My comparisons to a bowling ball (in size and weight) and the use of the word “welded” were not by accident. They were choosen carefully. You only try kicking those off once, then you say fukkit I don’t care if it makes a weird scrapping sound when I turn.
Only today those scraping sounds were my front wheels trying to separate themselves from my car.
I’d love to know how both bearings failed simultaneously. I had some warning (minor vibration), but I thought I had knocked off a balance weight in one of the bomb-cratered 3rd world cowpaths we call streets. 
No, I’m talking about the axle shaft that is frozen in place in the old hub and requires 10-15 tons of force to remove, if they are lucky. The stories I get from the technicians back in the snowy areas, makes me damn glad I work in California.
From Milwaukee too.
Couple things;
If you purchase a AAA tow plan you have to wait some time before you can use the first tow, about 36 hours. Just for reasons like this.
hekk, email me if you want to have the work done on the side. I have a specific mechanic (actually two) in mind that can do the work for substantially less than what you were quoted and you can even supply the parts if you desire.
Let me know what you decide.
One of these guys might be able to trailer your car too. I wont know for sure till I make the call after you e-mail me.
doh :smack: misread the post, made my joke much less funny. Nevermind.
I understand, we see rust in Wisconsin like you wouldn’t beleive. On our last plow, you could actually climb in through the floor if you so chose. Not that I ever tried mide you, but the hole certainly looked big enough to fit a person through.
I honestly don’t know. My FIL buys it for the extended family every year. It is AAA Gold. That is the one with premium service and 100 mile free towing. I can’t count how many times we have used the equivalent of their basic service. But I was stuck in Lee, FL at 1:00 am one night and needed to get to Gainesville, FL. The driver calculated it at 94 miles. Perfect!. I slept in the truck while we went there. My SUV was loaded on a flat-bed and we arrived at 4:00 am. He even figured out the shop to take me to and it was free for me.
I asked the driver why AAA was so cheap. He said most people never use it. We do for all kinds of weird things. You don’t even have to be the owner owner or driver of the car. You just have to be present. I use that to help people a lot as well.
My estimator is pointing to about 200 each on the front wheel bearings (which are indeed bearing and hub assemblies) and maybe 350 on the front stabilizer bar and links, so the price mentioned is not out of line. You’re wise to be cautious about going for the lowest price. Sometimes cheap auto repair ends up being the most costly in the end.
I have one of those in my CJ plow truck. Right now there is board that covers the hole so I can push the pedals. Right now, as the heater is inop, I get heat from the engine this way 
Hey, it’s just a yard truck (until I fix it this spring). I use my 03 2500HD Chevy for plowing normally.
I had to replace the bearings on both rear wheels of my Matrix last fall. Paid about the same as hekk’s estimate.
Very true. We called them to get my brother’s car unlocked when he locked the keys in it at my place (I believe he joined AAA just after that); similarly when on a Girl Scout trip and the troop leader locked her keys in her car.
We just have the basic plan. But it was good enough when our car died in Canada about 2 years ago. There were two Dodge Caravans dead in that restaurant parking lot. Both from the US. Both of us were AAA members, and AAA has some sort of agreement with CAA. The guy in the two truck got our car started (the other Caravan wasn’t so lucky… their car had to be towed somewhere) and we got home safely on schedule.
I have the AAA Gold Plan. You only get 5 tows a year (not unlimited), but each tow is up to 100 miles. It costs us about $120 for the year for me, plus another $30 for the wife. The first few years we had it, with older cars, we went right up to the 5 tows each year, some fairly costly (if we didn’t have it). The last few years though, we’ve only used it once, if that. Huge piece of mind though if you travel a lot (especially during storm chasing season on the Plains). And yes, it does apply to any tow where you are in the car, even if you aren’t the driver.