Finally rear axle being attended too


Hell, I can have a custom-built 9" for my car shipped to my door and still have money left over for what they're charging to "rebuild" yours.

There's not an 8.8 in the world that can be so damaged it'd cost $2300 in parts and labor for a stock rebuild. Even at BMW dealership labor rates a diff rebuild for an 8.8 wouldn't be more than $700 or so in labor, and the parts would be all of a few hundred, there's almost no way an independent shop should be above $1000 for what is mostly bearing replacements and a fluid drain and fill.

Screw it, let's reach for the stars: https://lmr.com/item/LRS-4204SDK-G/...ine-Severe-Duty-Rear-Axle-Kit-4-Lug-373-Gears that with let's say... a 40% markup $1329.99. There we go, now the parts department has a fat profit margin too. So $2029.99 in parts and labor, AND I'm giving you upgrades, a BMW loaner car (we're talking 2020 5-series here), free coffee/snacks/wifi, AND beating these jackwagons by almost $200... do I get the job? :rlaugh:

I think you'd have saved money taking it to a Ford dealership over those guys, and that's saying something. I work on BMWs for a living, I charge people astronomical amounts to fix things for them, and even I'm reading your post and thinking they're out of their damned minds and if you pay them a cent, you are too.
 
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Pretty sure it’s been beaten to death that he’s paying too much. Let’s hope he gets it back in running order, and eventually can do more with it. The horse has been dead and buried.... let’s move on!
 
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darkfader thks for offer. But even though it sucks i didnt have a choice or time to exercise options that differential shop gave me.
i dont have the tools, the lift to do work from my home. Now if i was in Ca where parents are now that is complete opposite tools, lift and help to steer me in right direction. Thks to everyone for help.
Soo, you actually paid this amount?
 
“The axle and carrier bearings have spun”

Well I sure as :poo: hope so. That’s what they do lol.

Was the differential run completely dry? That’s about the only way I’ve ever seen one get really all that messed up, and it still wasn’t no $2000+ in damage. Or remotely close
 
Not likely. They did it innefficiently.

Kurt
Nothing inefficient about it. The actual parts and labor cost didn't even surpass $500, and they charged him $2300. That's $1800 worth of gross profit in a single car for work that took 1-2 days at most, while probably simultaneously pumping other customers in the fart box at the same time.
 
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Nothing inefficient about it. The actual parts and labor cost didn't even surpass $500, and they charged him $2300. That's $1800 worth of gross profit in a single car for work that took 1-2 days at most, while probably simultaneously pumping other customers in the fart box at the same time.
I can pretty much guarantee the parts and labor were more than $500. $2300 is straight up robbery though.
 
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Nothing inefficient about it. The actual parts and labor cost didn't even surpass $500, and they charged him $2300. That's $1800 worth of gross profit in a single car for work that took 1-2 days at most, while probably simultaneously pumping other customers in the fart box at the same time.

It's more than that. You'd have to call and find out what a differential cost, but it's a pretty penny. Bearings are at least $150.

Kurt
 
Do you honestly think this place didn't just replace the axle bearings and rebuilt tloc and took his money

Repacking a traction lock is pita job. Then there's the liability in it. Do you want to do a repack job and hope the spider gears are ok? Or do you just offer a whole differential and be sure? Has your A-tech ever repacked a differential in his career? Believe it or not, it isn't a common job. I worked in a Firestone my whole way through college, and I don't think I ever saw a differential getting repacked. Time is money too. Is the clutch kit readily available? Do you order a clutch kit that takes 3 days to get there, or a diff that is 1 day out? How long do you want to tie up a lift for? Service is complicated, I've done it. I would never in good conscience offer someone that price for a bad diff on a $4k car, but I wouldn't put it past other service writers. If the service writer tells the customer it's going to be $2300, and the customer says yes, then the car is off the lift and out the door as fast as possible. All these jobs are done flat rate. If the book says that a diff replacement is 3.8 hours, then they apply that rate to their hourly rate, and that's the labor cost. Then they add a flat shop rate fee. The book might not even have a flat rate for repacking a locker. The high price likely came from poor choices on where to buy parts from, and the number of parts to replace, not an overt dishonesty. If the customer gets a brand new differential as quoted and listed, then that's not dishonest. If the shop re packs the differential with clutches, and charges for a new differential, then that would be dishonest. If the shop billed more than the 3.8 hours of labor, or charged more per hour than the standard rate, that would be dishonest.

Kurt
 
It's more than that. You'd have to call and find out what a differential cost, but it's a pretty penny. Bearings are at least $150.

Kurt
Shops and dealerships don't pay retail for parts when they do buy from normal consumer sources, and they have wholesale sources for parts that don't sell to the DIY market that are even cheaper.
 
Shops and dealerships don't pay retail for parts when they do buy from normal consumer sources, and they have wholesale sources for parts that don't sell to the DIY market that are even cheaper.

I have installed and sold parts in the past. It's way more complicated than that. Prices vary widely depending on who the wholesaler is, what the volume purchasing of the customer is, etc. I was an Adance Auto Parts manger after college (in the times of despair) doing $20k in commercial parts sales a week, and there are different price charts for each customer depending on how much money they spent with us. The standard markup is 40% for service writers. That's not price times 1.40, it's 40% of the service cost.

Kurt
 
I have installed and sold parts in the past. It's way more complicated than that. Prices vary widely depending on who the wholesaler is, what the volume purchasing of the customer is, etc. I was an Adance Auto Parts manger after college (in the times of despair) doing $20k in commercial parts sales a week, and there are different price charts for each customer depending on how much money they spent with us. The standard markup is 40% for service writers. That's not price times 1.40, it's 40% of the service cost.

Kurt
I've been a dealership parts manager, dealership technician, chain shop technician, technician for an independent, service advisor for a dealership, parts counterperson for multiple dealerships, and commercial manager for two of the chains. I know all of this, from pretty much every angle.
 
Repacking a traction lock is pita job. Then there's the liability in it. Do you want to do a repack job and hope the spider gears are ok? Or do you just offer a whole differential and be sure? Has your A-tech ever repacked a differential in his career? Believe it or not, it isn't a common job. I worked in a Firestone my whole way through college, and I don't think I ever saw a differential getting repacked. Time is money too. Is the clutch kit readily available? Do you order a clutch kit that takes 3 days to get there, or a diff that is 1 day out? How long do you want to tie up a lift for? Service is complicated, I've done it. I would never in good conscience offer someone that price for a bad diff on a $4k car, but I wouldn't put it past other service writers. If the service writer tells the customer it's going to be $2300, and the customer says yes, then the car is off the lift and out the door as fast as possible. All these jobs are done flat rate. If the book says that a diff replacement is 3.8 hours, then they apply that rate to their hourly rate, and that's the labor cost. Then they add a flat shop rate fee. The book might not even have a flat rate for repacking a locker. The high price likely came from poor choices on where to buy parts from, and the number of parts to replace, not an overt dishonesty. If the customer gets a brand new differential as quoted and listed, then that's not dishonest. If the shop re packs the differential with clutches, and charges for a new differential, then that would be dishonest. If the shop billed more than the 3.8 hours of labor, or charged more per hour than the standard rate, that would be dishonest.

Kurt

lol I might have read your reply wrong but all I see was bringing a car to a tire shop for anything but tires isn't a standard repair resulting in a full replacement. at top rate right? Good thing the guy didn't say he had a leaking lower intake gasket or they would bill him for a full engine too just to be on the safe side :)
 
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