Hey Guys,

Was hoping I could get some advice from my fellow liberty drivers out there.

I took my jeep to get inspected this weekend, It failed (I expected that). The front brakes need to be replaced (expected that), the mechanic said the inboard is worn down to the steel. $400 dollars to fix (according to garage who inspected it).

The other reason it failed was, the left rear control arm bushing has blown. Again, thats 400 dollars to repair that. So from that garage its a total of at least 800 dollars.

I called around, a jeep dealership said 325 for front brakes. 264 for rear bushing.

And then Midas said that they have never heard of a bushing on the rear control arm, and that its 240 to fix the front brakes (lifetime warranty on brakes included).

Am I being screwed over? Whats with the price difference? and is any of this something I can do myself?

I'm a college student, no cash because I only have 4 weeks left of school. Won't have a paycheck until first of june basically.

Any help\information is appreciated.

Thanks,

-Chris

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-- I like to ask questions --

--Not all are smart questions --

Midas does not know what they are talking about. there are bushing on both the lower and upper control arms in the rear. Did they say which it was?
If your front brakes are down to metal to metal then you'll need new rotors, plus new brake pads, plus hardware kits for both sides.

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MUDD'S MOTORSPORT'S We do IFS lift installs ,
03 OVERLAND EDITION /Kilby-Skidrow-Mopar-4XGuard skids/ 2.5 inch TOTAL CONTROL JBA coilovers -JBA Arms/MOABS-31 FALKEN WILDPEAK AT3W / 4.10's etc, 04 Kilimanjaro Edition loaded, plus 05 KJ limited

All they told me about the bushing was, left rear control arm bushing blown out. When I talked to the manager, he told me the mechanic who did the inspection wasn't clear on his notes about specifics for the brakes or which bushing it was. :\

_________________
-- I like to ask questions --

--Not all are smart questions --

I think I spent less then 100 to do my front brakes and its an easy install.

-jack the jeep up
-remove the wheel
-remove the 2 caliper bolts and DO NOT let the caliper hang (I bungie mine in place for the repair)
-remove the 2 caliper bracket bolts
-remove rotor
-safely collapse the caliper piston (use a tool specialized for the job and use an old pad to press against the piston)

Reassemble and your set. If you get the hardware kit youll have to replace the metal brackets on the caliper bracket that hold the pads as well as act as a slide for their movement. Either way hardware kit or not some brake grease is a must on the brackets.

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Fran:2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4.7 quadra drive. 31in General Grabber AT2, OME HD, bilstein, IRO sway links, addco rear sway. Kolak 3in cat back flowmaster SUV 50, magnaflow 3in cat, airaid JR kit, ram air, P.I.E. aux adapter, surco 45x50, husky liners.http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=65276&p=719908#p719908

What skills, tools, workspace, etc., do you have? Maybe take a trip down to NAPA or whatever auto parts store you prefer and see what it would cost to do it yourself. Most of those guys (and gals) are knowledgeable, and some of them are willing to take a look under your jeep in the parking lot to ensure you get the right parts and tools. They wanna sell you the parts so bad that they'll even lone you the tools. They'll probably sell ya a repair manual too, which will tell you what tools you will need, and all of the steps to get the job done correctly.

Either way, don't get it done at the shop it was inspected at! Find a mechanic by recommendation of someone you know who has a nice Jeep, TELL THEM that they were recommended by so-n-so, and explain your problems like you know what you're talking about (which you will because you visited and auto parts store). Your chances of getting ripped off will go down dramatically...

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"BERT" 2003 3.7L Sport Gasser with the 5-speed stick
Frankenlifted (plus 1 extra rear iso. and a 3 nut clevis), Al's gen 4.5 UCA's, Full Mopar Skids, Kurt Hitch, Soft 8's, BFG AT's 245 75 16, Rock Lizard Front Bumper, fence top-rail crossbars (unbent!), some stuff inside...

I actually just did that, A buddy of mine recommended a guy he goes to for custom work on his mustang.

The bushing work went down to 81-113 (depending on which bushing needs to be replaced), and 210 for pads and rotors. Both prices including parts and labor.

So yeah.

And I don't have any tools, The extent of my tools are screwdrivers, ratchets, jacks, and an air compressor. No garage, I change my oil and rotate my tires on a dirt road. So this may end up being my best options, To go from an 800 dollar repair at one place to a 300 dollar repair at another... that's a no brainer eh?

_________________
-- I like to ask questions --

--Not all are smart questions --