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wheel bearing install costs

S

Silver Bullet

CEG'er
Joined
May 9, 2008
Messages
483
Location
Humble, TX
Don't have the proper equipment so have outsourced my first work ever since being CEG how-to educated, pressing in the front wheel bearings. Labor only, I supplied the bearings.

Wow, I quoted work at 6 different shops and cheapest was $45 per knuckle, highest was $85. So double those amounts as I'm doing both sides. I couldn't believe it, was expecting around $20 each. I ended up going with $55 each side at a real Auto Machine Shop with real machinests that I could see and talk to.

How much have others paid for this? This was for my daughters SE and my SVT needs bearings soon also. I almost feel violated as still can't believe this to be a 1-1/2 hour job.
 
Thats with them taking it off and putting it back on? I've always pulled the knuckle myself, taken it to them and waited for a few minutes to get it back.
 
No this is knuckles already off car and hand carried into shop. Cost was labor only to remove old bearings and press in the new ones. I supplied the new bearings.
 
Silver Bullet said:
No this is knuckles already off car and hand carried into shop. Cost was labor only to remove old bearings and press in the new ones. I supplied the new bearings.
Click to expand...


Bring it into a tire shop that does alignments... They deal with this crap all day long, and are probably more apt to give you a deal on just a simple removal/install.
 
Silver Bullet said:
No this is knuckles already off car and hand carried into shop. Cost was labor only to remove old bearings and press in the new ones. I supplied the new bearings.
Click to expand...

Then it sounds like they dont want to waste their time. It literally takes 5 minutes per knuckle if they have a press right there.
 
Guys all your posts are exactly what I thought and knew. I did go to 3 tires/suspension/alignment shops all quoted high. One wouldn't even give a price wanted by the hour with a .8 hour estimate per each side. I then went to a couple general repair shops and got more high quotes. They were all crying and complaining how hard and time consuming it is to remove the old bearings.

I don't look rich either, right now I have the straggly salt & pepper beard going and usually wear torn shirts haha

So instead of the unknown shop to save $10 I went with a recommended shop and one that I felt good with after walking in and looking around. Still $55 a knuckle, set me back $110 today for a DIY repair. Feel like I've been bent over but no choice. Need to get this car done and drive it to CA for my daughter.
 
[FONT=&quot]At the shop I used to work at up until recently, we'd push bearings all the time for $25 if we were slow. If we were busy, we'd tell them It'd be awhile. But $85 bucks is Insane, I'd figure that to be for the labor cost on the entire job.... Figure a shop would mark up parts to say... $75 + $85 labor + tax +shop supply fees= entirely too much :censored::censored::censored::censored:ing money... for one side alone... That's Why I started working on cars myself....
[/FONT]
 
Yea that's pretty high. When I had to do my wheel bearings the lowest price I got was $25 a knuckle.
 
I've changed my bearing myself twice!
I made a frame from some steel. A sort of home made hydralic press.
I pressed the center of the bearing out, the outer race would not budge!
Both times!
I then got my Dremel tool out with the mini cutoff wheel and cut a grove in the outer race.
I cut it almost all of the way through. This take about 10 minutes for each race.
The race now will come out with a hammer and brass drift.
I then use the home made press to press the new bearing in.
The only cost to me was the jack I bought, about $15.
 
Wow I wasn't aware getting bearings pressed costs so much. Knowing people ftw.

Anyways, what wheel bearings did you guys go with? All I can find really is Timken. Just wondering if there is anything better.
 
I paid 65 for them to take everything apart and install plus the part at 22, so 87 for everything. I didnt think that was to bad?
 
That is insane cheap.
What is the name/number of the shop? I need to do both front bearings in my SVT also soon. At that price I'm tempted to drive to Ft. Worth and have it done. I paid almost that much for doing it myself $55 press out/in & $20 bearing -versus- $87 for complete job
 
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