2002 996 C4S. Well looked after FPSH. I have had it for 9 months and love it.

Driving along the motorway you can occasionally hear funny sounds at high speeds. I have taken it to a Porsche main dealer to look at (won't say which as that is a different debate). They say that the front differential has bearings that have gone and you can't just replace the bearings. So it is a whole new front differential at about £3,000 inc fitting. As I am sure you can understand I want to look into this a bit more before having to write that cheque. I am sure a independent could get the cost down a bit, but my question is has anyone else had a similar experience with the front diff on a C4S or TURBO 996? They share the same front diff

I like to use the Porsche guys to keep the FPSH, but would consider someone else to do special jobs such as this.

The car has done 62,000 miles so not really high mileage,

There must be a better option than a new front diff at £3k (I hope!)

Also I have to get 4 new tyres, any thoughts on what to get?

cheers

I would PM Richard Hamilton or speak to recommended indies like Northway or Wrightune. Not sure where you're located but I wouldn't trust what an opc had to say. Good luck

GT One in Surrey also recommended

Yep- def go for michelins Camskill have the best prices so far

I am sure PCT in Coventry advertise that they can change these bearings. Have a look on their website.

pp

http://www.pctcars.co.uk/service.htm

There you go.

cheers guys

If only it was so simple to change the bearings. It is likely the bearings have broken down and are swirling around the diff making the whole unit unserviceable .

Indies will not save you much as the main cost is the parts, and since VW took charge these parts have gone thro the roof.

Sorry to say your options are limited at best

Edited to add sad face .

Mine went on a C4, got one off ebay and fitted at the local garage for under £200, so all changed for under £500. May go again but your quote from OPC was the same as mine and it has to go an awful lot of times before the OPC becomes the cheaper route. Try the breakers but when I rang around there were none around and the comment I had was "normally we sell one or two of these a year but have had a bit of a run on them. Obviously if don't want to go down that cheaper and riskier route then understandable but worked out well for me.

Compay I work for are a leading tranmission and drive train consultancy. If the beaings have broken up then the debris will have been meshed between the flanks of the gear teeth causing small surface indentations. I assume an OPC will want to do a pukka job and just replace the unit to alleviate any future warranty claim. Swapping just the bearings should be possible although how noisey the front diff will be is anyones guess as is how long it will last with replaced beaings. You also need to replicate the preload on any bearings in order to get the same contact pattern on the gear teeth. Failure to do this will give increased wear of the meshing gears.

In a car I was moving on I'd be doing the easisest option used diff or new bearings. On a keeper it'd be a new diff. Reason for this is that once you have micro pitting caused by wear debris you soon get spalling and macro pitting and a fooked bearing/ gear. Also you don't have any issues resetting the bearing clearance.

Oh, also a full step by step instruction with app 100 photos of how to just replace the bearings on a USA site.
Also there was a sh diff on eBay for £400 recently as well.
Good luck

That would be great if it was. Good luck.

If it is, will you inform the OPC of their mistake?