Browsing around town, found a guy in like the backwoods of my town, in pretty much a secluded area (I didn't feel very safe there to be honest)

anyway, went up to the guy and asked him what it would cost to install the gears on my car. I told him it was an LSD 3 series carrier with 3.42 gears and he broke it down on the calculator and gave me an astounding 645 dollars total.

I might also add that, I do not have the install kit, so its entirely on him, but I can virtually buy the install kit online for around 125 bucks, and I also told him I had no install kit.

Does this sound legit or about right? I heard it shouldnt cost more than 400 dollars worst case scenario. I was kinda disappointed to hear this

 

Maybe he wants to take the whole diff out of the car to do it?

$300-$400 including the price of the install kit should be about right unless the shop rate is sky high.

 

i dont see why he would need to take out the entire diff, its virtually just two things i want.

LSD replacing the open carrier, and the 3.42s replacing the 2.73s, like I said previously I didn't trust the place, the look of it and such, the guy was nice, but then again they all have to be nice in order to get your service and ultimately screw you over in the end.

THe thing that set my alarm off was the fact that this place was located in the middle of nowhere. Its probably the most random thing to have popped out, anyway I only went in to get an idea of how much it would cost.

 

well...maybe I got hosed but, I paid $840.00 for my 2.72 to a 3.73 gear swap.
Although I did have basicly the whole rear end rebuilt. My car had just under 100,000 miles on it. I did buy a Richmond gear. And from what my buddy was telling me....thats all he could find to fit my car. I know they make a couple different 10 bolts. I had the weird one of the 2.
But maybe he was just making money. All the same, its done now....and I really line my 3.73.

 

I paid $200 for install of an auburn unit, R&P and new wheel bearings.
This was at a local shop that has been in business for 40+ years.

 

I looked into this for ya seeing I have some resources to do so... I manage a repair shop.

The labor for this type of service including replacing all bearing except axle bearing and seals (not included in install kit) is 5.2 hrs. The national labor rate average is almost $70. That would give you $364 for labor. If he was including replacing both axle bearing and seals, as he should you could figure an extra hour - $70. The install kit if you can get it locally for $125 should cost him around $100, and if he is running a business he will probably sell this to you for around $150 - 165. The axle bearings and seals would likey be sold to you at $60 -70 for all. With sales tax est. $15, and fluid $10, and limited slip additive $10. It might be really close.

All numbers added up at lowest GUESSED part prices - $679.

- Just thought you might like to see the shops side of things, but in all honesty if you are scared of location and his shop period... MOVE TO THE NEXT SHOP. I would personally be more scared of a shop that charges too little for a major repair.... what are they skipping that makes this so cheap?

GOOD LUCK!

 

Just got my short block back from the machine shop. $1100 just for labor. The bill was just over $1700 so parts were only a minor part of the bill.

I work on heavy trucks. Our shop rate is dirt cheap at $88/hour. Typical dealer rate is around $120/hour.

 

My brother had a dealer install his 3.27 gears with his open carrier. He needed the install kit. Total bill was $1300 from the ford dealer. 7hrs of labor I think. That's driving the car there and handing over the keys though.

Hey stephen what shop do you work at anyway?

 

DRB Mechanical

Why? Our shop rates of interest?

 

haha, it is a competitive rate nowadays...
I was just curious, I have to go to Pats Driveline tommorow, and I figured i'd see if it was there, or nearby.

 

Not even close. We're a few blocks from PNP and hopefully within a month, we'll be out at 84th in a new shop.

 

I feel you on the labor. Its getting harder and harder to explain why labor cost so much in the past few years, but you get what you pay for. My shop has been is business for 58 years, and we charge $90/hr for general automotive repair/service.