Thread: Lower ball joints, outer tie rods 97 GP

When I had my new tires put on, I was told by the shop that I need lower ball joints and outer tie rods. I've been getting a rattle over bumps for a few weeks, so this isn't really a surprise. The shop gave me a quote of just under $700 for all new Moog parts installed. Labor at this shop is $70 an hour, which is much lower than any other shop in town. Do you guys think I can do a lot better than that? Doing the work myself isn't really an option since I have no tools, a slanted driveway and it's cold as hell outside (no access to an indoor work area ).

RockAuto has the Moog ball joints listed at 47.79 each, and the outer tie rods are 36.99 each. So $159.66 not including shipping. We'll call it $200 total. So they are booking this job at 7 hours at your rate of $70/hr.

But hey, if you can't get it done yourself for the reasons you stated then you don't really have a choice. That price seems about right considering Dobbs wants to charge my buddy $900 or so to replace both front wheel bearings and do a front brake job.

So that's what that rattle is?
Dang, I had a feeling my 1.5 year old DOORMAN a arm bal joints were craped out.
DO NOT BUY MADe IN CHINA!!!!!!
Funny thing is, the car has never been so smooth cruising down the road.

Yeah, I was afraid that quote was standard. Funny thing is the mechanic himself quoted it as about 4 hours of labor, which means the office staff is inflating the number pretty badly. Do you think I might be able to save a bit by buying the parts myself and just paying for labor? How long does a ball joint replacement take for a professional, anyway?

If they will let you supply your own parts then I'd say go for it. Only problem is that they will most likely NOT warranty the part if it fails.

4 hours sounds about right for all that work.

One thing you didn't mention that's probably included in the price is a wheel alignment.