Got a repair quote....and fell over backwards.

[the_whoster]

I came here from yotatech.com...

I've got a 1993 Land Cruiser (FZJ-80), and recently the front wheels have started making this clicking noise....so i took it to my local dealership to have them check it out, along with a high-pitched (but barely audible) whine coming from the rear differential and the transfer case.

So i got a repair quote this afternoon, and apparently my front axle was worn along with the steering knuckles and bearings to make that clicking noise. same case for the transfer case and rear differentials---old machinery was just aging.

the dealership gave me a quote for its repairs if i was to ever replace it.

upwards of $8000 including labor, etc. all that.



are there any reputable mechanics in southern california that could maybe help me out with this? I'm not an off-roader or anything so I'm thinking if it's going to cost that much...that i might as well wait until tax season passes to sell the car and replace it with something that drinks less gasoline...



thanks folks.


one more question...

what is a birfield.?

 

[Beowulf]

Whoster,

$8,000 Ouch!

How many miles on your '93?

In most cases (not all) there is little damage when guys open up the front end for the first time. The job is lengthy and messy but it is not a technically difficult job to repack the front birfields. You would need the FSM, some basic mechanical skills, some common metric hand tools, and less than $100 in 'special' tools. Lubricants and new Toyota parts should be less than $500.

Transfer cases on the 80 series are seldom the problem (Kirt notwithstanding.) The whine could be U-joints that need lube or replacing. Again, this could be an inexpensive repair.

Check this thread and do a search on birfield. There are recent threads with pictures. It is a Constant Velocity (CV) joint that is on each end of your front axle. The birfield is designed so that you can turn the wheels while still providing torque to drive the wheels.

-B-

 

[the_whoster]

i have 184,431 miles on it...and i have pretty much no mechanical knowledge about my car....if i read up on it....followed directions, i probably MAYBE could...

i'd ask my mechanic to do all this...but he hates 4WD cars, especially the Land Cruiser...he did repack the wheel bearings just last week...but nothing has helped.

and as far as lingo goes...i still have no idea what the birfield looks like...i don't know what a U-Joint is...nor do i even know what a CV joint is either...and i currently don't have the time to perform a messy, lengthy project. ARGH@#$


as much as I love the beast...i think in the future it's going to become a burden for me and the wallet...

 

[Riley]

You need to find a new mechanic or maybe take a night school course. What ever you,don't let the dealer do $8K worth of work on it. That's nuts.

 

[the_whoster]

You need to find a new mechanic or maybe take a night school course. What ever you,don't let the dealer do $8K worth of work on it. That's nuts.

yeah..i'm not going to let the dealer do that...i paid 9K to BUY the car.....

 

[alaskacruiser]

Hey- I am in Torrance, as well. I'd recommend taking it to TLC in Van Nuys- http://www.tlc4x4.com/2000/Contact/contact.htm
for a second opinion if you cannot do any of the work yourself.

 

[OZCAL]

Jason Weaver at A.J. Mobil (no kidding) is definitely worth a call. 310-313-1293. Washington Place between Sepulveda and Lincoln. He took my 93 from 56,000 to 138,000 miles for maybe $4,000 and its new owner, a multiple Cruiser owner, had nothing to complain about after thorough inspection.

Jason's not a Cruiser specialist - just an honest excellent mechanic at a reasonable price. He'll look at it and give you his opinion and an estimate; no pressure.

One time I had an annoying "tick tick tick" coming from the front end. The noise was there on the road, but not the mechanic's stand. Turned out to be a rock in the treads...

Good luck,

David

 

[MoJ]

Holy crap $8k? Please don't pay that.

 

[Montana Cruiser]

8K! How in the hell can "mechanics" give people quotes like that with a straight face ..... or be able to sleep at night?

I would HIGHLY recomend trying to find some time to tackle this yourself, you would be amazed at the knowledge you can find on this board. I plan on attempting my repack this spring, and I know that help is just a few key strokes away. Certainly couldnt hurt anything to get a 2nd opinion, or and 3rd before you do anything else.

Let us know how things shake out.

 

[sleeoffroad]

Yes, it is not worth it to spend $8k on a 93 truck and it could be done cheaper. However I would like to see what is included for $8k before we say the dealer is a crook. If is it front axle rebuild with new spindles, birfields, inner axles, rear third member rebuild and tranny rebuilt it could be that much, theoretically.

However throwing a whole new drivetrain at the truck just to fix a noise is not right.

