Hello,

My wife has a 2015 Evo X MR and we noticed a small/slow buildup of fluid on the garage floor. I assumed a rear diff leak based on where it was located, so today she took it to the dealer and they said the rear diff needs to be replaced (I don't have specifics yet on why or specifically what was failing to cause the leak).

They gave a cost estimate of around $5900 (~$4700 for the replacement OEM diff, and the remainder in 8 hours of R&R labor). Both of these numbers seemed a bit outrageous to me since it's just the rear diff -- not like it's the transmission/TC/etc. but maybe I am missing some complexity within the Evo X rear diff that causes the part + labor prices to be so high.

Is it possible to rebuild these units instead of replace? I'd consider sourcing a used diff to save money but we can't do this work ourselves and I fear it would be hard to find a mechanic willing to install a used part.

Any help is much appreciated--thanks!

 

Yeah, you can get them rebuilt. I know Jacks does and Shep/TRE probably can too.
Jacks - A lot cheaper than a new unit from the dealership.

 

Thanks -- I had found the link to Jacks earlier but I'll have to look into feasibility & cost of getting the part removed locally / shipped round-trip / replaced locally.

AMS might be doable since I could just drive up there...

Totally forgot about Shep from my 3000GT/DSM days but I'll consider that option as well.

I appreciate the reply!

 

I'd trust a mitsu dealer about as much as a jiffy lube to work on my evo. Get it to an evo shop and get a second opinion. Could be something as simple as replacing an axle seal or some crush washers.

To your question though, the rear diff on an evo x is a torque vectoring unit known as an Active Yaw Control (AYC) and its pretty complex. That's why its expensive. The AWC system can send torque to which ever rear wheel it wants, helping the car during cornering.

 

Ok, that makes a ton more sense to me now. For some reason I had always thought the rear diff was not responsible for those functions. Thank you for the explanation & other recommendations.

 

My diff failed on me last week, thanks to this thread I was able to be reminded of the shops/companies that repair them! Thanks guys! Evo Gang still going strong in 2024!!!

 

Cheers! I believe that ShepTrans rebuilds Evo X rear diffs too, but I pray that our rear differentials stay happy and working, in 2024 and onward!