Reasonable Price for Gears & Setup?

[andrew]

I have a '98 Jeep Cherokee XJ and I went in to 4Wheel Parts to get an estimate for 4.88 gears, detroit locker & setup and this is what I got.

-Premium Yukon Front R&P: $153.33
-New Front Carrier: $78
-Front Install Kit: $111.02
-Labor Front: $350
-Premium Yukon Rear R&P: $163.33
-Detroit Locker: $546
-Rear Install Kit: $123.72
-Labor Rear: $315
-Seals: $20
-Shop Fees: $50
-Oil Disp Fee: $15
-Royal Purple Lube: $98.21 (7 quarts)
-3 Year 36,000 Mile Parts & Labor Warranty: $295

With tax I’m knockin on the door of $2,500
I want it proffesionally done with a warranty but I think $2,500 is a little bit more than I want to pay.
Is this a fair deal for gears & rear detroit? What have you guys paid to have your gears & lockers professionally setup? I know I could probably shop around for better prices on parts but a reputable shop will not install brought in parts and even if they did they would not warranty anything. I went to teraflex plus and the guy quoted me $500 each end for labor only. Where can I get this done to save some coin and still be warranteed?

 

[mbryson]

Wow, that does seem steep, but $350 and $315 an axle isn't too bad. I'd just go with normal diff fluid rather than spring for the Royal Purple, but that doesn't save you a whole lot when compared to the overall.

I'd check Six States on 3rd West and about 14th South.

 

[Paul R]

Wow, that does seem steep, but $350 and $315 an axle isn't too bad. I'd just go with normal diff fluid rather than spring for the Royal Purple, but that doesn't save you a whole lot when compared to the overall.

I'd check Six States on 3rd West and about 14th South.

Yeah definitely a waste of money to use expensive lube when breaking gears in. Use the synthetic after they are broken in...

 

[waynehartwig]

Yeah definitely a waste of money to use expensive lube when breaking gears in. Use the synthetic after they are broken in...

Yeah, no kidding! The only reason I would use synthetic on new gears is for the extended heat protection. But if you are careful about not overheating them, then you can use some cheap a$$ Coast brand for the first 500 miles, then go to some better oil (Valvoline) for another 3k miles THEN switch to Royal Purple.

What axles do you have? D35/HPD30? And I'll give you a qoute and then you can compare.

Why are they replacing the front case? What gears do you have now?

Honestly, the extended warranty is useless and I would decline it. If the gears are goign to fail, they will fail sooner than later. What is their standard warranty? Better be at least 90 days. If so, you will know if the gears will make it after then. But warranty is insurance. Some people love insurance. It's just not for me. Not there anyway.

 

[waynehartwig]

I just noticed this...

$20 for seals

What seals are they replacing in addition?? Can't be diff cover gaskets, those come with the master install kit. Can't be front axle seals, those come with the master install kit, too. All of the pinion seals are in there as well. Could it be the rear axle seals and they are just being proactive in replacing them while the axles are out?

 

[Marshall]

I could see them changing the front carrier, because a 98 XJ probably has 3.55 gears in it, and the D30 case breaks at 3.73. But, 7 QUARTS OF ROYAL PURPLE??? I just set up my gears in my HP D30 and rear D44 and bought a gallon of cheap Coastal for break-in, and I only needed about half a quart more to fill both axles a little over full. They must fill through the breather

 

[andrew]

What axles do you have? D35/HPD30? And I'll give you a qoute and then you can compare.

Well it's a '98 XJ D44/HPD30 (D44 was swapped from a '89) I am running stock 3.55 ratio right now and want to go to 4.88's.
I will need a new carrier for the front and a Detroit for the Rear.
I prefer Premium Yukon or equal gears.
Just for kicks what would it be for detroit front also?

 

[SLC97SR5]

I had a terrible experience getting having mine installed-4.10 to 4.56 with a Tru-trac in the front. It ended up being $1800 and 2 warranty visits consisting of a total of 4 weeks down time and a grenaded rear e-locker assy...unacceptable. I initially called 4WP and their estimate was $2100.00, after all the garbage I went through I would have gladly paid that.

I second checking Six States, my biggest downfall was a lack of shopping and research.

P.S. 4.10's to 4.56 in a 4Runner is a waste of money. Go 4.88's.

 

[Dana]

My detroits have done well for years with plain old gear oil. Atlas says Royal Purple makes their T-case sound weird. I, like other posters, would ditch the Purple. The Offroad rag that 4 wheel parts put out have a 20% off labor coupon. If you don't have the rag send me your address and I'll mail you mine. Join a jeep club that gets 10% off parts (mine, Southern High rollers, is one such outfit, check locally). So...thats about $300 down...

 

[Bud]

Where are you at? Sky's Extreme in Clearfield will get you set up right!

 

[waynehartwig]

Well it's a '98 XJ D44/HPD30 (D44 was swapped from a '89) I am running stock 3.55 ratio right now and want to go to 4.88's.
I will need a new carrier for the front and a Detroit for the Rear.
I prefer Premium Yukon or equal gears.
Just for kicks what would it be for detroit front also?

