I just got an estimate for some repairs needed for my car(94 Dodge Intrepid):
Wheel bearings on both front wheels
Stabilizer bars
Total inc. tax, parts, labor $715.
This seems mighty outrageous to me, I’ve replaced wheel bearings before (albeit on rear wheels for a 62 Bonneville) and they were cheap and painless to install. I’m not sure about the stabilizer bar.
I need the car to get to work! I can scrape up the cash to get this done, but I need to know if this estimate is overzealous. Thanks in advance!
Many are closed right now. And with tow truck drivers in big demand right now (pothole season) it might be tough to get a reasonable tow…
And when I say “scrape up the cash,” I mean it… like calling my landlord and asking him to not cash that rent check just yet, the same to esurance, and hoping that that grocery check floats for a few more days.
Danny’s South Side Service on Howell and (about) Waterford, (close to Howard). He’s been our store’s personal mechanic for probably 20 years and has always done a good job for us. The other is South Side Auto on Pennsylvania right across from where the Lake Parkway let’s off. We’ve been using them a little lately for some basic stuff (mostly just plugging tires), from what I can tell, they seem to be good people. Though I doubt either of them are open at the moment. As for towing, check with RK Towing, they always seem to give us a good deal when we need a car or truck moved.
Nothing is cheap or painless in car repair any more.
In generic terms, there’s a cubic crapload of work to be done. The wheels have to come off, the axle “half-shafts” have to be removed, the stabilizer bar taken out, all of which involves a lot of pounding and prying. Once all the parts are back together, you need a full alignment. (I’m assuming this is a front-wheel drive car.)
Along the way, let’s hope your half-shafts and their CV joints are in good shape. There will be no better time to replace them if they’re wearing out. Likewise the brakes, and various bushings, bobbins and bolts. So many jobs these days involve removing layers of parts to get at what actually needs repair, that you need to weigh the economy of pre-emptively replacing the other stuff while the labor is essentially free.
So why not do it yourself? You’ll save on labour at least. BTW What’s actually wrong with the stabiliser bars? You could probably get away with just doing the wheel bearings for now, til you can save up some more cash.
Okay, I’ve got a couple more estimates, one for roughly the same price, one 200 dollars cheaper, but it’s at a garage I’ve been to before and don’t like much.
Looking at my Haynes manual, you guys are correct about the stabilizer bar - it requires removal of the engine cradle assembly (if it actually needs replacing) - lotsa labor.
I guess I’ll just bite my lip on this one.
Thanks for the suggestions, Joey P. Maybe I’ll stop by your store and buy stuff once the repairs are done, to support local commerce and all that.
Mostly because it’s actually popped out of place and hanging kinda on one side. Having it present on one side and not on the other possibly causes some major steering and stability problems, in my somewhat uninformed opinion.
Never done wheel bearing on a FWD car I bet.
Back in an area that gets snow, this is not a job for the faint hearted. Hell, even in California this is not a job for the faint hearted. The axle shafts can often get siezed in place and require massive amounts of force to remove. Let’s put it this way. If the front wheel bearings went out on my car, I would probably pay a shop to do the job rather than attempt it at home. It is that big of a pain in the ass.
The wheel bearings are nothing like what you had on your '62. These are a double race roller bearing. It either has to be pressed in and out of place, or the entire hub and bearing assembly has to be replaced.
Checking on line, I find a replacement hub and bearing for $95. So that is round numbers $200 before labor. I have no idea on the labor for this. Maybe Gary T will stop by and give us a number, but I would guess at no less than 1 hour per side, possibly as high as 2 hours per side.
You are correct the sway bar needs work. If it is not broken, IOW it is just out of place and the endlink are broken, it will be cheaper than a new bar, but again not cheap. Again looking on line it looks like the end links and new bushings are about $100 in parts + labor. I have no idea on labor. Maybe 2-4 hours?
In So Cal with our labor rates, this estimate would not be out of line. It could even be a bargain. I have no idea of the labor rates where you live.
I think I just had a case of sticker shock. I’ll call around again tomorrow for more estimates, but I think my best bet is to get it done. Landlord cashed the check, the money will be a problem, but when isn’t it?
Front bearings are 134.00 ea part #4593450. Stabilzer links are 46.10 ea part #4582855. I cant get a hold of a service advisor to get the labor but it sounds right for a new car dealer. A little high for an independant garage. Of course the parts should be available aftermarket which would shave a little off of that .
Bye the way, the bearings are complete with hubs so they are bolt on. Would be cheaper than press in bearings. Labor wise.
Don’t forget Omegaman, he is from Milwaukee. Unlike Vegas and LA they have these things called snow and rust. The shop might be padding the estimate a bit for rusty fasteners. I know I would.
One very serious tip for you and everyone else is to get AAA. It is the deal of the century and has probably saved us a few thousand dollars over the past ten years. You can sign up today for a nominal fee and have your car towed from garage to garage or even back to your house as much as you like for free. Everyone should have it. It costs way less than one tow bill and yet you get unlimited ones as well as roadside assistance, battery jumps, tire changes, and discounts at all kinds of locations. They saved my ass a few different times including once two months ago.
I’m thinking of walking over to the shop right now to spray penetrating oil on the strategic castle nuts and clean off the threads of the nastier bolts.
But its flipping freezing out, it could be much ado about nothing.
I have the PlusRV AAA thing, that’s what got me the 40 miles from work to home/garage. $70 a year or thereabouts.
I’ve had it since I started driving. It allows for 100 miles of towing, but you are limited to 5 service calls (jump, tire change, tow, etc.) a year. I have maxed out these before. You get unlimited? Are you sure, cause I want!!
The shop might be bumping the estimate to account for 10 minutes of kicking snow off the bottom of the car before pulling it into their garage. If you haven’t driven in this type of weather before, you might not realize it but behind each wheel there’s usually about a bowling ball or bigger chunk of snow welded onto the body. It takes some doing to get it all off. Course it’s been warm lately (warm maning higher then 35 degrees) so they’re mostly gone.
Even steel-toed boots aren’t enough to dislodge the solid chunk of dirty salt-ice stuck to the fender walls. And, sometimes, when you finally do get it off, it’s too damn heavy to kick away!
If you haven’t driven in this type of weather before, you might not realize it but behind each wheel there’s usually about a bowling ball or bigger chunk of snow welded onto the body. It takes some doing to get it all off. Course it’s been warm lately (warm maning higher then 35 degrees) so they’re mostly gone.