Hello all,
I'm Mike, and I have a 1997 40th Anniversary 80 in northwest Louisiana. It's pretty much a stock mall cruiser; I found this site after doing a Google search for my newfound LC problem.
I am pretty much a 0 or 1 banana DIY guy. The local dealers have 'taken care" of my truck since I bought it in 2002 as a Toy certified vehicle with about 40,000 miles on it. The truck has never been anywhere for maintenance or repair except for the Toy dealers, and it went in for the various big / expensive services in addition to the oil change type of stuff. It now has about 120,000 miles on it and is still in very good shape, but guess what - it developed clicking Birfields.
I didn't know what a Birfield was at the time it started the clicking, so I took it into one of the dealers, who tore the front axle down a bit and diagnosed it. The dealer says it needs new everything:
2 x 43204-60031 Seal Sub assy St
2 x 43405-60070 Shaft Sub assy F
1 x 43411-60090 Shaft, Fr axle, I
1 x 43412-60110 Shaft, Fr axle, I
2 x 43435-60020 Gasket, Knuckle S
2 x 90310-35010 Seal, Type S oil
2 x 90311-62001 Seal, Type T oil
2 x 90521-34005 Ring, Hole snap
Total with $890 worth of labor: $3209.59.
I told them no thanks, not yet anyway. After I found this site, I read the amazingly thorough FAQ / walkthrough on doing the front axle and I've also read most of the threads on front axle tech. The dealer(s) never even suggested rebuilding the front axle as PM on any of my previous maintenance visits or I would have had it done and hopefully saved myself the parts costs.
I've read enough to know that this job is over my DIY head. I have never even changed the oil in the truck myself, I own very few of the required tools, and the factory service manual (which I bought) is pretty much Greek to me even with this site's walkthrough.
However, I'm not too excited to pay the dealer $3200 for all this work. Although I could (grudgingly) afford it, I'm not even sure that it needs new Birfs b/c they just started clicking when I took it in to the dealer for the problem, and I'm not convinced that the job will be done right at the dealer anyway b/c I'm guessing they don't see many of these around here.
So, after this long-winded intro: Can anyone recommend a reputable independent shop that knows 80's within a couple of hundred miles of Shreveport, Louisiana? (Dallas, TX, is ok, as might be Houston, TX, north to Little Rock, AR, south to Lafayette, LA.) The local yellow pages give me nothing and I've asked my car friends and none of them have a suggestion. LOL, for as much money as the dealer wanted, I'll bet I could have it shipped to Christo Slee in CO to have it done.
Thanks!
Mike
I'm Mike, and I have a 1997 40th Anniversary 80 in northwest Louisiana. It's pretty much a stock mall cruiser; I found this site after doing a Google search for my newfound LC problem.
I am pretty much a 0 or 1 banana DIY guy. The local dealers have 'taken care" of my truck since I bought it in 2002 as a Toy certified vehicle with about 40,000 miles on it. The truck has never been anywhere for maintenance or repair except for the Toy dealers, and it went in for the various big / expensive services in addition to the oil change type of stuff. It now has about 120,000 miles on it and is still in very good shape, but guess what - it developed clicking Birfields.
I didn't know what a Birfield was at the time it started the clicking, so I took it into one of the dealers, who tore the front axle down a bit and diagnosed it. The dealer says it needs new everything:
2 x 43204-60031 Seal Sub assy St
2 x 43405-60070 Shaft Sub assy F
1 x 43411-60090 Shaft, Fr axle, I
1 x 43412-60110 Shaft, Fr axle, I
2 x 43435-60020 Gasket, Knuckle S
2 x 90310-35010 Seal, Type S oil
2 x 90311-62001 Seal, Type T oil
2 x 90521-34005 Ring, Hole snap
Total with $890 worth of labor: $3209.59.
I told them no thanks, not yet anyway. After I found this site, I read the amazingly thorough FAQ / walkthrough on doing the front axle and I've also read most of the threads on front axle tech. The dealer(s) never even suggested rebuilding the front axle as PM on any of my previous maintenance visits or I would have had it done and hopefully saved myself the parts costs.
I've read enough to know that this job is over my DIY head. I have never even changed the oil in the truck myself, I own very few of the required tools, and the factory service manual (which I bought) is pretty much Greek to me even with this site's walkthrough.
However, I'm not too excited to pay the dealer $3200 for all this work. Although I could (grudgingly) afford it, I'm not even sure that it needs new Birfs b/c they just started clicking when I took it in to the dealer for the problem, and I'm not convinced that the job will be done right at the dealer anyway b/c I'm guessing they don't see many of these around here.
So, after this long-winded intro: Can anyone recommend a reputable independent shop that knows 80's within a couple of hundred miles of Shreveport, Louisiana? (Dallas, TX, is ok, as might be Houston, TX, north to Little Rock, AR, south to Lafayette, LA.) The local yellow pages give me nothing and I've asked my car friends and none of them have a suggestion. LOL, for as much money as the dealer wanted, I'll bet I could have it shipped to Christo Slee in CO to have it done.
Thanks!
Mike
