The Price is Right!

[moribundman]

Or is it?

Please estimate the cost to have a rear wheel bearing on a '96 Audi quattro replaced. We are talking dealer price here.

My guess was $450.

 

[Papa Bear]

You could probably replace a whole '96 Audi for $450.oo

 

[moribundman]

$450 is like almost 1 Euro now, right?

How about a guess?

 

[Master ACiD]

i bet its like $900.

 

[JHZR2]

For both sides, $575 on the low end... $950 on the high end...

Just my guess...

JMH

 

[moribundman]

Yup, $900 dollars for each side.

 

[NJC]

I'll guess 30mins book time, press out the races, put the brgs in + new seals (assume it has inner seals ... or for that matter, removable races).

$150.00 brgs + race
$50.00 seals
$65.00 1/2 dealer labour
$20.00 misc shop supplies (special German grease incl)
---------------
$285.00

EDIT: OK I'm waaaaay off. Please tell me that includes new rotors?

 

[JHZR2]

NJC abou matches my low end guess... except we get it cheaper, because the Canadian dollar is worth >$1

JMH

 

[Pablo]

Originally Posted By: moribundman
Yup, $900 dollars for each side.


EACH side, as in $1800 for both? Holy quatorsy...

 

[moribundman]

Check out this DIY rear wheel bearing job on an A4: http://www.pbase.com/rookie18/wheel_bearing

A Hub Shark costs about $300. It would be worth getting it. Not sure if I can press the bearing in myself. Someone said he needed a 20 ton press.

 

[JHZR2]

cripes, $900 each side?

Ive heard the Phaeton costs $1350 for both... retail. Makes it hard to believe that the Audi would be that much more... the Phaeton is a $75-100k car, an A4 never was.

JMH

 

[moribundman]

I "suspect" this price includes the hubs. I bet they'll say the hubs have to be replaced, too. Add downtown SF labor. My guess is $175 or more per hour.

 

[Gary Allan]

It's okay. Audi vehicles never need more than simple hand tools to perform all repairs. Anything else that you can't handle? Well, you're just not a good enough owner. Other stuff just doesn't break. That's why they spec all those special wizbang fluids and whatnot.

 

[moribundman]

Don't be an oilhole, Gary.

 

[Gary Allan]

(imagine evil grin)

 

[moribundman]

I know you're not above making use of cheap shots, but this time your commentary is simply beside the point.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: moribundman
I "suspect" this price includes the hubs. I bet they'll say the hubs have to be replaced, too. Add downtown SF labor. My guess is $175 or more per hour.


No my known $1350 number for the phaeton was not including hubs. That car is prone to go through bearings (apparently because of its heft), and the job I am citing had the claim that hubs were not needed. I think it was done at 72k - likely the reason, as the car was not old.
If youre paying $175/hr in downtown SF, why not find an independent shop that will install OE parts (has to be a good one somewhere around), or get a bit out of town to get a better dealer rate, more inline with $100/hr. For a job like this, Im sure they would give a loaner, I know that MB doesnt bat an eyelash when bringing in my w123 cars for service, I get an ML SUV as a loaner, and they only charge $100/hr.

JMH

 

[Gary Allan]

Originally Posted By: moribundman
I know you're not above making use of cheap shots, but this time your commentary is simply beside the point.


Oh, really :???: I see. My bad.

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: moribundman
I "suspect" this price includes the hubs. I bet they'll say the hubs have to be replaced, too. Add downtown SF labor. My guess is $175 or more per hour.


No my $1350 number for the phaeton was not including hubs, and in fact that car is prone to go through bearings (apparently because of its heft), and the job I am citing had the claim that hubs were not needed. I think it was done at 72k.
If youre paying $175/hr in downtown SF, why not find an independent shop that will install OE parts (has to be a good one somewhere around), or get a bit out of town to get a better dealer rate, more inline with $100/hr. For a job like this, Im sure they would give a loaner, I know that MB doesnt bat an eyelash when bringing in my w123 cars for service, I get an ML SUV as a loaner, and they only charge $100/hr.

JMH


The figure I was quoted most likely included the hubs.

I asked at a downtown dealership only because I wanted to be surprised!

 

[Master ACiD]

of those wheel bearings were made out of solid silver they wouldnt be worth as much as audi charges.

this is why ill never own a modern german car. they are anti diy. i have worked on enough of them to realize this. just look at the audi overly complicated pcv system. where other car makers use a single spring loaded valve that costs $2 to replace, audi has all kind of pumps and pipes and junk nobody even knows what it does but its there and it fails and it costs a lot to fix.

ill take an old audi bmw porsche or mercedes any day. but the modern junk? no way. give me a modern asian car and i can rebuild the motor with a crescent wrench and a tube of tennis balls.