I have a worn bearing in the differential. Suspect it is the pinion. I can find no shop (including the dealer) willing to rebuild the diff. Am I stuck with having to go with a remanufactured rear axle assembly from a national company? $2700 for the unit.

 

It is unfortunate that a lot of shops/ techs don't get involved in differential work.

What you might consider would be a salvage yard rear with the same ratio. The axles will need to be backed out to do that, but you don't have too much choice.

It is not difficult to replace pinion bearings, but it is a bit of work and you need to know what you are doing . Depending on your means , tools and determination, you might want to read up on replacing them and see what you think.

If your vehicle has a 2 piece driveshaft, make sure the center bearing is not causing the noise.