Rebuilt and Re-manufactured Differences

You’ve no doubt seen final drives advertised as “rebuilt” or “re-manufactured.” You might have assumed that this refers to the same thing, but it really doesn’t. In this blog post, we are going to look at the difference between a rebuilt final drive and a re-manufactured final drive.

Rebuilt Final Drive Motor

If a drive is rebuilt, that means it was cleaned, at least partially disassembled, and inspected with parts repaired and replaced according to the technician’s judgment. If a part appears to be functional it is only cleaned, but not replaced or reconditioned — only parts that are obviously broken are replaced and the replacement parts may or may not be new. After that process is complete, the drive is then tested.

Re-manufactured Final Drive Motor

A re-manufactured drive involves exterior cleaning, full disassembly, cleaning of all parts, and detailed inspection followed by repair, reconditioning, and replacement(s) so that the drive is restored to its original factory specifications. Depending on the part in question, this could involve resurfacing, boring, reworking, etc. The reassembled drive is then tested for quality assurance and held to very strict criteria. In most cases, a re-manufactured final drive is in even better condition than when it was new.

Differences

A re-manufactured drive will have a longer useful life than a rebuilt drive because of the level of detail involved in the cleaning, inspection, and repairs. Rebuilding is a less precise process than re-manufacturing. Re-manufacturing focuses on the big picture as well as the details while rebuilding focuses primarily on the big picture. Re-manufacturing is more of a scientific, quality-oriented process than rebuilding.

Implications

Since not all the components in a rebuilt drive were restored or replaced, the useful life of the rebuilt drive is limited by how long the weakest and most worn component can still function. This is not true for a re-manufactured drive, which is in like-new condition.

Keep in mind that while a rebuilt drive may initially seem cheaper it will likely be more expensive in the long run because of subsequent repairs and the downtime associated with the older parts that were not replaced. A re-manufactured drive is actually your best option if you are looking to save money, and it is as close as you can get to a new final drive without the cost of a new final drive.

Conclusion

There are both similarities and differences between rebuilt final drives and re-manufactured final drives. Both have been cleaned, inspected, and repaired – but the level of detail and the criteria involved are very different. A re-manufactured final drive has been restored to factory specifications and may be even better than new but at a fraction of the cost. In the long haul, and re-manufactured drive will be your wisest investment.