Ok seriously...
I've been looking at lifting my truck 6'' and putting 35's on my 96. So obviously I'm gonna re-gear it and every off-road website I was on was saying that it would cost $600 - $1,000. So I was like ouch, that's expensive. But I just decided I'd actually see how much it would cost and it's only $175 for a set of 4.56 Yukon gears!! So front and rear it would be like $350 tops. How in the heck did people foul that up that much. I mean it makes me wonder how many people got discouraged from re-gearing their trucks because someone on some website gave them a overly exaggerated price? I'm happy as a clam that I found'em that cheap!

 

you better know what you're doing if you're gonna DIY. It ain't as easy as slapping in a ring and pinion. You better know how to pull the axle shafts, set bearing preload, set backlash, pull out and replace spidergears, posi unit, etc., and you'll need a master install kit for about $100 and gear oil for at least another $20. There's a variety of "special tools" involved too.

labor is a few hours as well. Cost me 750 for one axle and that was a deal.

 

I work at a shop and the boss would be willing to help me out doing the work.

 

Ya, just because a ring and pinion set cost that much, doesn't mean that's all it takes. You need the install kit, carrier, gear oil, silicon for the diff covers. Then there is the installation fee (because you don't want to try that one if you have never done a differential before). Most shops in my area charge around $65-80 per hour. Plus they have disposal fees for the old gear oil. When I put in 4.10's and a limited slip, it ran me about $1600 parts and labor. When I put in 4.56's and a new limited slip, it ran me another $1800 parts and labor.

You can definitely find deals on the parts, which helps, and if you can find someone who knows what they are doing help you do it, then you can save money that way too. I wasn't so lucky, so I paid what I paid. But I know it was done right, and that is piece of mind.

 

Then you're already getting a deal that the rest of us might not, of course the price will be different.

If you don't set them right and drive on it, they be toast before you even hear the whine to know that it was set wrong.
And buying the gears frm the dealership is +$600.