Best cost effective diff bushing replacement?

[Metz302]

No idea... a buddy and I had my cradle out in under two hours and that was the first time ever doing it. There is a video link on the Kelltrac site and the bushing job does not look terrible with the right tools. Maybe another hour or so to swap bushing.

I can't see how this is a $1000 job unless the shop charges insane labor rates.

Okay I’m talking to the shop that usually works on my car. $650 for labor provided I bring the bushings. Like I said it’s in Arizona and it’s 115+ damn near everyday and I don’t have a garage.

$650 doesn’t seem unreasonable so I’d be all in around $1000 excluding a $100 alignment.

Does that seem reasonable? That is if I buy the Kelltrac ones. https://www.kelltrac.com/S550-S650-Mustang-Differential-Bushing-Upgrade-Kit-RUBBER_p_112.html

Sponsored

 

[NGOT8R]

That seems fair. Other things to consider would be to add any additional super soon parts (springs, adj. toe links, camber adj. arms, sway bar, etc.) that you may be considering while they have the IRS disassembled.

 

[Metz302]

That seems fair. Other things to consider would be to add any additional super soon parts (springs, adj. toe links, camber adj. arms, sway bar, etc.) that you may be considering while they have the IRS disassembled.

For now I think I’m good.

I just replaced springs, and rear control arms (spring perch) arm a few months ago with the same shop. I’m not sure what else might be a good idea. What are the benefits to the upgraded toe links? Also

Do you think these bushings will be nice? They look like regular diff bushing rubber replacements. (The kelltrac ones linked)

 

[J17GT]

Okay I’m talking to the shop that usually works on my car. $650 for labor provided I bring the bushings. Like I said it’s in Arizona and it’s 115+ damn near everyday and I don’t have a garage.

$650 doesn’t seem unreasonable so I’d be all in around $1000 excluding a $100 alignment.

Does that seem reasonable? That is if I buy the Kelltrac ones. https://www.kelltrac.com/S550-S650-Mustang-Differential-Bushing-Upgrade-Kit-RUBBER_p_112.html

Seems reasonable to me. Those bushing should be a nice upgrade over stock and have a lifetime warranty.

 

[NGOT8R]

I’ve seen the KellTrac bushings. They look like a nice option as well. you would have to burn the factory rubber out of the sleeves, or press the sleeves themselves out and install new ones. This is a little more work to install, but it would be a solid setup.

 

[J17GT]

I’ve seen the KellTrac bushings. They look like a nice option as well. you would have to burn the factory rubber out of the sleeves, or press the sleeves themselves out and install new ones. This is a little more work to install, but it would be a solid setup.

There is a video linked on the Kelltrac site. The guy took a sawzall and basically cut the metal sleeve around the bushing and was able to get it out pretty easily. Just need to be careful and not nick up the cradle too much.

 

[Metz302]

There is a video linked on the Kelltrac site. The guy took a sawzall and basically cut the metal sleeve around the bushing and was able to get it out pretty easily. Just need to be careful and not nick up the cradle too much.

Like I said, having a shop do it since it’s way too hot in Arizona and something I don’t want to tackle myself.

 

[NGOT8R]

There is a video linked on the Kelltrac site. The guy took a sawzall and basically cut the metal sleeve around the bushing and was able to get it out pretty easily. Just need to be careful and not nick up the cradle too much.

Yes, exactly. I’ve used a torch to burn factory bushings out of my Mustang’s control arms. To do this, you definitely need the have the IRS completely out from underneath the car, so that you can work comfortably and safely.

 

[Metz302]

There is a video linked on the Kelltrac site. The guy took a sawzall and basically cut the metal sleeve around the bushing and was able to get it out pretty easily. Just need to be careful and not nick up the cradle too much.

I did watch that. The cradle is much more easily removed than expected. Something I still find the value in just paying someone to do it for me personally.

 

[Metz302]

I’ve seen the KellTrac bushings. They look like a nice option as well. you would have to burn the factory rubber out of the sleeves, or press the sleeves themselves out and install new ones. This is a little more work to install, but it would be a solid setup.

