Labor Index ? 2.5 hours for a lower ball joint replacement
 

Does anyone know how long it would take to replace a lower ball joint?

The shop tells me 2.5 hours, the warranty company tells me 9/10 of an hour according to some national labor index.

Does anyone know of a reputable labor index?

Best,
Tim

front or rear? if it's front, it can be done in under an hour. if it's rear, an alignment is required; this generally takes another hour.

Thanks!

it is the front left. according to the warranty company, the dealership claims they need to replace a control arm whenever they replace this.

according to the dealership, the extra 1.5 hours is diagnostics.

you are correct that the ball joint is not servicable; the entire control arm must be replaced. not sure what the 'diagnostic' time is. maybe get them to clarify that.

+1 on the 1 hour. If they already know its bad, what is the "diagnostic" time for?

Patrick

Most flat rate quote books
 

include diagnostic time in the quote. That is one of the reasons they are so high. So ask to see the book and read the fine print.

FYI, if you buy an AllData membership, it tells you the labor standards in addition to how to do the work. i used to have one; i let it expire. not a bad service.

oh, and IMO, 2hrs is a fair rate to charge for this work. that would include putting the car on the lift, changing the control arm, inspecting brakes, tires, etc., re-assembly, lowering the car, road test, and clean-up.

the 1hr i quoted is if you JUST do the arm; doesn't include road test, inspection, clean-up, etc.

Thank you for adding that. There is much more to working on cars than just "swapping parts" and like everybody else on the planet I need to eat as well.

Well the damn warranty company is definitely eating well. I understand the extra work, that's bull**************** the warranty company doesn't include it. Thanks for all the input guys, and allData does look helpful! But i bet it won't help as much as 986forum.com