XRF Users? Shop rates.

[cowboysgottacummins]

Getting down to business on the ball joint replacement after my rendezvous with a concrete light pole a few weeks ago.



Heavily leaning toward the Dynatraxx, however having a hard time getting a shop to install them. They all insist on their own (Moog). local 4wheel parts will do the dynatraxx, but their shop rate is $85 an hour. ouch! Can take it to a buddy's shop 2 hrs away, but thats not gonna save much since we'll spend 2 or three days working on it since he works 2nd shift.



One local shop said they would do some research and get back to me and they did. They won't install the dynatraxx but offered the XRF ball joints instead for the same price as their normal Moog Joints and are saying I cant go wrong with a 1 million mile warranty. He seemed to be alarmed at the idea of $600 ball joints.



Well i Know from many users here, part replacement under warranty doesn't cover the labor for install.



It seems it is purely a judgement. I am running out of time, as there is now a 1/4" of play on the drivers side. But I am curious to hear more about the notion that the knurling on the XRF's actually widens the bore? or in some way damages for all other types of joints in the future? Did I read correctly in past posts?



Are you running XRF's if so how long and thoughts?

 

[Prairie Dog]

I would say the XRF's with the big warranty would be fine if XRF or that shop will also cover the labor every time they need replacing.
I've go the same problem around here, everyone wan'ts to get the markup on their own parts. I hate to do it but I may tackle them myself.

 

[rscurtis]

See if the "million mile warranty" includes normal wear, or just defects in material and workmanship. Just like the "lifetime warranty"- who's lifetime- yours or the manufacturer's?

 

[Spooled05]

In 66k miles i went through , stock , 2 full sets of moog upper and lowers before i went carli. Their lowers wernt released yet so i installed moog lowers until carlis were available.
the moogs didnt last 20k so i went with xrf lowers , after install there was zero play in the lowers and now at 160k the lowers still have zero play! I would reccomend the xrf's to everyone , and i got a full set of uppers and lowers for 299$ ,cant beat that!

 

[Prairie Dog]

In 66k miles i went through , stock , 2 full sets of moog upper and lowers before i went carli. Their lowers wernt released yet so i installed moog lowers until carlis were available.

the moogs didnt last 20k so i went with xrf lowers , after install there was zero play in the lowers and now at 160k the lowers still have zero play! I would reccomend the xrf's to everyone , and i got a full set of uppers and lowers for 299$ ,cant beat that!

Great information! Oo.

 

[AEdelheit]

Not to get off subject but why would a shop not install Dynatrax??? Seems like if you call and want them installed then I dont see why it would matter to them what they put in.

 

[jhenderson]

I have XRF ball joints in my 04. I have about 75,000 miles on them. They are still tight, but they groan when steering at slow speed with my plow onor off. These ball joints are not greasable, but I think you could drill and tap for grease fittings BEFORE installation.

 

[TimothyLong]

Not to get off subject but why would a shop not install Dynatrax??? Seems like if you call and want them installed then I dont see why it would matter to them what they put in.

Agreed! Although if they get them they will probably add a mark-up in the price. If you can get them yourself, it would be cheaper. I just had a set of Dynatrac BJ's put in my truck about 4 weeks ago. The shop that I go to allows me to supply the parts that I want installed. I just paid for the labor. One of the things that drew me to the Dynatracs is the fact that they can be rebuilt without having to press them out. To me this translates to rebuilding BJ's without having to go through the "pleasure" of pulling the hub bearing assembly. That pretty much sold me on them. I'm not sure if the Carli's can be rebuilt, but they look like they can be as well. Just some food for thought.

 

[cowboysgottacummins]

The shop in question said they would look into dynatrac and ultimately came back with the XRF alternative. I want to supply them myself. I have a 10% coupon at 4wheel parts and can save $60+ on the dynatracs. But the shop manager said since he has never heard of dynatracs and they are not sold by his supplier he cant be responsible for them, "for all I know they could fail and you could run off the road and kill somebody". I think I'll just find another shop after that comment and he wont allow anyone to bring in their own parts. I assum it has something to do with an agreement with their parts supplier prohibiting outside supplied parts.

 

[Nyoest]

The shop in question said they would look into dynatrac and ultimately came back with the XRF alternative. I want to supply them myself. I have a 10% coupon at 4wheel parts and can save $60+ on the dynatracs. But the shop manager said since he has never heard of dynatracs and they are not sold by his supplier he cant be responsible for them, "for all I know they could fail and you could run off the road and kill somebody". I think I'll just find another shop after that comment and he wont allow anyone to bring in their own parts. I assum it has something to do with an agreement with their parts supplier prohibiting outside supplied parts.

Do you take a T bone to a steak house?



he's trying to protect himself and shop from a lawsuit. If you bought ball joints off eBay from china for $3. 99 how would he know? If the ball joint fails it will be disastrous.



We routinely have customers drag in used parts to repair their vehicles. Even after explaining there is no warranty on the used part they supplied three weeks later when it's broken they are back wanting it fixed for free.



Rent a ball joint press and git dirty.

 

[SpeedBeef]

Do you take a T bone to a steak house?



he's trying to protect himself and shop from a lawsuit. If you bought ball joints off eBay from china for $3. 99 how would he know? If the ball joint fails it will be disastrous.



We routinely have customers drag in used parts to repair their vehicles. Even after explaining there is no warranty on the used part they supplied three weeks later when it's broken they are back wanting it fixed for free.



Rent a ball joint press and git dirty.

No, I don't take a t-bone to a steak house. I never paid 5-800 dollars for a t-bone, nor do I pay 85. 00/hour to have it cooked. The shop that my family takes it's cars and truck to for maintenance/repair allows customers to supply their own parts if they choose. Some do, some don't. The shop does excellent work regardless.

 

[AMcCormick]

Carli, do it once and forget about it. I have heard of issues with the XRF opening up the C if you have to change them. The Carli are not that much more than the dynatracs also considering the lifetime warranty. It is a moderatly big job to replace ball joints. I would be curious how you would rebuild the Dynas without taking the knuckle off? I can kinda understand a shop not wanting to install outside parts. I would still go elsewhere if the shop would not use the product I wanted. And yes I have brought our own bottle of wine to restaurant, it's called a corkage fee.

 

[rscurtis]

Not wanting to install Dynatrak ball joints does not protect anyone from a lawsuit. When something goes wrong, EVERYONE gets sued.

 

[Jeepr]

I see you are in Indy, so it would be a bit of a drive, but MCS Midwest Diesel here near St Louis sold me and installed my Dynatrax. And, they also just installed the XRF in my Jeep (no Dynatrax available for it).

 

[Mark31]

I was at my friend's shop this afternoon. This was a typical wide open Monday---a Denali with a broken fuel guage wire, a Ford F150 with a gone fuel pump, change the oil on a county deputy's patrol car, replace a front suspension piece on a front wheel drive car, number 1 helper had to leave early because of a death,set up another car to test in the morning while cold, etc. I slowed him down long enough to ask what he would charge to change the 4 ball joints. He said $480, but I think he would give a break if he didn't super problems.