for my 77 f250:
i was told i need a new carrier bearing, and u-joints. so i took it into a shop and got some estimated prices. for the carrier bearing they are wanting to charge $60 labor, $42 for the machine shop, and $40 for the actual carrier bearing.
another thing i want replaced are my radius arm bushings. they want to charge $160 to replace those. and to replace my proportioning valve they want $80-100 in labor, plus the price of the part.
what do ya all think about these prices? i thought they were a little high, plus i thought you could get a carrier bearing at autozone for $15, and i didnt think it required any machine shop assistance.

 

Well, I had my radial arm bushings replaced and the front end aligned for about $125. Your quote sounds a little high.

The labor charge on the proportioning valve seems high, but that is because all of the brakes must be bled after replacement and there is always a chance that the old lines could twist off when being removed.
Not sure on the carrier bearing.

 

you have to remember, the shop is using their money, and their time to do the work. just because they charge a certain dollar an hour amount doesnt mean they are getting rich.they have a lot of overhead that you dont see.

as far as parts prices, do you go to the grocery store and pay what the store pays for groceries? you could grow them cheaper than you can buy them so why pay high prices for food.

the garage has a lot of insurance to pay, on the workers, on the building and tools, and on your vehicle while it is in their posession. they have to charge a certain amount to make a profit, which is why they are there. some places charge more than others for labor, some charge more for parts. it is a vicious cycle,they put on parts, the parts go bad, they replace the parts for nothing. that is called warranty! you dont get that at the shadetree mechanics.

think about how much you have invested in tools, most people have a few hundred dollars invested, some have several hundred, some have several thousand. shops have to have 50-80 thousand bucks worth of tools to keep up with. they have to repair or replace them as needed so they can make a living. most people dont see that or even think about it when they take their truck in to be fixed.

yes the prices seem high. but just think about all the shop owner has to put up with, and pay out each week to keep the doors open.
does the shop have a good reputation? do they back their repairs? and most of all, is it convenient for you to have your truck fixed, instead of fixing it yourself!

we all want the best,[lowest], price, but we also want the highest wages, so i guess it is a trade off.

my 2 cents

jim

 

jimbare hit the nail right on the head!!!! couldnt have said it better myself

If I had a dime each time somebody told me that they could get some part for less, I could retire. I tell them to go get it, i'll put it in, and you will have NO WARRANTY !!!!! Most people will let it go, but some, well, after two or three labor charges from us installing the same crappy part over and over...
and they still dont get it......

 

i have beat on those carrier bearing for hours! A good machine shop would have a press tall enough to do it, mine is not, nor is any other normal shop press's i have seen. prices fair there. On the valve, to high, bushing, a little too high, but i have eaten labor costs by quoting low on this job, it could be an all dayer if things are stuck.

three things that are probablly driving the price up, 1 age of truck, everything is gonna be stuck, and i have to acount for the extra labor, 2 they may not get alot of old ford trucks like i do, those are my children, 3 it sound like prices from a big real good shop, all those extra tools and extra people got to be paid, me I work out of a shop at a junk yard, i got the tools i need to do most stuff, especially if its a ford job, but i am not outfitted to do it all. They may be.

You could call your local junk yards, ask them who the local gguru's are on the 70's ford trucks, better price and better service, these guys will have a rep, and will know your truck. Thats how i get my business, ALL the yards around send everyone dealling with these trucks to this yard. There are days i feel like a Ferrarri mechanic, when i fix something, and they tell me how every wrench in the book has had this truck in their shop. Problem around here is the owners of those trucks are ussually tight, bought the trucks new and are still squezzing miles out of em. and dollars out of me LOL.

 

The carrier bearing is tough to get off I had to heat mine up cherry red and used an air hammer to drive it off that is why they need the machine shop charge and lots of time but not always you get what you pay for.

 

[QUOTE=LxMan1]Well, I had my radial arm bushings replaced and the front end aligned for about $125.

This sounds like the latest doublespeak for plastic surgery. LoL.

Tom.

 

I work for a high-priced outfit, but our service is good, much better than the low price leader in our business. Our standard line used to be "It's bad to pay too much for something, but it can be a disaster to pay too little."

If this is a good reputable shop that stands behind it's work, I'm sure you can find some farmer with time on his hands and a cutting torch to do it cheaper.*

*that would have been my old man 40 years ago

 

thanks for all the replies...
this is actually a small private shop. it appears that the guy runs it out of his garage. but he also appears to know what he is talking about with the late 70s f series trucks.
i think i will probably get the carrier bearing done... but i dont know if im ready to pay for the other items.

 

As far as carrier bearings go, I have yet to get one off nicely with out a press, and if he has to farm it out, they likely charge an hours rate, as many shops charge that as a minimum, but it looks to me to be 1/2 hr rate, and he also has no control over what they charge for their rate, he may not make a dime on it. When you hire somebody to do the job, and with liabilty lawsuits over the most frivilous (sp) things, he has to charge more to pay insurance to protect himself too. Want to know why suspension parts and service cost so much? Liability insurance. Too many sue happy idiots out there looking for the fast buck.