jesus and time itself" and highly recommended them.

 

Where are you located? Grinding may be more than just ring and pinion.

Usually you can get a Moonlighting Ford Tech (one that actually knows what he is doing) to do gears for around $200 in parts (FRPP Gears, MC Syn Lube and XL3 Friction Mod) and $175 Labor so about $375 out the door. You might need some additional bearings etc with the mileage.

Edit: $750 isnt bad with the overhead required to run a real business. $350 Parts and $400 Labor.

 

Here's an idea...go to another dealership, say nothing, and trade you car for a new one. Let them deal with the gears on their own dime...

 

Update: Total actually came to $841.27 --> $427.27 for parts and $280.00 for labor.
Here is the parts breakdown:
$3.00 oil disposal fee
$30.50 oil
$11.95 additive
$279.00 3.55 gear set
$25.96 redi-sleeve
$168.31 7.5GM 77-81 Bearing Kit

 

Did they have any thoughts of what caused the problem in the first place?

 

When I saw "redi-sleeve" in your billing I was wondering why the pinion yoke would be worn so quickly on an 08. Then I looked back and saw your 104,000 miles. I've only put 34,000 on my 05 but don't drive in our 6 month winters. Hope all work's out for ya.