Advice Needed Please

[UtahFire]

I have a 90 YJ with the 4-banger. The stock gearing is 4:10 and I have 33" tires on a 3" lift. I have the stock D30 and D35 which are both open.

A friend of mine gave me a D35 with a ARB and a Warn full float kit with 4:56 gears. However, I took it to a mechanic and he is telling me the axle housing is bent. He is recomending I take the guts out of the bent housing and install them in to my stock housing. I would of course then have to re-gear the front to 4:56. I realize I'm dealing with a D35 here but my trail use is moderate (poison spider, hells revenge, metal masher etc...).

Here is his quote:

$950 for front gears and labor to install
$400 for air compresser, switch and hose for the ARB
$500 to pull the gears, ARB and Warn kit and install in housing

Does this sound like a reasonable price for this work?
Should I not re-gear and just install the ARB and Warn kit?
Should I sell the ARB and Warn kit and intall a super 35 kit?
Should I go with a 4:1 kit and keep existing gearing?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[spaggyroe]

I'd first have to ask why you took the axle to the mechanic, and how did he determine that it was bent?

As for prices, there are a number of shops that could do that work. You might want to get a 2nd or 3rd opinion before dropping the coin.

 

[rondo]

prices seem high to me, dang!

when my 4cyl YJ was on 33s, i thought 4.88s would be better, but had 4.56 and they were okay.

alljeep.com, 4.56 rin/pinion yukon brand for 149$. that leaves a really high labor rate. The labor quotes i got from the best 4x4 shops in the valley were around 400$.

i've seen ARB compressors for around 220$.

$500 to switch everything out, yeah maybe that's about right on the rear axle. The dana 35 is such a turd that it's not unrealistic to think someone can eyeball a housing and tell its bent. they are really that weak. if it doesn't leak and has never leaked though, and you can't tell by looking then maybe its not bent?

I had rollover motorsports do my ARBs and ring/pinion. I haven't driven my rig yet though so i can't say if they'll blow up haha but his rates were the best i've found and i saw the pattern myself and it looked good.

 

[rollover]

Get a second opinion on the work. Sounds way high on all the work you have described.

Most shops will discount for larger jobs.

 

[crimsonride]

sounds like the right idea but prices are high... shop around.

 

[PolarXJ]

Seems high to me.