Price check on asile 2! (1 Viewer)

[Wile E Coyote]

The actual process of just removing the knuckle bearings should take about 2 mins each side. They are press-fit into the knuckle balls and come out with a few whacks from a drift.
Now, the job of getting to that point is what takes the time and effort. For a pro wrench, I'd imagine it taking 30 mins at most to tear one knuckle down to bare. The inspection, cleaning and reassembly would of course take a few hours.
As far as the $ charged, see for yourself. Check out a trusted retailer and see their prices on the complete kit.

Edit:
http://www.marlincrawler.com/axle/front-axle-parts/knuckle-service-kit-wheel-bearings

http://www.cruiseroutfitters.com/lock_FA7590.html ( That listed price is minus wheel bearings. Including them, the price is either $150 or $170 depending on brand)

 

[worldspan]

Who is the mechanic?

I've got to know what shop so i don't go there.
Bunch of great guys here in Austin who could probably point you in the right direction.

 

[Kurtis]

To put this into perspective proffitts cruisers lists on their website they will perform a spring over conversion for 1450$ I'm assuming you would need purchase the parts but still that would be a complete spring over and axle rebuild for around what this axle rebuild cost.

 

[FJ62]

bearden's automotive. They had some decent recommendations on this site, that is why I went with them. Kind of sucks they screwed me on the parts.

 

[chitown40]

We are all not trying to make you feel bad on your decision to have the work done, but rather to open your eyes a bit to some of the other options out there.

We've all paid a little too much for some work at one time or another in our lives, and usually that was the catalyst for us to get off our arses and learn how to wrench on our own trucks.

Take advantage of your local cruiser club down in Austin. There seems to be a lot of them lurking around here. Make an appearance at a club wrench day and watch, lend a hand, and learn.

 

[worldspan]

Tough position

There are many in the Austin Chapter who take their rigs to Bearden's and swear by them that they are solid cats. I'm in no way defending or suggesting they are right or wrong.

I can only speak about my experience. The one and only time I brought my fj60 to them was trying to get a diagnostic about my distributor and it cost my over $150 and i was pissed to say the least.

Edwin at Land Cruiser Specialist off Jeff Davis Rd is a solid cat by my standards (which aren't high) Call him up and at the very least, you'll have a comparable list.

Edwin Kincaid / AKA. Grass Hopper
Land Cruiser Specialist
5309 jeff davis Austin,tx 78756
www.lcspec.com

(Edwin - i want a beer if you get this guy's business)

 

[CruisinFJ60]

OK, so here are the grand totals:

$1162- knuckle reseal, replace seals, clean repack CVs, clean and repack wheel bearings ($937 labor, $224 parts)

$551-new inner and outer wheel bearings, replace kingpin bearings, washers, lock rings ($187 labor, 363 parts)

$278-replace front rotors and pads ($46 labor, 231 parts)

$235-fix oil leak replacing valve cover gasket, grommet, plenum gasket, clean engine ($187 labor, 47 parts)

$187-starter rebuild, new contacts and plunger (187 labor, I supplied parts)

TOTAL $2,501 (~17 hours labor @ 95/hr, $1547 labor, $866 parts)

Before I go giving these guys a 5-star or 1-star review, I thought I would get your opinion. Is this a fair price? Is this around 17 hours worth of work? I know most everyone here would save money if they did it themselves, I would have rather done that as well...however, if you are going to pay someone to do it, is this a fair price?

Many thanks!

let me put it to you this way, I live in fort worth and would have happily drove to you and did the work in your driveway with my own tools at that price. Ive done it before for much less for a couple of other austin folks.

Thanks for the reality check.

So, before I go getting angry, the main problem I see is this:
-they charged me $224 for a knuckle rebuild kit, which should have included the kingpin (knuckle bearings) and the wheel bearings, correct?

How hard is it to change out the knuckle bearings? They made it out to be a big deal, that they had to separate it from the raceways, that is why they charged me 2 hours of labor, was that BS?

