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srbarker0422
Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2017
Posts: 76
Location: Cincinnati
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 Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 6:05 am Post subject: Cost for new ball joints - 69 VW Standard Beetle |
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| What would be a reasonable price for installing new ball joints on my 1969 VW Beetle? |
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jeffrey8164 
Samba Member
Joined: January 06, 2018
Posts: 3817
Location: Georgia
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| Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 6:55 am Post subject: Re: Cost for new ball joints - 69 VW Standard Beetle |
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That’s kind of a loaded question.
The ball joints themselves are cheap.
If you’re handy with the wrench, you can pull the control arms yourself and take them to a local shop and have them pressed in.
I did that and they only charged me 20 bucks.
Of course and you have to have it aligned which around here is only about 90 bucks.
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Cusser
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2006
Posts: 31362
Location: Hot Arizona
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| Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:11 am Post subject: Re: Cost for new ball joints - 69 VW Standard Beetle |
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| srbarker0422 wrote: |
| What would be a reasonable price for installing new ball joints on my 1969 VW Beetle? |
I got an estimate for replacing the four ball joints on my 1970 sedan, same front as your 1969, in Prescott AZ. I was quoted $700 !!!
I don't have tools or lift or experience with press-in ball joints, I've only replaced bolt-in types. So don't want to tackle the job myself. I know 3 of mine are still factory ball joints, one was replaced 4 decades ago. Issue with my 1970 is just torn ball joint boots, I don't feel any looseness under there or while driving. So for right now I'm just using homemade "cover" to keep dirt out of the ball joints.
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SLO-N-LO-69
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2006
Posts: 628
Location: Central Florida
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| Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:14 am Post subject: Re: Cost for new ball joints - 69 VW Standard Beetle |
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| I think my quote a while back was a couple hundred bucks including the cost of the ball joints. If you have someone do it take the arms out and clean them well. Most shops will charge a lot more if they are all greasy and dirty or won't do it at all. |
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srbarker0422
Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2017
Posts: 76
Location: Cincinnati
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| Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:48 am Post subject: Re: Cost for new ball joints - 69 VW Standard Beetle |
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so, I have the tie rods out of the car. I cleaned them up and painted them. I have an estimate of about $700 to press in the new ball joints which seemed really high.
Also, looking at the Wolfsburg West website it looks like I could buy new tie rods with the ball joints for around $150 - does this make sense? |
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SLO-N-LO-69
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2006
Posts: 628
Location: Central Florida
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| Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:56 am Post subject: Re: Cost for new ball joints - 69 VW Standard Beetle |
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| Seems high to me. If I remember right the local VW guy charges $150 an hour and the job is maybe a two hour job. Does your guy know you have the arms out and clean? |
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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 12850
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 8:05 am Post subject: Re: Cost for new ball joints - 69 VW Standard Beetle |
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| srbarker0422 wrote: |
so, I have the tie rods out of the car. I cleaned them up and painted them. I have an estimate of about $700 to press in the new ball joints which seemed really high.
Also, looking at the Wolfsburg West website it looks like I could buy new tie rods with the ball joints for around $150 - does this make sense? |
Tie rods & trailing arms are very different things.
The more work that you do, the less the shop will charge (taking them the arms instead of the whole car.). A machine shop or VW specialist shop will probably charge less than an automotive shop.
Keep in mind, if you take your own parts, they’re not likely to warranty anything. Also, you need to make sure that whoever does press them in, that they need to be aware that (most) ball joints are directional & need to be aligned & pressed in correctly.
Like everything else, shop rates have increased, $60 to press in 4 joints in loose arms is no longer realistic.
2, maayybe 3 hours, at whatever their rate is, is reasonable. But then again, if someone comes in & tells me what I’m going to charge them for my time is gonna be met with a pretty short answer.
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tiggere
Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2018
Posts: 33
Location: NC
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| Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 8:11 am Post subject: Re: Cost for new ball joints - 69 VW Standard Beetle |
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I took mine off the car and took it (3 of them...see below) to a shop to have them pressed out and the new ones pressed in...$160 lighter and a day later they were done...this was 8 months ago...
