| 2004-2007 Cadillac CTS-V General Discussion Discuss everything about the first generation Cadillac CTS-V that does NOT fall into either the Performance or Appearance Modification category. | Cadillac Forums: Diff Rebuild -- Is it worth it? 
08-24-09, 07:32 AM
|  | Mods on hold till diff gets fixed. Cadillac(s): 2005 CTS-V  | | Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: South Lyon, MI Age: 60 | | | Re: Diff Rebuild -- Is it worth it?
Quote:
Originally Posted by darkman  ... a third generation unit (Part number 25873498), which is the most improved. ... | $1.4k at GMPARTSDIRECT (even though I'd NEVER buy from those hineyholes ever again).
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08-24-09, 07:38 AM
|  | Cadillac Owners Enthusiast Cadillac(s): 04 CTS-V | | Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Alabama Age: 27 | | | Re: Diff Rebuild -- Is it worth it?
What's a gen 3?? I have a gen 1 i'm assuming in my 04 original diff. alot of people here have gen 2's which came in the 06 and 07's. so what's a gen 3? or am i confused on my generations?
That's quite a bit of $$$
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08-24-09, 08:39 AM
|  | <----- go ahead and stare Cadillac(s): Maggied '05 CTS-V | | Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: West Chester, PA Age: 26 | | | Re: Diff Rebuild -- Is it worth it?
gen 3 came out in '08 and are the only ones still used for replacement. I've got one of those suckers! 
Don't quote me on this, but I feel like I remember Luke saying he could do around $1600-$1650 on a new diff.
__________________ 05 CTS-V / maggie 2.8 / b&m shifter & uuc bushings / gto shift knob / kooks lts 1 3/4 + cats / magnaflow / k&n cai / fg2 shocks / hotchkis sways / hawk hps / 265|40 bfg kd / ngk tr6
434 rwhp / 412 rwtq..........are you new to the forum? READ THIS and then TRY THIS. |
08-24-09, 08:59 AM
| | BLING IS AMERICAN RICE Cadillac(s): '04 CTS-V | | Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Just North of Titletown... | | | Re: Diff Rebuild -- Is it worth it?
I had all 3 gens. #3 is fine to me...
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08-24-09, 10:17 AM
|  | Drive It. Break It. Build it Better Cadillac(s): Platinum 2004 CTS-V | | Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Indiana | | | Re: Diff Rebuild -- Is it worth it?
Randy, I answered your PM last friday I think....I didn't know you had a thread about it! I need to check the general disc one out more now.
I have a gen 2 with new pinion upgrade and it's holding up just fine, but whines. With the heavier fluid (only did half and half) it made it a little quieter. I bought mine used from ctsvrob and it was quiet (at first) then after beating it a couple times....the familiar noise came back.
I agree with ewill (of course) that the cases are getting distorted. After a few good torque sessions, the case interferes with the ring/pinion and they get out of "tolerance" (even though there doesn't even seem to be a tolerance) 
Randy, if I were you.....I'd try going with heavier fluid. I use half Redline 75w90 and half 80w140. Find a used diff when you can find a decent deal on one, and just keep it for backup. Buying a new one just to get rid of the whine is up to you, but it's just going to come back later. Which would make me a not-so-happy camper.
Long story short: Rebuild NOT worth it....especially if there's no tolerance to get to!
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08-24-09, 10:58 AM
| | Mods on hold till diff gets fixed. Cadillac(s): 2005 CTS-V | | Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: South Lyon, MI Age: 60 | | | Re: Diff Rebuild -- Is it worth it?
I'm sort of coming to the opinion that buying a new one is a bandaid; I'm going to get another 10k maybe as much as 12-15k out of it, and that's not worth it. The same with rebuilding it ... I'm just putting a turd back together with the same weaknesses.
Someone posted where some of the Cobra guyz were bolting a brace to the exterior of their diffs to stiffen it, presumably from distorting during high torque transfers. Certainly not the best thing, but I don't think anybody's looked into it for our diff.
The ideal thing, outside of doing a full-blown redo of the Getrag, would be to take a few dozen failed diffs, take 'em all apart to determine which components are failing most frequently, then propose a redesign of those components or related ones to eliminate that failure mode. If the case itself is flexing too much (and causing internal problems), then design an external brace setup that would stiffen the case ala the Cobra guyz. If we're talking about very small deflections, we're probably talking about one beefy-a$$ brace. It would take someone who's knowledgeable about diffs I would think. But, alas, that's the ideal world ... |
08-24-09, 11:31 AM
|  | Cadillac Owners Member Cadillac(s): All of them | | | | | Re: Diff Rebuild -- Is it worth it?
