mechanic called and quoted me $1004 to changed 4 ball joints and the idler arm. am i being overcharged? is there an reputable online chevy parts store that is reasonable that will ship to hawaii? parts is whats costing me the most. and is this an easy DIY? thank you for all who reply!!

 

Wow... Cost me 210 to have lower ball joints on a F-150. I know a car guy in hawaii. I'll ask him where he would go.

 

Nevermind... My hawaiian car guy, is in the desert. Sorry I couldn't help more. But it's not the easiest job for beginners.

 

les schwab quoted me bout $500 couple years for same exact work on my 94 silverado. $1k seems rather high. rockauto.com is usually really good.

 

Seems high to me. What vehicle and how many miles on it? Don't see too many uppers needing replacement even with mega miles. Have them show you where the play is in the components.

 

I've got a 96 s-10 and the upper on my left side snapped on me while I was going to work one day last year. Nice thing was my Dad worked at GM assembling and repairing s-10's and it cost about 35 bucks a piece at NAPA to get new upper joints and about 2 hours worth of work, but that price is here in Ohio, not Hawaii.

 

rent the tool from autozone..... and do it yourself if u got a garage or sumthin... i just did it on my chevy not long ago..took like 3 hours for 1 balljoint just because i'v never done it on a IFS befor... u gotta remove everything including the cv axel if yours is 4x4..i ended up beating it out with a sludge and putting it back in the tool..... it was a B.......

 

Need more info but I would say probally typical for hawia. Your paying someone for their knowledge and skill. The old saying you get what you pay for. I have priced jobs and some go with the cheapest price, then come back when it's not right or could not get good follow-up care. A frontend alignment should be included in that price though. Ball joints can be a pain on some models and pitmanarms don't always just pop off easly. He has to figure in alot of unseen expences and over head. I would probally charge less but then Hawai is more expencive living so he is probally average price for that economy. So get a second opion before you do anything.