Really?

[Texas_Rig]

I'm not gonna name the business but it's a popular tire center. I took my truck in yesterday to get new tires and a front end alignment. I got a phone call this morning that my ball joints needed to be replaced before an alignment could be done. This company wanted to charge me $1200 just for 4 ball joints and the labor to install them. This was separate from the tires and alignment. $700 for just the 4 ball joints and $500 in labor. I told them no thanks. Am I just really confused or is this price standard for what I need done? I can buy the ball joints for about $35 a piece and my brother is gonna replace them for a steak dinner.

Before I would spend time and money on fixing the ball joints, I would get a second opinion. They might be trying to rip you off. It has happened to me once back in the mid 80's on a new car. All I wanted was a front end alignment. I took the car to another garage and nothing was wrong. I drove the car another 130,000 and never did change out the "bad" parts. They were trying to rip me off.

[snowman]

Why not name the business?? It would save all of us the trouble of going there. That's how they learn to run a straight business.

[deezelteck]

Sounds like they didn't want to or couldn't do the work.. So they threw you a crazy number to run you off..

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[notorious]

Perhaps Gateway Tire in Gallatin??? Guys at the plant have had ridiculous quotes thrown at them recently for easy services and walked. One guy was having a front wheel bearing replaced and they screwed around till late afternoon and then threw out a much higher quote than initially. Seems it was around three hundred more by the end of the day.

[massman]

you can do all the work yourself ! and then get alignment done .

[Halli]

Jack the truck up and Wiggle the Tires with a Bar or what not and see if the ball joints move!

[Texas_Rig]

I bought the parts today for $105. Instead of having my brother do the work I called a mechanic friend of mine and he is gonna charge me $135 to install. It's gonna cost $240 total instead of the qouted $1200. I'm still a little confused and dumbfounded with the whole situation. Also, the mechanic told me it would take him 2 hours at the most. When I got my estimate they qouted 5.6 hours for labor

[Texas_Rig]

Originally Posted by snowman

Why not name the business?? It would save all of us the trouble of going there. That's how they learn to run a straight business.

This makes me a little uncomfortable but I think you're right. It was at General Tire in Gallatin.

[skillet]

Originally Posted by Texas_Rig

I bought the parts today for $105. Instead of having my brother do the work I called a mechanic friend of mine and he is gonna charge me $135 to install. It's gonna cost $240 total instead of the qouted $1200. I'm still a little confused and dumbfounded with the whole situation. Also, the mechanic told me it would take him 2 hours at the most. When I got my estimate they qouted 5.6 hours for labor

The labor quoted was book time (flat rate)The mechanic would've gotten paid for the 5.6hrs even if he got it done in two hours. That's how mechanics make decent money. BUT, that labor rate is ridiculously high!!! And the mark up on parts....geeezz!!! I work on million dollar entertainer coaches for a living and our labor rate is only $95/hr for outside work. People/shops like this is why people hate going to a mechanic shop.


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