Ball joint replacement question

[clintusaf]

Okay. I'm getting my passenger side ball joint upper and lower replaced. I got a quote from the Ford dealer for 700 including parts. Should they be charging me for an extra hour of labor to replace the seals since they're already going to have everything apart?

 

[DaveBen]

That is the book time for changing seals. I guess it does not matter that they have the front end apart or not. All mechanics go by "Book Time".

Dave

 

[xtrahappy]

On the subject of ball joints. I have had more the one tell me it was cheaper to do both sides at same time instead of doing just one side. They said weak side put more pressure on good side, and most the time it was not all that long before the other side will need to be replaced. And if you did both sides at once you would have longer time between replacements.
What do yall think?

 

[DaveBen]

I have always replaced mine in pairs . While you are doing one side, it is not that much more work to do the other. Just takes twice as long.

Dave

 

[BIG JOE]

Okay. I'm getting my passenger side ball joint upper and lower replaced. I got a quote from the Ford dealer for 700 including parts. Should they be charging me for an extra hour of labor to replace the seals since they're already going to have everything apart?

Jus' my .03 Clint.. $700 is to much. I'd shop around a some ?

On the subject of ball joints. I have had more the one tell me it was cheaper to do both sides at same time instead of doing just one side. They said weak side put more pressure on good side, and most the time it was not all that long before the other side will need to be replaced. And if you did both sides at once you would have longer time between replacements.
What do yall think?

Absolutly. Murphy's Law applies to doing ONE.. of Anything.. that has a.. Left & Right side.

I have always replaced mine in pairs . While you are doing one side, it is not that much more work to do the other. Just takes twice as long.

Dave

What Dave sez..

Joe

 

[JimmyDee]

I had mine done last summer for about $720 for both sides at a local front end shop. They used Moog parts. I did my own anti sway or roll bars for $140. About 45 min. Moogs as well.
Jim

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Back when I had to replace the ball joints on my 99, I too got estimates from local shops. The labor was in the low to mid hundreds of $$$$ range. Labor alone was more than parts.

After thinking about it, I said screw that and bought a simple 12 ton press from Harbor Freight and did the job my self using quality, greaseable ball joints. In spite of the cost of the hydraulic press, I still saved about $200 and I still have a hydraulic press to use when I need it.

 

[DaveBen]

That is what I did also. Got the ball joint job done and a press. How is it going for you TG??

Dave

 

[JRJ04]

x2 on the price Clint. Just as a point of reference, I had my diesel mech quote me for it when i was thinking about doing it...It was going to be $1,000 for both sides...all in...parts, labor and alignment.

Keep shopping it!

 

[Tail_Gunner]

That is what I did also. Got the ball joint job done and a press. How is it going for you TG??

Dave

I'll start a TG update thread in the general stuff/lounge. Don't want to look like I'm hi-jacking the thread.