any one ever dealt with dennis before?

[swynx]

i emailed dennis durst the guy who owns the 4x4 store in clarkston washington to find out how much hed charge for labor. i know some of our members are in washington but im not sure how close they are to clarkston.

my friend that installs gears for next to nothing for me is swamped in work and says itll be 3 months before he gets to it.this is the email i got in response.

Robert,

The price to swap the ring and pinion gears is $750 for labor. This price include tearing down the front axle and removing the third member. It also includes removing and adding bearings or a locker however the parts are not included. I always recommend new bearings when installing new gears but it is not mandatory. If you don't have the parts, I can get them at the below prices. Now is the time to add a locker in the rear ($675 more).

Dana 35 reverse rotation 4.88 gears $240
Dana 35 install kit w/ bearings $100
Ford 8.8 gears $195
Ford 8.8 install kit w/ bearings $100
New rear wheel bearings and seals are recommended for this axle. Bearings and seals cost $80 and $40 for install for both sides.

Complete job after tax is $1660.86.

Thanks for the email.


seems like a pretty fair price, seems like ill be savin up to throw in a locker at the same time as the gears so i dont pay an extra 750$ for labor. any one have any suggestions for a locker? this wont be daily driven and i refuse to throw it on a trailer. itll be drivin to the mud hole and back, thats it.

 

[Hagan]

Seems expensive. There is a guy in my town who installed my friends ring and pinion for $120. He did bring him the 3rd but you could too.

Imagine if you took out your 3rd member, and removed your rear axle, bought all of the parts necessary and dropped it off here in Oregon, you'd be saving over $500. And why not just buy a Lunch Box locker for around $250-$300?

 

[swynx]

Seems expensive. There is a guy in my town who installed my friends ring and pinion for $120. He did bring him the 3rd but you could too.

Imagine if you took out your 3rd member, and removed your rear axle, bought all of the parts necessary and dropped it off here in Oregon, you'd be saving over $500. And why not just buy a Lunch Box locker for around $250-$300?

because idk any thing about lockers lol, thats why i asked for opinions. ive always just ran the open/limited slip in the rear and hubs up front. but now that i wont be driving this thing on the road very much. im ready to step up to a real locker. so is a lunch box locker good for offroading?

and this is just a quote from the guy. im pretty sure when i do do it since ill be lifting it ill just tear out the 3rd and the 8.8 and bring them to him.

 

[87RangerSTX]

I wouldn't waste your time with The 4X4 Store. I live not to far from you, up in Kooskia, and when I went to college at LCSC I had a classmate of mine that went there for some axle work. They like to rape you on every little penny and dime just because they are pretty much the only 4x4 shop in the area. I would offer to do the work for you for a lot smaller price that we could negotiate if you were to ever come up to the Kooskia area. I rebuild axles all the time. Both at home and at work since I've spent the last three years working at the Ford Dealership up in Moscow. But I have now moved back to my hometown of Kooskia. If I was still in Moscow it'd be a bit easier for me to work on your rig, but Kooskia isn't that far anyways if the little bit longer drive is worth it to you for a lower labor rate.

I'm also very experienced with lockers of different kinds if that is what you would like to do with your rig as well. Or any other kind of mechanic work you would ever need if that be the case.

 

[swynx]

I wouldn't waste your time with The 4X4 Store. I live not to far from you, up in Kooskia, and when I went to college at LCSC I had a classmate of mine that went there for some axle work. They like to rape you on every little penny and dime just because they are pretty much the only 4x4 shop in the area. I would offer to do the work for you for a lot smaller price that we could negotiate if you were to ever come up to the Kooskia area. I rebuild axles all the time. Both at home and at work since I've spent the last three years working at the Ford Dealership up in Moscow. But I have now moved back to my hometown of Kooskia. If I was still in Moscow it'd be a bit easier for me to work on your rig, but Kooskia isn't that far anyways if the little bit longer drive is worth it to you for a lower labor rate.

I'm also very experienced with lockers of different kinds if that is what you would like to do with your rig as well. Or any other kind of mechanic work you would ever need if that be the case.

i had no idea there were any members on this site so close to me. i go to the kooskia/kamiah area all the time, seeing as my girlfriends dad/grandpa own the kamiah junkyard. id much rather have you do the work, seeing as i emailed dennis about removing the thirds and 8.8 and bring them in and he just said that hed charge me 150$ less for labor, then he went on about all these shims blah blah 40$ for gear oil. the last time i bought gear oil it was 15$ to fill the front and rear of the yota.

ill get in touch with you once im ready to have the gears and lockers done.

what is my best choice as a rear locker?

 

[straycat]

Here it is around $1000-$1100 for front and rear gear installs with parts and labor included. I would do new bearings if you have a lot of milage.

 

[87RangerSTX]

what is my best choice as a rear locker?

depends all on what you do with your rig and what your preferances are for locker operation, and what you're willing to spend for one. I'd do some research if I were you and get what best suits these factors for getting a locker. That's how I decided which locker to put in one of my Ranger's. How much off roading do you do? And how much pavement time does your rig see?

 

[swynx]

depends all on what you do with your rig and what your preferances are for locker operation, and what you're willing to spend for one. I'd do some research if I were you and get what best suits these factors for getting a locker. That's how I decided which locker to put in one of my Ranger's. How much off roading do you do? And how much pavement time does your rig see?

well since i have the car this truck will almost never see pavement, only pavement itll see is too and from the trail. only thing im worried about is taking a longer trip to the trail, ill just have to research it. this truck would most likely see the trails every weekend or every other weekend. i generally do a drive through campbells pond about once a month when i can get in there.

 

[87RangerSTX]

well, just give your options some research and thought and send me a PM when you decide on what you come up with as well as what all you'd like done, and we can then discuss a fixed rate price that we can both agree on for the work at that point.

 

[swynx]

sure thing. pretty much decided on a lock right for the rear. gotta see how the bills pan out first tho. still gotta look over the ranger to see what wrong.

 

[87RangerSTX]

sure thing. pretty much decided on a lock right for the rear. gotta see how the bills pan out first tho. still gotta look over the ranger to see what wrong.

sounds good. I assume you know that if you're going with the lock-rite, that it only installs into an open differential carrier right? If you currently have a limited slip diff, then you'll need to get a open diff carrier to install the lock-rite into while rebuilding the differential. that's what I had to do when I installed a Lock-Rite into one of my Ranger's.

 

[swynx]

sounds good. I assume you know that if you're going with the lock-rite, that it only installs into an open differential carrier right? If you currently have a limited slip diff, then you'll need to get a open diff carrier to install the lock-rite into while rebuilding the differential. that's what I had to do when I installed a Lock-Rite into one of my Ranger's.

yeah, a lock right is pending open/limited slip, if its limited slip ill have to do more research.. i dont wanna throw abunch of money at this thing because im still in college and in about 2 years ill have the funds to make it idiot proof.