My 2000 Express is just shy of 200,000 miles and needs to have the front wheel bearings replaced.

How much should I expect to pay for bearings and an alignment (if needed)?

 

bearing price can vary greatly depending on quality...anywhere from $100 to $400.
you do not need an alignment after bearing replacement. if you are getting it done for other reasons thelabour time is 1.5 hours for a 2 wheel thrust alignment. whatever the door rate in your area x 1.5.

 

hey,
you can price the parts by contacting your local parts store. Remember most shops don't let you bring in your own new parts. because they want to add a cost to the parts so they can make more money on you. then call the shop you choose to do the work and ask them for an estimate of labor per hour and just simply ask them what would it cost to do such a job per each wheel.
now i had a couple new bearings replace on the left side of my 04/ escape 4x4.. but remember this is a 4x4...it cost me $458.00 just for one side because they needed to be pressed in.
simply keep from going to the dealers. they charge a lot.. but you can have this done at a house of mufflers shop/ firestone etc . places like that or your local gas station that has a couple bays.
hope it helps ya. and oh do an alignment just to make sure your alignment is done.. remember.. without an alignment, your tires can wear uneven.
always ask your local shop on what needs to be done. an alignment these days at least expect to pay about eighty dollars for that. ok.. so dropping a few hundred on one side .. id agree say your total price could be around $385.00 .
Ya... that is a shame isnt it.. but that's what shops charge nowadays.
Kat

 

Thanks for the feedback. Uneven tire wear was what made me think alignment was needed. Seemed like maybe it pulled more to the left? But it dove fine. i THOUGHT it was just on the passenger side. Once the kid put it up on the lift he showed me the play on both sides, but he wouldn't do the bearings. It is just as well, as I have a shop I trust, which is important. My son worked there in HS and the have done work for me before. Their front end guy was off this week for deer season, so I will drop it there Sunday and hopefully they can get it done in a day, as I am leaving for a two week trip next week.

 

some shops do not want to install customer supplied parts. If the part is wrong the vehicle is stuck on the hoist...and that costs the shop money. yes, they do make money on parts they sell but they lose much more from idle bays and crap parts that take longer to install.

 

I would never consider bringing in parts to a shop. If I am going to the pros, which I do with this van because it takes a long time for a busted knuckle to heal on us old farts, I am asking them to do shopping.

 

For anyone doing the work at home head to Amazon. You can often get the so-called 'Professional Grade' GM/OEM parts for less than generic. (From what I understand... the 'Professional' GM parts are just those that passed QC inspections vs everything else that flew off the assembly line unchecked that day... (production line samples)).

Check their 'Warehouse Deals' first. Those are usually listed under the 'used' items... some which are customer returns from wrong part orders but most are where packaging was damaged in warehouse... you can save 50% or more over GM warehouse prices.

I have a year 2000 3500 so the links are specific to what I purchased for it:

• Front rotor / hub: http://amzn.to/2fMMFHL
  
• Front inner wheel bearings: http://amzn.to/2fJiimx
• Front inner bearing seal: http://amzn.to/2ePRK1a
• Front outer wheel bearings: http://amzn.to/2f5pjgn