Front End Parts Quote: Are you sitting down?

[LittleCaesar]

If you do not have access to a garage, driveway, shop tools or the like, then dump it if you will be receiving quotes such as that now and in the future.

I wonder if those replacement control arms are gold plated?

Not being an ASE mechanic but having owned over 15 autos and wrenched on at least 300, this 4runner ranks in the top ten as easiest IMHO to work on.

 

[chuck norris]

This:

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Well, I can't argue with this. Your wallet isn't going to like it though.

 

[Hog1983]

WTF!! You can buy a Total Chaos kit, that replaces just about everything and that's just R&R work for @2700. He'll for 6000 you can get but and replace all suspension as well and get yourself piggyback coil overs. I would seriously laugh in that guys face, and tell them that I will post horrible reviews everywhere!!!

 

[iowajosh]

It sounds like the shop is not good at deciding what the problem is so they suggest rebuilding most of the front suspension.

Mine shook when hitting bumps. The steering rack guide and the rack bushings took out 99% of it. And I can't imagine how bad it would be with a broken end link!

You could rent a place and do the work there and still be way cheaper than buying a taco. 180k isn't a lot of miles on a toy.

 

[Coast2Coast]

It doesn't even feel that bad when driving it, just a bit jittery over bumps. It's really frustrating owning something that needs a bunch of little things repaired and not being able to do it myself/ or for a reasonable cost.

The mechanics here just type in all the repairs into their computer program and it calculates hours and spits out a price. If the repair ends up taking 2 hours instead of 10, you still get charged for 10. Not sure if it's like that where you guys are.

People selling these trucks always say "this truck will last forever". But every time I run a vehicle up past 180,000 it falls apart due to rust, and this one has some starting around the windshield since I bought it. My last truck only made it to 161,000 before the rocker panels and quarter panels completely disintegrated. It was sold for parts, as was the vehicle before that at 187,000 with a disintegrated floor. I bought this one because I needed something cheap and 4x4 as soon as I moved here and I didn't have time to shop around. You get what you payed for they say. I guess I should consider myself lucky at 194,000 and still rolling...

 

[audiness]

I did my Front lower control arm bushings ($94 ea) and sway bar end links ($22 ea) and about 4 hours of labor. If you can't or aren't willing to work on your own truck, then be prepared to pay a huge premium for someone else to do it. All the info you need to do these jobs can be easily found on the internet for free.

 

[Greg_Canada]

It doesn't even feel that bad when driving it, just a bit jittery over bumps. It's really frustrating owning something that needs a bunch of little things repaired and not being able to do it myself/ or for a reasonable cost.

The mechanics here just type in all the repairs into their computer program and it calculates hours and spits out a price. If the repair ends up taking 2 hours instead of 10, you still get charged for 10. Not sure if it's like that where you guys are.

People selling these trucks always say "this truck will last forever". But every time I run a vehicle up past 180,000 it falls apart due to rust, and this one has some starting around the windshield since I bought it. My last truck only made it to 161,000 before the rocker panels and quarter panels completely disintegrated. It was sold for parts, as was the vehicle before that at 187,000 with a disintegrated floor. I bought this one because I needed something cheap and 4x4 as soon as I moved here and I didn't have time to shop around. You get what you payed for they say. I guess I should consider myself lucky at 194,000 and still rolling...

My 99' is up to 240,000 miles now. Thinking of rebuilding the front end. Found new LCA's with bushings on rockauto for $80 each, so, really, it's not that bad.
Why don't you buy the parts you need:
(LCA's from rockauto $200, steering rack bushings (wheeler's offroad sells them) $40 balljoints from autopartsway.ca $200, new UCA's with BJ's (stock or lightoffroad ones for about 400) and wheel bearings from autopartsway.ca $200... and if you want, new shocks (fully built monroe units, $300)... and get new tie rod ends as well if you want ($200). Total, $1340 for parts) Bring them to a mechanic. You should be able to get him to replace everything for a grand, cause he is throwing most of the parts away and cant use a standard "rate" as everything is going to be apart anyways. It's what i had to do to my 89' and what i have to do to my 99 (except on the 89 i do all the work myself).

 

[Kurtis]

For 6k you could cut the A/C out of it, (I doubt you need it, you are in Canada) and go apeshit on your choice of Choas suspension and still have enough left over to buy matches and gasoline to burn down that guy's shop. He obviously shouldn't have one.

 

[PRBond]

You have some options here even if you don't want to do the work yourself or don't have a place to do it yourself...

The first thing you can do is break down the shop quotes on the list of everything you need. From there you can either buy the parts yourself and pay a shop to install them. (Which saves money as most shops deal with only 1-2 vendors for parts that don't always stock or price what you would want.)

The next option you have is to call around to shops in your area and ask what they would charge in labor and give them a specific task that you would like done. (Replace tie rods, shocks, ect.) This way you're keeping control of the service and only paying for the work that you authorized to have completed.

The last option you have and not my favorite of the 3 is to sell the truck. Quite honestly any used vehicle you buy will require some work, regardless of mileage. I picked up my '99 4Runner about a month ago for $8,000 and I've put almost $1000 into it since then by changing out all of the fluids in the tranny, both dif's, transfer case, air filter, fuel filter, spark plugs, plug wires, coolant flush, timing belt and water pump... Putting some money into my 4Runner was a no brainer for me, because I plan to drive this truck for the next 10+ years. I love the way it drives, looks, and parts are stupid easy to come by for these things. (Just ask my sister who had a Saturn Vue when the water pump went out... Rather than sit on a waiting list for the part, she traded it in on a Toyota Camry and has been happy ever since.)

As stated by others in this thread, I would turn this opportunity into a positive and use the money to really buy an awesome front suspension for your truck. You could order a Total Chaos suspension and have something you feel a lot better about that you put into it. For most of us, that's how this goes... The philsophy is that you are investing in the long-haul so when something wears out or breaks, you replace it with the best possible part out there and drive it for another 100,000 miles. That's the Toyota Owner's way... : )

 

[JWaldz]

That is the most ludicrous price I have ever seen for a front end tune-up! You would have to be a down right idiot to pay that. Matter of fact, I'm pretty sure insurance would total your 4Runner for repairs based on that quote. I would have laughed in their faces had they handed me that, then balled it up, and tossed it in their lobby trash can. They must not want any business giving people quotes like that... To the shop, I say good day sir.

 

[Greg_Canada]

For 6k you could cut the A/C out of it, (I doubt you need it, you are in Canada) and go apeshit on your choice of Choas suspension and still have enough left over to buy matches and gasoline to burn down that guy's shop. He obviously shouldn't have one.

Clearly you've never been to Canada. In the winter, it's cold and humid. In the summer, hot and humid (unless you go up north, where it is perfect humidity)

 

[hambob]

In the summer the north gets more sun than the south. It gets really hot in Toronto and I used to live in Texas. AC is not necessary but needed.

 

[4yotaguy]

You need to find a different mechanic. No matter where you live, country, town, etc, there is always someone who is looking for side-jobs and is qualified.

I found a complete, OEM A/C compressor, receiver dryer, expansion valve, and all the fittings for my M3 for $375 shipped- two years ago and its awesome. That being said, because you are not into the DIY thing, try to source the parts cheap, using their estimate as a ridiculous starting point- then find a solid tech. I find that going to a dealer and asking the parts counter person about anyone doing side-jobs works well too...