1999 SR5 175k maintenance

[brian2sun]

The garage says the lower ball joints and tie rod ends are bad and need to be replaced at $800.

Then $800 for timing belt
$400 or so for fluids
$400 for radiator

Looking at $2500 maybe.

I suppose I could do the radiator and fluids myself and save a few hundred.

Do you think it's worth putting $2500 in to it? I paid $8900 for it 5 years ago and looking around '99 SR5s seem to be asking about $7000 still. So I guess it could be worth it, besides the emotional attachment.

Woah man, You're getting reemed! The diffs and t-case oil changes are very easy to DIY. $400 is way too much $$. 5 quarts of gear oil and about an hour of labor for all 3. I cannot see any reason whatsoever that the labor should be over 1 hour for all of them. And the fluid is ~$7 x 5 quarts so it should be about a $100-$125 total at the most. This shop is straight up trying to rip you off. Even a tranny flush should only be an additional $125 or so.

Lower ball joints and outer tie rod ends will take a shop up to 1.5 hours max to do both sides - that's if they've never even done them on a 4runner before. $800? Holy cow, man. You're looking at $3-400 in parts, but they are trying to charge you $4-500 to do a job that they'll get done before their first smoke break of the day. The upper BJs are harder and require a press, but not the LBJs or the tie rods. You will need to get it aligned for ~$75 afterwards (and don't et them charge you for a 4 wheel alignment because there is no adjustments that can be made on the rear at all).

A replacement Koyo radiator is $130! Again, a 1 hour job and $15-30 in coolant. Should be a $250 job max! Stay away from that shop!

IF you DIY everything except the timing belt/WP, you'd be looking at ~$1600.

 

[repo]

Woah man, You're getting reemed! The diffs and t-case oil changes are very easy to DIY. $400 is way too much $$. 5 quarts of gear oil and about an hour of labor for all 3. I cannot see any reason whatsoever that the labor should be over 1 hour for all of them. And the fluid is ~$7 x 5 quarts so it should be about a $100-$125 total at the most. This shop is straight up trying to rip you off. Even a tranny flush should only be an additional $125 or so.

Lower ball joints and outer tie rod ends will take a shop up to 1.5 hours max to do both sides - that's if they've never even done them on a 4runner before. $800? Holy cow, man. You're looking at $3-400 in parts, but they are trying to charge you $4-500 to do a job that they'll get done before their first smoke break of the day. The upper BJs are harder and require a press, but not the LBJs or the tie rods. You will need to get it aligned for ~$75 afterwards (and don't et them charge you for a 4 wheel alignment because there is no adjustments that can be made on the rear at all).

A replacement Koyo radiator is $130! Again, a 1 hour job and $15-30 in coolant. Should be a $250 job max! Stay away from that shop!

IF you DIY everything except the timing belt/WP, you'd be looking at ~$1600.

$400 was for transmission flush, power steering, brakes, diffs, transfer case and engine coolant.

They are quoting 2.2 hours for lower ball joints and 1.8 hour for inner tie rods, $930 after alignment and tax.

I will shop around for that and the belt, and do the rest myself.

Thanks for your help.

 

[brian2sun]

$400 was for transmission flush, power steering, brakes, diffs, transfer case and engine coolant.

They are quoting 2.2 hours for lower ball joints and 1.8 hour for inner tie rods, $930 after alignment and tax.

I will shop around for that and the belt, and do the rest myself.

Thanks for your help.

Well, if brakes were in there too for $400, that's not so bad then.