My other problem is that I don't know enough about the front end parts and pieces to speak intelligently about it....anyone in the Austin area doing a front end rebuild any time soon?

the 227 was probally a basic knuckle kit they got for around 100-150 and marked up that didnt include wheel bearings but would have included the knuckle bearings. you replace the races any time you replace bearings but its not hard and takes 5 minutes to knock all 4 of them out of both sides, the labor they charged for the wheel bearings would have been included in the labor time for the front knuckle rebuild which i think book time at toyota is between 6-8 hours (i dont remember). the bearing prices they probally got a little cheaper than you could have bought them then marked them up to list price which is usually higher than retail price, i figure depending on the place of business they probally marked the bearings up 1.5x from what they paid for them. its a shop they pretty much all do it thats just how it is on parts for the most part. usually the customer can buy them a little cheaper them selves but then you arnt covered on warranty labor if the part should fail or the part its self ect. so you are paying for convience by paying a little more and also for the warranty that they will cover labor to R&R the part and also exchange it out.

either the service writer didnt know what they were doing and didnt know that some labor over laps or they did know and did it on purpose. bottom line no matter how you look at it, if that is what you paid for then you were taken advantage of.

and not to be rude but if you signed the invoice and the work order then you are S.O.L. as you agreed to the charges, that is why you are supposed to sign them before the work. if nothing else you gave them a verbal O.K. over the phone after they covered all the prices with you, and in the end im sure still signed the invoice.

I have been a shop manager for many large shops over the years and know how it works (not the taking advantage part, the business side of signing paper, writing the quote ect.), if nothing else this is a live and learn mistake.

Trent T.

 

[Zack1978]

The starter rebuild blows my mind!!!


Zack

 

[dixie_cragger]

X2- any time you need work on a 6X series truck or older, goto to Edwin at landcruiser specialist...Hands down.

I too have had a bad experience with bearden so that's why i dont go there.

The bearden guys usually charge book rate but those prices sound fishy. i think the knuckle job should have cost you $1200 total and that starter rebuild sounds really whack! I was a 1/4 banana wrencher when i first replaced my starter and it took me 10 minutes.

 

[CruisinFJ60]

The starter rebuild blows my mind!!!


Zack

lol yea i bought a rebuilt one with lifetime warranty for like 120 i think from oreily.

 

[KayakPanic]

sounds like someone at that shop "went out for a sack lunch" after this upsell...

it is all too unfortunate, but what has led many of us here to MUD and made us so helpful to each other.

if I was in Texas in your situation, I would have rented a car for 3 days and found a reputable local bada$$ to do the work for me...

the PO of my 60 paid like $9000 to an AMERICAN VEHICLE MECHANIC in the 5 years before I bought it, including 2 carb rebuilds and 2 smog pumps and...it almost broke down on its maiden voyage back to my place.

dishonest mechanics make a killing off of "chasing the Gremlin around."
Then again many of them seem all too nice, and act like they are your friend, and all the while they are FAHawking you without the benefit of a reach around so to speak...

my entire 60 cost less than your knuckle job/gaskets/starter...

 

[FJ62]

BEARDEN UPDATE....

So, after I signed over a kidney to Bearden's, I was out of the country and my wife was stranded with the cruiser, wouldn't start. She took it back there, and they tried to charge us $1000 to : replace the park switch, the fusable link, and some damaged "wires". I called the Costa Rica, and couldn't believe what they were trying to do to my wife. Finally, at the end of the call, I told them I was going to come get it when I returned...and then they finally had the heart to tell me it would start!!!!!! I can't believe what goes on with dishonest people.

I feel that this thread is the reason why forums like this are started, to help folks get to the truth, get their hands dirty, and not get ripped off. I will know better next time!

 

[worldspan]

I repeat......

We all have stories like this....some more extensive than others. Good luck with your rig. I will suggest the mechanic below one more time because i think he's a stand up guy.


Edwin Kincaid / AKA. Grass Hopper
Land Cruiser Specialist
5309 jeff davis Austin,tx 78756
www.lcspec.com