Shop in Bay Area for LSD install?
 

Hey Guys
I need a reputable shop that can install my OS-Giken super lock lsd into my rx8 diff. Because I only want to do this once, I'm wanting a full rebuild of the diff as well; bearings seals, etc.

I was initially quoted almost $700 by SB Garage, but when I showed up, the price jumped to $1200+... 650 parts (bringing my own LSD and diff) and 5-6 hours labor. That's way out of the budget...

Can anybody recommend a competent shop? I called Rear End Specialties who quoted me $250 in labor, but they haven't done this install on a rx8 rear end before.

Thanks for the help!

Thanks Charles. I'll check them out.

I was also thinking of giving Rotorsport a call tomorrow.

Did you get anything from Rotorsports? Both Ricks Rotary and Rotorsports are the main two places i would go. Though there is another shop in Hayward that used to be primarily rotary but now do all Mazda's, let me try to find out their name again.

There they are, thanks Charles for that!

I did call Rick's Rotary. I left a voicemail and never heard back.

I called PR Motorsport, and they told me they send their diff's out to Pete's Gear (who was next on my list, next to Bay Area Gear and Differential). I called Pete's gear, and he said he'd charge me about $350 in labor to do it, and that doing LSD installs was his specialty.

My parts should be here next week, and the plan is to take it to Pete's. I'll keep you guys updated.

Awesome, Hmm, usually Rick does really well at getting back to people. I need to give him a call sometime to see whats going on. One thing i like about PR is they know a lot of people around town, they helped me out locating a few people.

Charles, you're from the bay area?

This is long overdue.

I ended up taking my diff to Pete's Gearshop in Hayward.
Pete is a no BS sort of dude. He's not a jack of all things that "also" does rear end rebuilds...all he does is rebuild transmissions and diffs.
The timeline was a little longer than expected, but I also told him I wasn't in a rush. He quoted me one price ($329!!) , stuck to it, and did great work. If you need a transmission or diff rebuilt/upgraded, it's worth giving him a call.

Pete's Gearshop - Manual Transmission & Differential Specialists - Home

I usually pay around $250. You should have taken it to the place in the first post. If they specialize in driveline & rear ends there's nothing special about doing the RX8 differential.

There is nothing special about the RX8 rear end, which is why I didn't opt to have SB Garage gouge me for $600 in labor; To me, $329 was a fair price for a job well done and good customer service.

The reason I didn't go with Rear End Specialties was because they're never worked with an OS-Giken unit before. I know it's nothing special either, but I at least wanted somebody familiar with the unit.