Just ordered the Kelltrac ones. I’m so excited to get this shit taken care of.

The paranoia is on another level.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Okay I’m talking to the shop that usually works on my car. $650 for labor provided I bring the bushings. Like I said it’s in Arizona and it’s 115+ damn near everyday and I don’t have a garage.

$650 doesn’t seem unreasonable so I’d be all in around $1000 excluding a $100 alignment.

Does that seem reasonable? That is if I buy the Kelltrac ones. https://www.kelltrac.com/S550-S650-Mustang-Differential-Bushing-Upgrade-Kit-RUBBER_p_112.html

What shop?

 

[Metz302]

What shop?

APA total car care in Queen Creek. They’ve done all my maintenance and other issues on my car.

 

[tj@steeda]

This ... shoot me an email to [email protected] & I'll be happy to have our tech team work with you:

 

[NightmareMoon]

I’ve owned my car for over 3 years now and I have never launched the car, not even once lol.

I’ve just heard how fragile the stock clutch is and can shatter doing that fairly easily and decided against it. Lol

Dude, its not fragile. Its a mass market 400 horsepower boat of a car. There are over 670,000 produced, a good chunk of those are on the roads still, and they get driven HARD by a all sorts of goons and they hold up fine.

Please please please, launch the car sometimes. You're missing out if you're babying it trying to keep it from breaking. The car wants you to launch it hard. Do it. DO IT.

The shift forks were a problem for a while on the refresh MY18 cars, but you're fine with your year.

Clutches will last over 50k miles but they're a wear item and you just budget a couple grand for a new one and labor when it does finally go and you're taken care. If you're that worried, do a new clutch while you're in there fixing the diff bushings because you'll save on labor since the exhaust and driveshaft have to come out to drop the subframe anyway.

Now, your bushings are shot because you have a '17 and that's just how long those last. Front control arms may be shot too. Check your rear large rubber control arm bushing on the rear control arms. They don't last very long either. Might as well do that since the rear subframe has to come out for the diff carrier bushings.

If you want a stock like ride for another 7 or so years, get those Kelltrac ones J17GT linked, because they're the only stock like replacement I've seen which isn't poly (noise). I paid like 2000 for a new subframe to get new bushings and would have done those for a lot less if I had known. I put steeda (red) reinforcement pucks on my new OEM subframe to help them last, but I have more diff noise that stock now and I'm not sure I love it. In my case it suits the car's needs, but its not OEM like since I have other reinforcements, in total they contribute to transmitting more noise.

 

[Metz302]

Dude, its not fragile. Its a mass market 400 horsepower boat of a car. There are over 670,000 produced, a good chunk of those are on the roads still, and they get driven HARD by a all sorts of goons and they hold up fine.

Please please please, launch the car sometimes. You're missing out if you're babying it trying to keep it from breaking. The car wants you to launch it hard. Do it. DO IT.

The shift forks were a problem for a while on the refresh MY18 cars, but you're fine with your year.

Clutches will last over 50k miles but they're a wear item and you just budget a couple grand for a new one and labor when it does finally go and you're taken care. If you're that worried, do a new clutch while you're in there fixing the diff bushings because you'll save on labor since the exhaust and driveshaft have to come out to drop the subframe anyway.

Now, your bushings are shot because you have a '17 and that's just how long those last. Front control arms may be shot too. Check your rear large rubber control arm bushing on the rear control arms. They don't last very long either. Might as well do that since the rear subframe has to come out for the diff carrier bushings.

If you want a stock like ride for another 7 or so years, get those Kelltrac ones J17GT linked, because they're the only stock like replacement I've seen which isn't poly (noise). I paid like 2000 for a new subframe to get new bushings and would have done those for a lot less if I had known. I put steeda (red) reinforcement pucks on my new OEM subframe to help them last, but I have more diff noise that stock now and I'm not sure I love it. In my case it suits the car's needs, but its not OEM like since I have other reinforcements, in total they contribute to transmitting more noise.

I did buy the Kelltrac ones. And I did replace those rear lower control arms a few months back so we are good there! I’m glad someone mentioned this, it seems like a good option for no increase in NVH

Sponsored