Shop around...if the arms are out its a simple job for them if they have a press...we rented the clamp style press from Auto Zone and quickly figured out that they were not coming out in a timely manner...took 4 hours to do one...time is money...
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1968 VW Beetle Sedan |
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vwoldbug
Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2009
Posts: 1214
Location: Ohio
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| Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 9:39 am Post subject: Re: Cost for new ball joints - 69 VW Standard Beetle |
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| Back in the good old days it paid 4 hours including the alignment . |
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heimlich
VWNOS.com
Joined: November 20, 2016
Posts: 6594
Location: Houston, Texas
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| Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 10:47 am Post subject: Re: Cost for new ball joints - 69 VW Standard Beetle |
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It all depends on how much work you make the person do. If you take them the car expect more. If you take them the arms expect less. You can do them yourself with the right tools.
I install the ball joints on the car with the arms attached. You can get some the tools from autozone. You leave them a deposit.
Do you want to pay someone to do it or do it yourself?
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74 Thing
Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2004
Posts: 7390
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toddgsanford
Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2003
Posts: 442
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| Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2022 7:34 am Post subject: Re: Cost for new ball joints - 69 VW Standard Beetle |
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| VAlley autowerks and airkewld offer refurbishing service for the arms once they are out. This is the hardest part if the job. 275-400$ for four exchange. I have dealt with both suppliers they do nice work. I charge 1000$ 600 labor rest parts for this repair and will only do all 4. Typically have arms to send out prior to disassembly. Dont want someones car taking up shop space waiting on the ups guy. Honestly takes about 3-4 hours per side including reassembling. Thats my 2 cents. Maybe some day unicef will get into the repair business |
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srbarker0422
Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2017
Posts: 76
Location: Cincinnati
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| Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2022 5:06 am Post subject: Re: Cost for new ball joints - 69 VW Standard Beetle |
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| Thanks everyone for your posts - appreciate the information! |
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didget69
Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2004
Posts: 4927
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
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| Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2022 4:09 pm Post subject: Re: Cost for new ball joints - 69 VW Standard Beetle |
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| srbarker0422 wrote: |
so, I have the tie rods out of the car. I cleaned them up and painted them. I have an estimate of about $700 to press in the new ball joints which seemed really high.
Also, looking at the Wolfsburg West website it looks like I could buy new tie rods with the ball joints for around $150 - does this make sense? |
$700 to R&R ball joints? I hope they wore protection and used lube when they screwed your wallet.
They may send you flowers and a box of chocolates later...
bnc
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AirHead1966
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2019
Posts: 568
Location: Triad Area NC
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| Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2022 4:28 pm Post subject: Re: Cost for new ball joints - 69 VW Standard Beetle |
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| This would be a great opportunity to buy a 20-ton press. Harbor Freight routinely runs coupons for $200. Or, as mentioned before, a shop can press them in for you for a few dollars. |
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Airkewld
Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2003
Posts: 3150
Location: Goodyear, AZ USA
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| Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2022 6:58 am Post subject: Re: Cost for new ball joints - 69 VW Standard Beetle |
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Just for reference, pressing in a joint seems easy and that part only has a few hurdles to get through. But breaking the joints in, ensuring the are going the right way, making sure the arms are straight...
Can you get away with a harbor freight press and pushing them in? Technically the actual job or pressing the ball joints into the arm can be accomplished, but what next? To give this situation context, literally hundreds of clients over the years have taken this route or close to it and have regretted it because of suggestions like this. Experience is needed in this job.
With all the costs in running a business these days, if you want to keep the lights on, you offer the client options and whatever make the most sense budget wise, time wise, the decision is up to them.
https://www.airkewld.com/PRO-Built-Arm-Set-1966-75-Beetle-Ghia-Ball-Joint-p/2455.htm - Cleaned, checked for straightness, checked for wear, powder coated, new german ball joints pressed in, ball joints broken in, bearing surfaces polished, protected/packaged, shipped with a prepaid shipping label to get the clients back and offer a rebate if they are reusable.
Service 
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Saves you time
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