Price for this kit would be quite large...mostly due to the axle itself. Brand new, shiny parts add up quick:
The custom HP housing is around $800.
The Eaton E-locker and gears are $1000.
The Yukon shafts are $700.
Bearings, Hubs, and brakes another $800.
Flat-top knuckle & steering arm $200
3-link brackets....$250
Rock cover...$100
Ball joints....$200
Misc. other axle stuff....$300
It doesn't take long to hit the $4K mark when you build an axle from scratch. And we haven't even talked about 3-link parts, steering system, springs, shocks, driveshaft, and whatever you plan to do to the rear end of the truck. If you just opened up a catalog or jumped on the internet with a charge card, I would estimate around $7K for everything you see here. That's why I recommend finding a built one to start with...it keeps you from getting nickel and dime'd to death. This customer (gfbh3t) scored several high-dollar parts second hand from another Dana 44 that someone had built and decided to sell for cheap, and this saved him substantial money. 06H3 did the same thing...scored a nice D44 from some guy that was bailing out on his build.
If you have a tight budget...just grab any GM D44 off Craigslist and re-gear it to 4.56. This will match the stock rear gears, and save you the expense of the rear-end work. You will still need all the supporting stuff like shocks, 3-link, and steering system but the axle itself can be done for very little. You can build a nice, usable low-pinion D44 for under $500 if you're are patient and look for deals. Long story short...I think the cheapest you can do the entire SAS for is around $3500. That's an open diff, stock shafts, low-pin, 4.56-geared, no-frills build. I've got a couple of these low-buck axles in the works right now.
Labor? Probably ought to sit down for that one. Its not that difficult...its just huge. Its a big project that involves pretty much every aspect of fabrication, and it can be quite daunting to a novice. Lots of cutting, welding, sparks in the face, cuts on the hands, etc. All of us saw 06H3 do his in real time right here on H4O. That guy worked day & night, outside in a driveway, to get it done. Just goes to show that if you want it bad enough...you can do it.
