8k for front birf service

[White Stripe]

How much are new front axle shafts and birfields from the dealer? I know Groove asked for 10hr labor to do inner axle seals on an 80. The average home price in Denver is 600k. So thats at least 150k a year that needs to be made to live unless you got a house cheap years ago. To pay a mechanic that much as a shop so that he can have a home and eat food your going to have to have a high labor rate. 8k still seems high though. Maybe they dont want to do it and will only do it for a higher rate.

 

[IoN6]

Maybe they dont want to do it and will only do it for a higher rate.

This.

[edit]
adding that should the customer do the do, the shop better do a level of work that reflects the price.
[/edit]

 

[CTS]

I had a similar experience with Japanese Auto Service last winter. They quoted me $20K to fix the leaking timing chain cover and rear main seal on my 80. The "only way to do it right" was going to be to pull the engine, reseal/replace just about everything including the head gasket, all hoses, etc.-not a terrible idea if all of that other work was needed, but it wasn't, and I certainly wasn't interested in dumping that much money into it "while they were at it". They seemed confused when I asked what LS crate engine that $20K included, and then surprised when I declined to have them do the work.

I don't think they were dishonest. Instead, I think it was more a matter of being out of touch with most people's reality and narrowly focusing on the high margin "collector" market. I'm sure we've all come across at least one person who's bought every conceivable mod/accessory and paid someone to bolt it all on for them-or the sky's the limit resto-mod crowd. Those folks all need someone to take their money.

 

[gr8fulabe]

I definitely didn't make millions on only fans, just that 1 guy that kept paying to see my booty hole

hey, I was paying you good money!

 

[ColoradoMntMan]

@Doughboy @CTS @Hulk @simps80 I as well had a similar experience.

Do not go to Japanese Auto Service!! Let me tell you about my story.

At a stop light I hit the gas pedal and heard a grind and nothing moved. Had it towed to Japanese Auto Service. They took a day and called me back to report it was just the right hub spline that had stripped out HOWEVER they looked over the entire vehicle and gave me a quote for 11k worth of work! I didn't ask them to look over the entire vehicle. My brother is a master mechanic of 30 years. I called him and gave him the report which he said for now just have them fix the hub spline. I called Japanese Auto Service back and told the service writer I only want the hub spline replaced.


***Here's where the drama starts****

He gives a huge sigh of disappointment I could hear over the phone (because the hub spline is a cheap replacement) then starts on this dialogue that he doesn't think the shop will allow the vehicle to leave with only the hub spline replaced because it’s a "safety" issue.
So he says he will "have to talk to my mechanics about allowing this but I doubt it"
So he doesn't call me back for 3 days!!


When he finally calls me back, he says the mechanics won't allow it and I will have to come grab my vehicle since I am not authorizing the 11k worth of work.

Insane!

So my brother tells me to lock the center diff, I drive it home, and $100 in parts later we replace the hub spline ourselves.
This place is all about the money and scaring people. I went there because I heard rising sun people have used them before.

 

[Hulk]

He gives a huge sigh of disappointment I could hear over the phone (because the hub spline is a cheap replacement) then starts on this dialogue that he doesn't think the shop will allow the vehicle to leave with only the hub spline replaced because it’s a "safety" issue.
So he says he will "have to talk to my mechanics about allowing this but I doubt it"

It's disappointing when a shop that used to be good goes bad. This kind of BS works on some folks.

 

[nuclearlemon]

i have heard a similar story from a friend who had his exhaust done there and they just kept adding stuff until it was stupid expensive. i would tell people to run from that place

 

[nuclearlemon]

but while we're discussing money grabs....tipping is getting out of control.
if i have to walk up to a counter, order my food, get my own drink and go get my food when it's ready, what am i tipping for? if the food was amazing, i wouldn't mind tipping the chef, but i don't know that when i am paying long before even getting my food. and i've seen retail shops have a tipping option pop up if i use a card. went to the mish last night for a concert and 20% was the minimum unless you chose custom, but i had to wait in a short line for a long time for a small drink.

i've seen the memes about tipping your mechanic....maybe they're including an automatic 500% tip charge?