Don't take stuff to ATSI

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Map63Vette

Map63Vette

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So I just bought a new rearend and a new set of bearings and I don't have the means to press the old ones off and the new ones on. So I figure I'll just call some place and get it done, it couldn't cost that much right? I called around a few places and finally called ATSI. I asked for an estimate first and after waiting around for a few hours, they never called me back, but ignorant me, I decided whatever, it can't cost that much so I'll just take the axles in and get it done. I took them in early afternoon Monday and they told me they would have them the next day. I called back Tuesday at 3:30 and they still did not have them done. I was already rather miffed at this point. So they call Wednesday morning and say they got them finished. They explain they had to cut up the old bearings quite a bit to get them out, which I sort of expected, but whatever. Then they tell me $144.36 for the job. WHAT? That's like a 30 minute job isn't it? Needless to say I'm quite angry at this point and will pretty much never go back there again. I know project cars are money holes, but this is just getting ridiculous...
 
To add to the fun apparently that price is with some discount already applied, presumably for being a day late.
 
I attempted to get mine off to save me some $$$ and I had to carefully remove the old cage and bearing it was ignorant!! Needless to say I gave everything back to Nigel for him to finish. I believe there are some "keepers" or something in there cuz when I asked at the mechanics down the road he said they usually break and he really doesnt like doing them. At least he was honest. In my opinion, an hour at the most should have taken care of it.
 
( it couldn't cost that much right? I called around a few places and finally called ATSI) what were the quotes from the first few places?
 
The other places didn't necessarily have the stuff to do it. I was trying to keep as much of the old stuff as possible as a backup in case something went wrong down the road, but the only other place that said they would I didn't want working on them by the way they sounded. Just sounded like jerks who didn't care and didn't think I knew what I was doing (I did a Green bearing swap). It's a fairly small town, so there aren't many machine shop type places nearby, but I guess in retrospect I should have called everyone I could think of instead of taking it somewhere that I thought had the most experience.
 
A co-worker charged me $50 to do mine. Pressing the green bearings on was a breeze, cutting the old tapered bearings off was a *****!! Said it took him an hour of cutting, cussing and beating to get the old ones off, and 15 minutes to press the new ones on. Glad I let him do it!!
 
Yeah, I was thinking more in the 50-60 range. I ended up talking them down to around $90. THey called around to other places and that is apparently the going rate around town. I need to live in a car town, lol, machine work is pretty killer around here. I have one of the harbor freight style 12 ton presses, but I don't have the collars and stuff I would need for bearings. I think I could have pressed on the new ones, but I couldn't think up a way to press the old ones off. I guess it's mostly my fault for not calling more places, but I wouldn't think there would have been that much of a difference between them.
 
Huh, guess I'm just too optimistic. What seals are you talking about on the Olds, it sounds to me like you're talking the housing seals? I just took in the axle shafts with old bearings and said I wanted the new ones put one, no disassembly or reassembly of the rear end needed on their part.
 
I could not beg anybody to press the old brgs off. I read how to on FABO and fired up demel tool with cutoff tool. I cut old brg ,inside race and collar off in five minutes. Be carefull of seal area cover with masking tape. Ten minutes to press new brg on. Done.
Best money I ever saved. Shops around here spend 15 minutes telling you how they don't have time to do a 15 minute job. I don't get it.
 
Yeah, I should have just done it, but I figured that someone would be able to press the old ones off without having to cut them. I didn't want to cut them myself because I didn't want to nick the axle or anything. They didn't say they couldn't press them off, but as it turns out when my dad called them about the high price tag they said they really don't even have the stuff to do axles, which makes me wonder just what they used to press stuff on and off to begin with. Probably the same setup that I could have done at home with a bearing collar, however much those are.
 
Map63Vette said:
Yeah, I should have just done it, but I figured that someone would be able to press the old ones off without having to cut them. I didn't want to cut them myself because I didn't want to nick the axle or anything. They didn't say they couldn't press them off, but as it turns out when my dad called them about the high price tag they said they really don't even have the stuff to do axles, which makes me wonder just what they used to press stuff on and off to begin with. Probably the same setup that I could have done at home with a bearing collar, however much those are.
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They are nearly impossible to press off much less have something good to save. I have a 20 ton press and it won't press them. I always have to cut them to get them off.
 
Fellow moparholics, I suggest befriending the 41/2" angle grinder,$20-50, 10 pack of cut-off wheels, $8. Time saved, priceless. Very versatle tool, in the right hands. "Clam shells" are what's needed to get, under the old bearings,Harbor Freight/etc. Good Luck, ateam.
 
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