Track Bar Conclusion
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Joined: Apr 2007
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From: Maine
RE: Track Bar Conclusion
95ram, that's some good advice. It's true too, mechanics are pretty much required to always prevent from losing. If they were losing all the time, they probably wouldnt be in business. I guess I was a little caught off guard that my mechanic wanted $800 to put in a damn trackbar! He made the job seem so big. Now since disucssing the parts and installation with you guys for a couple of weeks now, it's actually quite the damn contrary. I wound up purchasing a $300 0-3" trackbar from Thuren Fabrication. I'm going to attempt to put it in myself. If I have a hard time, I'll have my mechanic put it in for me, but he better not try to charge me for too much labor. It should only be about an hour job for a professional. It's just too bad he was going to try to jerk me that much. The part was $330 including shipping. And his hourly rate is 75 bucks. So it should be about $400 give or take a few dollars. To boot with this whole over pricing thing, he was trying to get me the crappier of the trackbars with the Skyjacker. That part books for $250. He was saying the kit was $450...gay.
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Banned
Joined: Apr 2007
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From: Maine
RE: Track Bar Conclusion
I have plently of people to go to for the vehicles, but the 4x4 is one I'm still searching for, because well ..it's a whole new world to me still. I mean, there is this one place called New-England OffRoad, but they kind of scare me. It's like a glorified boys club over there. So for now I'm just still looking for ppl where 4x4 suspension IS there forte.
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RE: Track Bar Conclusion
ORIGINAL: 20DodgeNeon00
Well since my mechanic wasn't really giving me a good price on a the skyjacker adjustable 4"+ trackbar, I decided to make up my own plotline. I told him that somebody on the forum had one that they weren't going to use and that'd they sell it to me for $250. Really what I am going to do is just buy it off summitracing.com. They are selling the same kit he was going to sell me for $200 cheaper. This way I'll buy it for it for the $270 or whatever it is, and then he will just charge me the 3-4 hours to have it installed. Should save me $250 by doing this. It sucks he had to charge me so much for the part because I would have went through him had he given me the real price. Anyways, I get the best of both worlds now. I'll get the problem fixed, and I'm still getting to give my mechanic the money for the labor.
Well since my mechanic wasn't really giving me a good price on a the skyjacker adjustable 4"+ trackbar, I decided to make up my own plotline. I told him that somebody on the forum had one that they weren't going to use and that'd they sell it to me for $250. Really what I am going to do is just buy it off summitracing.com. They are selling the same kit he was going to sell me for $200 cheaper. This way I'll buy it for it for the $270 or whatever it is, and then he will just charge me the 3-4 hours to have it installed. Should save me $250 by doing this. It sucks he had to charge me so much for the part because I would have went through him had he given me the real price. Anyways, I get the best of both worlds now. I'll get the problem fixed, and I'm still getting to give my mechanic the money for the labor.
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Banned
Joined: Apr 2007
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From: Maine
RE: Track Bar Conclusion
Exactly. I mean, he was quoting me with the skyjacker kit though. Granted that kit does take longer than the Thuren because it comes with the bracket, so some custom drilling has to take place, but it sure as heck dont take as long as he quoted me though! Now I really cant loose at this point. I'm going to to try to put it in myself, and if it don't work, I'll have him put it in, and he;ll probably charge me an hour. This kit cost a little more than the skyjacker, but also is a lot easier to put in as well, so goof stuff there.
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Joined: Jan 2004
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RE: Track Bar Conclusion
When you do put it in be prepared to be recentering your axle... the set the toe on it because it wont be right. I did my own toe alignment and it fixed a cupping problem on the insides of the tires and drives straight as an arrow. overall it wasnt hard, like I said the bar was in in about an hour, the alignment took longer though.
