fair price to have parts pressed

[T2urtle]

What is a actual fair price or what price you deem fair?

I know harbor frieght has their 20 ton presses for about $150. I wanted to get this just to do things myself but I dont see the NEED for this tool much. I dont have room to store such tool. So i rather pay.

Recently i needed a wheel bearing pressed out/in. alldata listed the whole job being 3.5 hours. So roughly after parts most shop wanted $500-600.

I went with the DIY method, 1 hours to fit the rust and removed the spindle. $65 for a timekin bearing and 2 seals. I figure the first shop i go to would be happy to take $25 and do it. Some shops didn't want to do and the first couple that agreed wanted $85, 110, 125. I figure these were 1 hour of shop time. I find that to be insane, because I know personally its about 15 minutes of work IF that.

Drove around some more and finally found a guy to do it for $45 only if i had cash but he is a very far drive for me.

Now i need someone to press in a control arm bushing and a ball joint, i know ball joints have a small tool i can use to take care of that but since i need to pull the control arm bushing off the car, i figure might as well do it off the car.

I'm trying to find a figure out was $45 a fair price. And what is a fair price for the control arms bushing.

 

[Raizinman]

I’ve always found it much better to purchase the tool instead of paying someone to do it. Yes, Harbor Freight has cheap tools, but if you are only going to use it a few times and then either store or sell it, then it pays to purchase the tool. Also, take advantage of some of the auto parts stores that will rent you tools. I cannot begin to tell you the amount of tools I have in my garage that I originally purchased thinking I would probably never use it again, but have. A press can come in handy for many things.

 

[T2urtle]

lack of room is the BIG thing. If i had a large enough garage, i would love a press. This has been the only thing i've ever needed it for. I dont plan on doing ball joints, wheel bearings and control arm bushings often at all. My first one.

There also seems to be a lot of "on the car" bushing removal tools now. More costly but saves time from removing everything.

 

[exdeath]

Sometimes you can get by with a pair of C clamps and blocks of wood. Put the part to be pressed in the freezer and heat up the part you are pressing into and it's even easier.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

You need to find a machine shop, or engine rebuilding place. Most regulars shops wants you to pay them for the entire job, in my experience.

 

[T2urtle]

you think finding one in the city of chicago would be easy but there aren't many in a short driving radius around me.

Most machine shops just packed up

 

[Pacfanweb]

Wait, you're saying that it's a 3.5hr job, and NOT INCLUDING the parts, shops wanted 5-600 bucks to do the job?

That's over 150 per hour. Where are shops charging that much?

 

[jlee]

Wait, you're saying that it's a 3.5hr job, and NOT INCLUDING the parts, shops wanted 5-600 bucks to do the job?

That's over 150 per hour. Where are shops charging that much?

He listed an after parts price - I read that as including parts.

 

[T2urtle]

He listed an after parts price - I read that as including parts.

Correct.

When I called I first asked how much to do the whole job and then asked about just the press work. Never know when someone would charge $250 for whole job. I would of paid $250. Parts would of cost them $50-60 their cost, cause it was $65 my cost.

 

[SuperSix]

you may be able to get the tools needed on loan from Autozone, etc.