I’m going to be cleaning up the diff I recently bought. Once I find a buyer, my question is how in the world do I ship such a heavy thing. Once I find a buyer, should I build a wooden cradle and plywood box? Any idea how much to expect (ball park) to ship in the CONUS? Thanks in advance for any info on this from anyone who has done so.

 

If @GTR1999 doesn't chime in with the correct answer, I'd try a truck freight broker site to get some bids.

 

Thanks @Bikespace ! I hadn't considered (due to size), the truck freight route, but considering the weight I'm thinking you may be right

 

Also consider using Fastenal for shipping. They're cheaper than freight. Worth a phone call.

 

If you and the buyer are willing, one of the cheapest ways to ship is to use a LTL carrier (Less Than Load) that has terminal locations reasonably near you. You bring it to the terminal hear you and the buyer picks up from the terminal near them. That way, you’re not paying for the local charges.

Depending on where you live and where the buyer lives, you might be able find a regional delivery company that may be even less than a national carrier. Here in the upper Midwest, we have Spee-Dee..

 

Shipping container? I got a plastic container used by grocery stores to ship gallon bottles of milk. These plastic containers have gray plastic webbed sides and floor. I think one of these containers can hold 4, 1 gallon plastic milk bottles. The diff fits inside nice and snug. It was a few years ago that I shipped my diff. As I recall, I did wrap some wire around the input shaft and stub axle outputs to firmly attach the diff to the inside of the container. The idea to use a grocery store plastic milk shipping container, to ship the diff, was provided by Tom of Tom's Differential.

 

A complete 63-79 iron diff is 100lb. How you package it will add weight and security. I have literally shipped differentials worldwide for many years.
I've had diff's shipped to me in very well-made wood crates. I have built the same. I've had diff's get lost in shipping to me because the shippers were too cheap to build a solid crate or just didn't know what to do. I am not trying to sound negative here, but some are penny wise and pound foolish.

UPS and Fedex will take up to 150lb. A solid, correctly built crate can easily be 30 lbs maybe more. The diff must be supported and secured inside or it may not make it to the destination in one piece or at all. No guarantee it will get there but they're usually pretty good. DHL lost a diff at their warehouse, never found it and finally paid the insurance cost. It was lost, dropped and covered up, or most likely stolen. If you build a cheap crate and it breaks apart in shipping, chances are it will never be recovered. Sometimes parts of it will come in reboxed in cardboard boxes, l I have experienced all of this.

With all that said, I got in a diff 20 years ago that was wired to a piece of plywood. It made it here.

Do not use particle board, wafer board, or cardboard. I don't care what vendors do. If you don't know how to build a solid crate, keeping the weight down, buy a large cooler and pack it in there. It should make one trip but again no guarantees. For outside the USA I can't use lumber unless it is certified and processed- BIG money.

Just a note on selling a diff. I buy cores all the time. Market value on a diff depends on condition and to some extend numbers. For those looking for a specific date code, there are vendors who stock them, the price is up only because you want a specific date code or number. For example, all C2 diff's were weak, including the 63 Grand Sport. I would not use one for a custom build and the core value is lower. However, a guy looking for that numbers diff will pay more but not get a better core to start with.
C3 diffs were not much better and 80-82's are the worse of the lot, followed by 63-E65's.

Average market value for a complete out of the car C3 diff is $300. Sometime less, if no caps, cover, axles, or a cracked posi, $100 tops. I see used diff's advertised for $500-$1000 all the time. They sit for months unless a numbers guy is looking for them. Almost all used diff's need to be correctly rebuilt, correctly being the key word here. Most have no clue what they're selling or buying. The myth that a BB diff is stronger and worth more is wrong, yet guys overpay for that myth all the time. I have seen used diff's with missing caps, cracked posi cases, broken posi cases, worn down axles, axles cutting into and wrecking the housing, rebuilt vendor diff's that would not last 10 miles, all sold to unsuspecting and inexperienced buyers. I have fixed all that crap mentioned so many times I lost track.

Now add in shipping cost. If I have to drive to Home Depot, buy materials, cut the wood, build a crate, that is going to take up a lot of time. I used to do for $50 but those days are over. Time and material cost today add up fast. Now that you have a crate it can cost up to $250 one way to ins and ship it using UPS or Fedex.

 

I've had them come in milk crates and 5-gallon buckets, a big risk. The ones that made it here were broken apart, many never made it at all.

 

I made a wooden crate and bolted it inside in a cradle...shipped with UPS
No issues....shipped transmissions the same way

 

Thanks so much guys. Very well thought out and informative responses. Your answers have me now leaning back to my original thought of offering it up as local pick up only. I trust I could build a solid cradle and box, but the more I think of the time and expense, along with shipping… maybe just put it up for a low price and pick up only. I have yet to clean it or crack it open, so do not even know what I’m working with. Guy apparently had both a ‘71 and a ‘75, so it will be either one. Thanks again so very much for all of you guys inputs!

 

Lots of places give away pallets, Get one, or cut one, to size. Wrap the diff in a plastic bag a strap the diff to the pallet. Make a lid using 2x4's and plywood. Bolt the lid to the pallet. Make sure the diff has no gear oil in it.