Ive had some work done at a local machine shop, and up to this point, their prices have been real good. But, I had a set of bearings pressed on the spare axles for the 9-bolt, and they charged me a $140! Seems like thats at least 2x what it should cost. I know theyre a tight fit, but still all they have to do is just press them on. WTF? I split and removed the old bearing races and retaining rings myself with a cold chisel before hand, so all they really had to do was just slap the bearings on there.

Long story short, I just want to make sure I have a case rather than needlessly **** off the only machine shop in my area.

 

Always talk to your shoppe before you take the stuff home. Ask little questions like how much clearance (or interference in the case of a press fit) there was.

It'll help you in the future in case you have multiple heads / axles / whatever that you can choose from when dropping the parts off. And it's more knowledge for the future for your own use in case you later on have access to a mill, lathe, press or whatever to use.

And it's a whole lot easier to carry on a gentleman's conversation with that kind of timing than going back after the fact with an unhappy disposition about the work.

Your shoppe will probably readily tell you what warranted the cost. If not, start looking around for another, or even a local hobby-type fellow who has a press.

 

Well, Ive never had a problem with their fees up to this point. Usually just dump the part with instructions, and come back to get it. Complacency, I guess...

I looked at the print-out from the clerk, and it looks like they may have mis-interpreted what the machinist wrote in the work order. If it was warranted, like it took 4 hours and 3 different presses to get one of the lock rings on, then oh well. But if its something stupid, I would like my money back.

 

As far as the fit, I knew ahead of time that its a .010" int. fit for the lock rings. Tight. More than Id be prepared to do by heat or with a BF hammer and a pipe. Doesnt seem excessive for a press, tho... Although at that price, I probably couldve gotten a cheap press and rigged up a way to press them on myself

 

Sounds like the charge was for a complete R&R of the bearings plus the cost of new ones. Which fits if the clerk didn't understand the work order.

RBob.

 

Thats BS, in my opinion. We do interference fit stuff where I work all the time. All you need is heat, if youre trying to fit/remove a bearing from a shaft. Its not rocket science.

 

I went there again to talk about it to the machinist. On the invoice it looked like they charged me twice. No, that was the fee. $65 PER AXLE, just to press on CUSTOMER supplied bearings. I had the same job done there (Burlington County Autoparts, FWIW) 5 years ago, by the same machinist, and it was $25 per axle, and that was to remove the old bearings, and install new ones. Now thats inflation!

Wont be using them for work again, not without a written estimate and a do not exceed up front, at least. The guy was doing a set of axles for another customer when I was there, and its a huge automated press. He just pressed the button, and the press did all the work while he was talking to me. Its not like its hard to do.

It was only $25 to remove/replace carrier and pinion bearings there a few weeks ago, dont know why the damn axles should have been so much more.

 

Ouch, looks like they need to pay for the expensive machine they bought...

RBob.

 

If you put enough heat on it, and have a pair of hot gloves, you probably wouldnt even need a press. We actually have an ice cream freezer that we put bearings in when they have to be dropped in a hub. Its amazing how much metal expands/contracts depending on temperature.

 

The car was stuck over at my parents when I went to install the new axles. If it was my place (and oven) instead, I wouldve just put the bearings in and set it to 500 deg F and dipped the axles in ice to install them. I thought of using a blowtorch instead, but its almost impossible to tell if theyre the right temp that way.

 

Yeah, seriously. Its like the $3000 2 minute CT scan I needed to get. At least the insurance company covered that one. Seems like people have no trouble making the customer cover their bills as well.