$149 -Premium Yukon Front R&P: $153.33
$57 -New Front Carrier: $78
$108 -Front Install Kit: $111.02
$300 -Labor Front: $350
$159 -Premium Yukon Rear R&P: $163.33
$540 -Detroit Locker: $546
$120 -Rear Install Kit: $123.72
$200 -Labor Rear: $315
-Seals: $20
$0 -Shop Fees: $50
$0 -Oil Disp Fee: $15
-Royal Purple Lube: $98.21 (7 quarts)
-3 Year 36,000 Mile Parts & Labor Warranty: $295

Front Detroit is $485.

So their prices aren't too far off... Yukon prices are as low as I can post online, in an open forum.

7 quarts of oil is high. It will take about 5 for the rear and front. Clear that up with them....

Again, not sure what seals they want to charge you $20 for.... I'd get that cleared up.

Also find out about their standard warranty length. If it's a year, I wouldn't buy the extended. If it's only 30-90 days I might go elsewhere. I offer 12 months free with all of my gear/axle builds and have only had to pay out once (dang OX lockers ).

But otherwise it's not that bad of a deal for a shop install....

 

[Medsker]

Honestly, the extended warranty is useless and I would decline it.

I don't know when they did my gears the pinion nut came off about a year after they did it and they wouldn't do anything about it. The extra warranty might have helped...I doubt it would have, but it might have. I ended up paying for the complete rear end redo which was more than $295...and by the way I didn't go back to them. I would call around. Rocklogic4x4 just put 5.13 gears in my JK Rubicon for a lot less than that...I won't throw the price out because...well just because but it was substantially less than your quote and the only difference was the detroit and the carrier.

Medsker

 

[waynehartwig]

I don't know when they did my gears the pinion nut came off about a year after they did it and they wouldn't do anything about it. The extra warranty might have helped...I doubt it would have, but it might have. I ended up paying for the complete rear end redo which was more than $295...and by the way I didn't go back to them. I would call around. Rocklogic4x4 just put 5.13 gears in my JK Rubicon for a lot less than that...I won't throw the price out because...well just because but it was substantially less than your quote and the only difference was the detroit and the carrier.

Medsker

That's probably a true statement; but I'm the kind of person that refuses to pay for extended warrantees. 9 times out of 10 the only person they benifit, is the company that is charging you for it.

 

[Medsker]

That's probably a true statement; but I'm the kind of person that refuses to pay for extended warrantees. 9 times out of 10 the only person they benifit, is the company that is charging you for it.

Yea I agree, I guess I was more saying I wouldn't go to them since my pinion nut came off and they wouldn't do anything about it.

 

[andrew]

Yea I agree, I guess I was more saying I wouldn't go to them since my pinion nut came off and they wouldn't do anything about it.

You talking about 4Wheel Parts?

 

[waynehartwig]

Yea I agree, I guess I was more saying I wouldn't go to them since my pinion nut came off and they wouldn't do anything about it.

That I would agree with, too... 4WP wouldn't be my first choice... I'd be calling Seth at RL or MT Logan or...

 

[Greg]

I don't know when they did my gears the pinion nut came off about a year after they did it and they wouldn't do anything about it. The extra warranty might have helped...I doubt it would have, but it might have. I ended up paying for the complete rear end redo which was more than $295...and by the way I didn't go back to them....

I had the same experience with a 4WPW gear job. I bought a truck, which the previous owner had 4WPW in SLC do gears & lockers. Less than 6 months on the gears, the rearend went out. I had to buy another set of gears & had 'em installed by someone else... to the tune of about $300 for gears & install. The guy that did the install said the gears were installed way too deep, the pinion chewed into the ring gear until it broke. I *hate* paying for stuff twice.

I took the busted gears into 4WPW & set them on the counter... the guy asked what they were & I told them it was one of their installs that was done wrong. They didn't seem to care. I know since I didn't buy the gears they couldn't do much, but I was more shocked by the fact that they simply didn't give a damn. IMO they weren't surprised to see a mis-installed gear set.

I'd find a shop that deals with axles all day long, has a good reputation & trained employees. Anyone can install gears, only a professional can install them correctly. Don't look for the cheapest labor, cause it will be 2x as much if you have to do it again. If you're looking for a shop to do the gears, I'd look to Six States.

 

[waynehartwig]

I'd find a shop that deals with axles all day long, has a good reputation & trained employees. Anyone can install gears, only a professional can install them correctly. Don't look for the cheapest labor, cause it will be 2x as much if you have to do it again.

x2
Anyone can install gears and at that point, you are just as capable as learning as they are....

 

[Medsker]

You talking about 4Wheel Parts?

Yea

 

[andrew]

I guess the question that i have now is what options do I have? I will check with Six States but I want to check 3 or 4 shops before I decide. What other professional shops are in the Salt Lake Valley area?