Jump to content
Ultimate Subaru Message Board

Front end problems--alternative to $750 bill?


Recommended Posts

I found a local shop that has given me a price of under $300 for the wheel bearing job; assuming the hub is still good.  If it turns out it isn't, I'm not sure what I do next as used hubs would be hard to locate on short notice.

Edited by ThosL
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anyone who works on the front end of a car with as many miles as my car has on it with original front end as far as I know is going to have some challenges.  I asked for a referral for a local mechanic by a parts shop and found one that got into the wheel bearing issue yesterday.  The spindle/hub/bearing issue became a challenge and the shop manager ordered a hub in case they could not use the old one and they were having trouble pressing out the whole bearing assembly from the old hub yesterday, hopefully they will be able to get it out and get the new bearing in and will probably have to use the new hub from the looks of things.  In retrospect the $750 estimate was very reasonable and if you go with a mechanic with a hundred junker Subarus to get parts from there is an advantage for customers.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The job of replacing the bearing ended up costing $430; a tie rod end with frozen bolt/nut had to be replaced as well as the hub.  They did not charge me full actual time because of the trouble of getting the old bearing out, etc.. As usual the wholesale parts cost was tripled.  I'm still going to have to do the other side and an alignment at some point.

Edited by ThosL
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I need to get the driver's side front end work done relatively soon.  It is hard to find mechanics who will install a used steering knuckle, that would be the most economical solution.  The passenger side has been taken care of.   How do others deal with situations like that?  I am probably looking at $400 or so, compared to ordering a used front knuckle and looking for someone to install.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Who do most people use for ordering used parts like this, in the past I ordered from an online used auto parts finder?  Next step is checking around for a mechanic, I know a couple of them.

I got lucky by going to Craig's list in my city, went to cars & trucks for sale, narrowed search to Subaru only by owner. I do this periodically to see what is for sale. I was surprised to see a mechanic with Subaru experience wanting to do " moon light" work on Subies at his house. Turned out he had been a tech at a dealership a few years back. I had him replaced the HGs on my 99 on the cheap. He does great work.

 

Suggest you go on Craig's list at the Subaru car section, and ask if anyone does mechanical work on Subies. Who knows, you may find someone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the suggestion, "Bargain News" is where people usually go in this state for used parts as you are talking about, but I have been stung doing that once, that's enough.  A little story about that: I ran a free ad in Bargain News some years ago looking for a transmission on a Chevy one ton van, mine had gotten damaged delivering firewood long distance.  So this guy from Beacon Falls calls me up saying how he wanted to help me and would pick the tranny up and repair it and re-install the unit a while later.  So I trust him; he comes down, asks for a deposit for his "work" removes the tranny, and he then is impossible to communicate with.  I contacted the police in his town to let them know that he had ripped me off and they did speak with him, but I did not have the paperwork to prosecute.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...