Date:         Fri, 31 Jul 1998 10:30:04 -0100
Reply-To:     The Bus Depot <ron@NETCARRIER.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         The Bus Depot <ron@NETCARRIER.COM>
Subject:      Re: early Vanagon ball joint replacement
Comments: To: Nicholas Wilson <nwilson@MCN.ORG>, Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
In-Reply-To:  <3.0.5.32.19980730221122.0085b460@mail.mcn.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

> My '82 Westy needs all four ball joints replaced. I bought the parts from
> my import specialist FLAPS before checking the labor cost for
> installation.
> Some shops won't install customer parts, but the ones that will say it's
> about a 6 hour job, so about $300 labor. Has anyone had it done for less?

Unlike a Bus, the ball joints on the Vanagon just bolt on.  (I know this to
be the case on the two I replaced on mine - upper, I think- and believe it
to be the case with all four.)  The two that I did on mine were incredibly
simple to do, and anyone quoting six hours is either amazingly slow or just
plain greedy.  Take a look at the other two and see if it's the same.  You
may be able to tackle this yourself and just bring it in for a realignment.

- Ron Salmon
 The Bus Depot
 http://www.busdepot.com