This is an excelent example of why we advise people that do not work on their own trucks, or don't have the funds to fix it right, to be very carefull when they purchase that high mileage incredibly cheap 80 series just because they love Cruisers

 

[woody]

front clicking: odds are, birfield wear, very common. The first attempt for a fix is to remove them and swap sides...."may" get you by for another year or three. Figger $100 for seals and gaskets, and, since yer new at this mechanic stuff, 5 hours total time. Also, I'd suggest the FSM for the truck too, pm cruiserdan next week when he's back from fishing for the best price on parts and manuals.

I can do a FJ40 birfield swap (one side) in 20 minutes if I'm motivated, 30 minutes blindfolded. (I AM gonna try that once.....)

For the rear whine, step 1 is a grease gun for the driveshafts, and consider switching the t-case and diff fluids to a synthetic such as Amsoil. May cure it, may not....mine is already synth and I have the whine/howl that comes in at 45mph....have a CDL switch coming so I can remove driveshafts and see if I can narrow down which end is the culprit....possible that it's a pinion bearing as well.

 

[Romer]

If you can do the job yourself, the front axle rebuild would be $200 in parts. If you want to replace the birfields, it would be more. Go to the vendor section and look for the post"Getting a hold of Cruiser Dan" Call the 1-800 number and select anyone but Dan (He is on vacation) Tell them your from IH8MID and ask for the price of a Birfield. We get a hige discount there. You then can have a front axle rebuild party where you supply the beer and Pizza and probably would have a few kind souls show up to help you do it. It's not hard, just messy and time consuming.

If you decide to do this, you might want to replace your Rotors if they need it.

This will save you at least $1000 on the front axle alone.

 

[ryanjl]

You have no mechanical ability, don't know what a birfield is, nor a u-joint or a cv joint, yet bought a vehicle with over 180K on it?

Me thinks Christo is right.

I'd definitely get a second opinion at TLC or the place OZCAL mentioned, but still be prepared to spend some bank. Either that, or start learning some auto mechanics pretty quick.

 

[Vitesse_6]

WOW $8K...Go buy another FZJ80! Its a easy job to do, Its also a great way to learn your vehicle, Have someone who knows what they are doing help you. There has to be a few in the So Cal area
Good luck

 

[Rookie2]

Not to demean anyone here, but the gentlemen doesn't know what a CV joint or U-joint is. I certainly would encourage anyone to educate themselves and learn to do as much as they can on these vehicles, but from the sounds of it, this person should tread lightly before jumping into something like this.

Having someone help would be the way to go if you have any interest in learning, but you need to service the front one way or another.


Rookie2

 

[informationjunky]

I bet for 8k you could hire a IHMUD person to fly out and do it.

 

[Biff]

I took in my cruiser for the birth job to my mechanic, cost $900. Hidalgo Toyota in Alhambra

 

[mabrodis]

The fact that you don't know any of the lingo or what to fix on a Cruiser is not a problem at all. The fact that you may or may not want to learn or do your own work is not a problem either. Several of us on here do our own vehicle work, but also many do not. I would never say that just because I change my own oil and have done 2 Cruiser front axle jobs I'm better than anyone, so don't feel like you HAVE to do any of this work yourself. (Most of us are damn cheap and anal, so want a job done cheaply (i.e. ourselves), and done right (i.e. a knowledgeable buddy watching us work))

$8K does seem like a major amount of money, whether the quote is out of line or not isn't obviously until we see what's on the quote. If they are doing major amounts of work (sounds like possibly), then $8K might not be a 'bad' deal. I don't think it's worth it obviously, but can't make a judgement on the price until you know what will be done.

If you feel the vehicle might not be a good fit for you (fairly high miles, more items to check/repair, etc), then there are always people looking for a '93 or later Cruiser, even if it needs some work possibly.

If you want to learn how to do some maintenance then that's great, and there are posts on here that will walk you through the procedures step-by-step, but don't feel like you have to do that, some people can't, or just don't want to, and that's fine.

Good Luck...

 

[TomH]

It's kind of funny. If it was 8K in body work for a '93, any insurance company would just total the vehicle.

 

[mabrodis]

Vehicles can be mechanically totalled too. I don't know the exact rules about it, but I think it mostly comes down to it being your fault, and you just want the insurance company to take it off your hands. Ofcourse the money they give you for it is what it's worth (market value if running) minus your deductible, might not be alot of $, but I've heard of people doing a mechanical total (never known anyone personally that did it though).

I think it's similar to a flood recovery, where the problems might not be obvious, it *might* even run ok now, but who knows what other problems could be hiding...with mechanical problems, you don't know what really needs to be fixed, could be other problems, etc...

(hopefully someone who is an actual insurance agent will post about this)

Good Luck...