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$200 just to change 1 balljoint?


bluebombersfan

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That is what my shop charged me here is the bill. They told me they hade to remove the steering nuckle to do the balljoint is that correct? Thank god I didn't need to do both otherwise I would be out nearly half a grand.
lower balljoint $19
shop supplies $12
steering nuckle remove replace $131
balljoint remove replace $34
total= $196 + tax on top
 


Ozwynn

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If you can't go through it or around it, then go over it.
I don't know if the nuckle has to come off or not but I would have done both sides... the new one will cause the other side to wear faster and visa versa.......
 

Sasquatch_Ryda

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Yes the knuckle has to come off. While you were in there you are stupid not to change both ball joints....there isn't much extra labour as they are already in there. Price doesn't seem far fetched to me at all...
 

kryptonitecb

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I'm a cheap ass so I would've done it myself. However that reasonable.

Sent from road while ignoring traffic
 

Ozwynn

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My credo
If you can't go through it or around it, then go over it.
maybe someday I will clue you in on what ball joints, tie rod ends, and hub assemblies with labor cost on a 99 Continental......
 

Jraymer360

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My dad used to own an auto shop and was a mechanic for at least a decade before he quit and went into engineering. we had a shop last year and the thing he loved to do the most was suspension work. it's so easy and he charged you what Mitchell's said it would take for labor. you also have a price markup for the part ( our shop was 1.67 times the price of what we got the part for)

Labor is where it gets you, it's mostly around $70 an hour so...say the book says it takes an average guy 4 hours, you get charged for 4 hours even if it takes them 3 or 5.

if i were you i'd just do that sort of stuff yourself. it really isn't that hard unless you get that one bolt that doesn't want to come off or something along those lines.
 

kryptonitecb

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$70 an hour is nice, most places charge $90 to $100

Sent from road while ignoring traffic
 

Bennybooster

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That is a pretty fair deal, I got quoted 500 then did it myself for much cheaper
 

4.0B2

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I did it for $200 plus price of parts a couple weeks again for some guy on a ranger....
For a shop, yeah that's about right. If anything it's cheaper than I thought it'd be.
Talked him into ordering all of them from rock auto and replacing all 4.
 

88_Eddie

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meineke did mine a few years ago and charged me around $400 for just one. i didnt have time to do it myself, but i'll never take it to the them again, for anything. they did my front brakes too and charged about the same. they grind and make all sorts of noise, but the jackasses there just say "i dont hear anything" or "well maybe you should replace the rear brakes".....mofos.....this is why i'd rather just do stuff myself. end rant
 

Heavyfire14

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shit mine got done for free when i had my 5.0 kit installed :) and i got a super great deal on the 5.0 kit!!! so i dont feel too bad about spending 1200 bux on a 5.0 performance kit (yes that includes all parts and installition)
 

87rangerxlt

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my dad and i do all our work and if your going to replace one ball joint why not replace them both so you don't have to do it again a few months later. and then risk messing up the other one you put in there. the local shop wanted $800 to replace 1 fuel injector and the gas filter on my moms 2002 explorer sport. dad and I did it it cost $30 in parts and took less than an hour to do
 

adsm08

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Last time I priced out a ball joint job it was both uppers on an 06 ish F-150 and it was over $500. That's 2 upper control arms, because the ball joint is part of the arm on that truck, 2 hours labor to R+R, and 2 hours for the alignment it needed too.
 

hockeyryan

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i pulled the knuckle and supplied my own ball joints. shop charged 120 after taxes, parts were 300 after taxes. oh ps that was just one side to :annoyed:
 

bluebombersfan

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Okay glad to hear I got a fair deal, I barely even know what a balljoint is but wonder how much more it would have cost to do the upper one aswell, if it would have just been priced of part to put on I say crappy then should have done both. But then again If I have one bad bearing on one side the shop tells me I should do both I always say that is a waste of money for people on budgets and don't drive alot, I rather just have the other one repaired when it starts to go bad and sometimes they don't then u save hundreds of dollars.
 

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