P38A How Much? !!!

DanClarke · 2024-08-16T10:24:06+0100

Just had my usual (very good) garage on the blower about the works proposed for the car next week.
>£1,000

Apparently it needs new upper & lower ball-joints and track rod. Apparently the parts are non-returnable and special order because of the age of the car and its 6-hours of labour to replace. I really don't know what to do. That's a lot of money.
The car drives fine. All I can see on the last service advisory that kicked this off is that there are split dust-covers on the rear drag link and that the O/S/F and N/S/F upper & lower ball joint dust covers are split.

backinblack · 2024-08-16T10:33:23+0100

Never done a P38 but that sounds a lot.

pwood999 · 2024-08-16T10:43:08+0100

Depends how rusty the ball joints are. I've done them on both my P38's. The 2nd car took a couple of hours per side, but that included coffee breaks as well as the hub & drive shaft removal. Removing the old joints usually takes much longer than installing the new ones.

Certainly not special order. They are readily availabl, i.e. https://www.jgs4x4.co.uk/range-rover-p38-steering-knuckle-ball-joints-upper-lower-delphi/

Datatek · 2024-08-16T11:39:51+0100

DanClarke said:
Just had my usual (very good) garage on the blower about the works proposed for the car next week.
>£1,000 Apparently it needs new upper & lower ball-joints and track rod. Apparently the parts are non-returnable and special order because of the age of the car and its 6-hours of labour to replace. I really don't know what to do. That's a lot of money.
The car drives fine. All I can see on the last service advisory that kicked this off is that there are split dust-covers on the rear drag link and that the O/S/F and N/S/F upper & lower ball joint dust covers are split.

I have done all those jobs on both mine. Really not difficult to DIY if you buy the swivel removal tool.

Mark Piercy · 2024-08-17T13:31:44+0100

We all know those parts aren't special order don't we. Can you get a quote or second opinion. The amount of labour I understand but special order

DanClarke · 2024-08-17T13:39:54+0100

Mark Piercy said:
We all know those parts aren't special order don't we. Can you get a quote or second opinion. The amount of labour I understand but special order

It's not so much that they are "special order" I think, it is more that they are non-returnable if you don't use them.
Which says to me that in all likelihood it's just the ball-joints & associated gaiters that really need replacing and anything else is just "insurance" (and profit) for them that makes sure the job gets done in one hit.

Though it pains me to have to do it, I'm going to resign myself to letting my state pension pay for it this month and I will make up the remainder. MOT due on the 2nd Sept.

marjon · 2024-08-17T14:00:59+0100

When they/you/anybody are in that far then making sure you give it another 20years is not a bad thing.
Just changing the gaiters at that point makes no sense at that age of joint, to me.

Live long and prosper and spend your money before the kids do

.

J

biketeacherdave · 2024-08-17T14:02:24+0100

That's taking the ****

marjon · 2024-08-17T14:06:35+0100

biketeacherdave said:
That's taking the ****

It maybe on what was said on the parts, but what's a labour hour in London area these days 100-150+/hr?

J

WhiskyLassie · 2024-08-17T14:24:20+0100

DanClarke said:
Just had my usual (very good) garage on the blower about the works proposed for the car next week.
>£1,000 Apparently it needs new upper & lower ball-joints and track rod. Apparently the parts are non-returnable and special order because of the age of the car and its 6-hours of labour to replace. I really don't know what to do. That's a lot of money.
The car drives fine. All I can see on the last service advisory that kicked this off is that there are split dust-covers on the rear drag link and that the O/S/F and N/S/F upper & lower ball joint dust covers are split.

I was quoted 400 quid to do the tracking and lower ball joint replacement. Hence that emotional Monday when I was trying to do it. That was just for one ball joint replacement. See if you can source parts yourself and just pay them for labour.

marjon · 2024-08-17T14:25:37+0100

WhiskyLassie said:
I was quoted 400 quid to do the tracking and lower ball joint replacement. Hence that emotional Monday when I was trying to do it. That was just for one ball joint replacement. See if you can source parts yourself and just pay them for labour.

And that was on a Freelander.

J

WhiskyLassie · 2024-08-17T14:25:46+0100

marjon said:
When they/you/anybody are in that far then making sure you give it another 20years is not a bad thing.
Just changing the gaiters at that point makes no sense at that age of joint, to me.

Live long and prosper and spend your money before the kids do .

J

2nd that spend your money on yourself for once

DanClarke · 2024-08-17T14:25:47+0100

WhiskyLassie said:
I was quoted 400 quid to do the tracking and lower ball joint replacement. Hence that emotional Monday when I was trying to do it. That was just for one ball joint replacement.

A good comparison. My garage is generally very good to me and always discusses everything first. So I find them pretty trustworthy TBH.

WhiskyLassie · 2024-08-17T14:26:55+0100

marjon said:
And that was on a Freelander.

J

Yep, all in all new track rod end, drop link and ball joint just under £100 to do it myself. Did have to buy a separator.

marjon · 2024-08-17T14:29:05+0100

DanClarke said:
A good comparison. My garage is generally very good to me and always discusses everything first. So I find them pretty trustworthy TBH.

Maybe they are working worst case, cos they want to keep your custom and it will come in less.

Ask them what parts are needed and what make?

J

marjon · 2024-08-17T14:31:48+0100

WhiskyLassie said:
Yep, all in all new track rod end, drop link and ball joint just under £100 to do it myself. Did have to buy a separator.

And a few bottles of wine and Mister bump plasters, but well worth the effort

J

Anaconda · 2024-08-17T14:34:35+0100

It's £500 including lemforder upper and lower ball joints on D2 which I presume are the same.

WhiskyLassie · 2024-08-17T14:34:37+0100

marjon said:
And a few bottles of wine and Mister bump plasters, but well worth the effort

J

Absolutely!

@DanClarke
Hope this helps!!

Range Rover P38 (95-02) Steering | John Craddock Ltd

Steering in Range Rover > Range Rover P38 (95-02) > Parts > Steering from John Craddock Ltd

www.johncraddockltd.co.uk

Anaconda · 2024-08-17T14:37:45+0100

WhiskyLassie said:
I was quoted 400 quid to do the tracking and lower ball joint replacement. Hence that emotional Monday when I was trying to do it. That was just for one ball joint replacement. See if you can source parts yourself and just pay them for labour.

My advice would be let them source the parts, if they fail it's their fault.
You can send a link to the parts, that way they know that you know how much they cost.

WhiskyLassie · 2024-08-17T14:40:04+0100

Anaconda said:
My advice would be let them source the parts, if they fail it's their fault.
You can send a link to the parts, that way they know that you know how much they cost.

Oh absolutely however before a previous garage got taken over by new management I used to source parts and I'd pay labour and they were happy with that. Also it was right next to a parts place.

P38A How Much? !!!

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