Quote:
Originally Posted by rand49er $1.4k at GMPARTSDIRECT (even though I'd NEVER buy from those hineyholes ever again). |
Don't forget to add their $293.98 in shipping........
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08-24-09, 11:40 AM
| | Mods on hold till diff gets fixed. Cadillac(s): 2005 CTS-V | | Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: South Lyon, MI Age: 60 | | | Re: Diff Rebuild -- Is it worth it?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lindsay Cadillac Parts Don't forget to add their $293.98 in shipping........ | Exactly!
BTW, I didn't really call them "hineyholes." This forum must have a lookup list of various unflattering terms. It took what I really typed, found it on their list, and replaced it with "hineyholes." GMPARTSDIRECT is a bunch of &!^%$#s !!!  |
08-24-09, 12:22 PM
| | Cadillac Owners Enthusiast Cadillac(s): '05 CTS-V Black-Black | | Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: SouthEast PA Age: 39 | | | Re: Diff Rebuild -- Is it worth it?
Quote:
Originally Posted by rand49er ...
Someone posted where some of the Cobra guyz were bolting a brace to the exterior of their diffs to stiffen it, presumably from distorting during high torque transfers. Certainly not the best thing, but I don't think anybody's looked into it for our diff... | I believe that brace you are speaking of is for the Cobras with independent rears where it aids in more of a suspension reinforcement for cornering as opposed to a reinforcement from driveline torque load. 
There is also a bearing cap girdle for non-IRS 8.8" rears. Not sure if it really improves any on the Ford 8.8"  |
08-24-09, 12:36 PM
| | Cadillac Owners Enthusiast Cadillac(s): 04 CTS-V | | Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Alabama Age: 27 | | | Re: Diff Rebuild -- Is it worth it?
So there differentials for the same car and still not a fix. I thought the third time was the charm |
08-24-09, 12:43 PM
| | Mods on hold till diff gets fixed. Cadillac(s): 2005 CTS-V | | Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: South Lyon, MI Age: 60 | | | Re: Diff Rebuild -- Is it worth it?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slithering_Joe I believe that brace you are speaking of is for the Cobras with independent rears where it aids in more of a suspension reinforcement for cornering as opposed to a reinforcement from driveline torque load.
There is also a bearing cap girdle for non-IRS 8.8" rears. Not sure if it really improves any on the Ford 8.8" | Quote:
Originally Posted by stuckey So there differentials for the same car and still not a fix. I thought the third time was the charm | Yeah, I guess that's the kind of thing I was talking about. There're probably two different kinds of strengthening, one involving diff motion in space relative to other suspension components and one involving diff case distortion relative to itself. Those Cobra versions probably refer to the former while I was thinking they referred to the latter. Oh, well ... |
08-24-09, 12:48 PM
| | Mods on hold till diff gets fixed. Cadillac(s): 2005 CTS-V | | Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: South Lyon, MI Age: 60 | | | Re: Diff Rebuild -- Is it worth it?
Quote:
Originally Posted by stuckey So there differentials for the same car and still not a fix. I thought the third time was the charm | Actually, someone who's opinion I respect mentioned to me that there was very, very little difference between the 2nd and 3rd gen units. The biggest difference occurred when going from the 1st gen unit ... at least that's what I heard. |
08-24-09, 12:51 PM
| | Cadillac Owners Enthusiast Cadillac(s): 04 CTS-V | | Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Alabama Age: 27 | | | Re: Diff Rebuild -- Is it worth it?
I'm in agreeance with an earlier post buy a used one for a back up Since I'm on my phone and can't search efficiently what is a fair price for a used differential will the CTs work and when the rear changed for the v replacement did the CTs change as well |
08-24-09, 01:33 PM
| | Drive It. Break It. Build it Better Cadillac(s): Platinum 2004 CTS-V | | Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Indiana | | | Re: Diff Rebuild -- Is it worth it?
Buy a used one, replace the axle seals and the vent, and have a good backup. I would expect to pay $350-$500 for a decent used diff. Again, it'll probably whine just as much as any other used diff. But they'll all get that way eventually. Maybe expect the weak '04 models.
Last edited by lollygagger8; 08-24-09 at 02:10 PM.
Reason: edited wouldn't to would
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08-24-09, 01:40 PM
|  | Truck Motor FTW! Cadillac(s): 2006 CTS-V | | Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Chicago, IL | | | Re: Diff Rebuild -- Is it worth it?
I got my 2nd gen backup for 500 bucks had 26,000 < miles < 32,000 miles on it. Of course thats the ODO reading on the wrecked 04-05 it came out of... which means it has less than that... as it was a repacement of the Gen 1... that was in there....
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