Hello. Been verified that I need a rear diff. I brought it back to Jeep twice as I wanted confirmation. Last time they said they took off the drive shaft and the sound went away confirming rear diff. Anyway they wanted almost $5k to do the job. My local mechanic who’s very good and trustworthy said I could try to buy one myself and he could install. He really couldn’t locate one. I did see a few on Ebay but not really sure how I’d know if it or the seller is legit. Any recommendation on where to buy and if Ebay how I could vet out so I don’t get scammed? Thank you very much.
I would go with a new Mopar OEM from Mopar. Ebay will probably be a used one or aftermarket rebuilt one for about the same cost.
68550586AA - Rear Axle Differential - 2014-2018 Mopar | Mopar OEM Parts Direct
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I would look at local auto recyclers.
But I wouldn’t buy a used one off the internet.
Tester
Car-part.com only showed 2 within about 1200-1800 miles from my area…
This is for a Cherokee and not a Grand Cherokee right??
Yes a cherokee not grand.thank you
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If is an Ebay vendor with lots of sales and good reviews, I’d give it a try. You are looking for a junkyard posting used parts.
Make sure the gear ratio is correct for your car.
How would I make sure about gear ratio? Thanks.
Find out what you have and what is being offered for sale. I looked on Ebay and saw no ratios even listed so I suspect there is only one version. Do your research. Go to Mopar OEM parts seller sites, input your VIN and let them tell you what new diff you need. Write down the part number… and all the old part numbers the current part number replaces. Go to Ebay and look for listings that include those numbers, not just “Cherokee AWD Differential.” Make sure your seller will take returns because if they send you the wrong part you want to be able to return it.
In the meantime, your mechanic may have your Jeep on his hoist with the diff removed once he finds the part is wrong. He will be ticked-off having his hoist tied up or partially reassembling yours to roll it out waiting hopefully that the correct parts will arrive.
This is the problem with having an owner not well versed in cars buying their own repair parts, especially used parts, for the mechanic to replace.
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If you are using a mechanic who can’t ( or won’t) source the parts for you, you need a better mechanic. Sourcing parts is part of his job.
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Just so folks know, the Cherokee has independent rear suspension, not an old style live axle:
The fact that so few used ones are available on car-parts.com tells me the diff is a frequent failure point. Be very careful buying a used one.
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Hmm, my equinox rear diff is now not driven. But, it’s fwd basically. Not a rugged Cherokee.
Knowing the engine size and trim level would help a lot…
2.4L I4 or 3.2L V6??
Altitude, Latitude, Limited, Sport, Trailhawk???
Yeah, call me old fashioned, but a lot of these Jeeps now a days, are not real Jeeps…
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There is a LOT of Fiat in that engine bay…
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Seems cheap enough.
Wait Nevada. THis is a rear diff? OMG that would be great. I thought it was about $1-2k. My wofe would be so happy…lol
I will get that when I get home, thanks.
I sincerely appreciate all your guys help here.
If I did that experiment on my 4WD Ford truck, I’d conclude the problem was the drive shaft, not the differential. Suggest to ask a few more questions about the shop’s conclusion. In any event, suggest to locate a shop who will supply the parts for you. That way , if the fix doesn’t take, they’ll be more likely to take responsibility for any add’l work & parts needed. IMO you’d need a very substantial discount to risk supplying the parts yourself. I see no reason you couldn’t supply a list of parts sources you’ve found however.