Price check to install lift

[Neomonk21]

I recently purchased a MetalCloak 2.5" Gamechanger lift with a new front driveshaft and their steering kit. I installed lifts myself (well, with the help of my buddy) on my previous Jeeps but am considering having a shop install this one. My buddy just got a job at a local shop and he said their price is $100 per hour and they estimate 15-17 hours for lifts like this and includes an alignment. Does that sound reasonable? I was guessing it would be around $1k since Metalcloak says the install time is 6-8 hours.

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[DubyaBee76]

Do your buddies not like beer?

 

[Neomonk21]

Do your buddies not like beer?

Actually, no, but he does sometime accept smoked meats as payment. I don't want to ask him to help since he just got this job as a mechanic. I don't want him to have to wrench on vehicles all week and then help me on the weekend.

 

[DubyaBee76]

Actually, no, but he does sometime accept smoked meats as payment. I don't want to ask him to help since he just got this job as a mechanic. I don't want him to have to wrench on vehicles all week and then help me on the weekend.

100% understandable.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

That's a great hourly rate, but the hours do seem high.

 

[ChrisNLA]

Yeesh. 15-17 hours in a shop with a lift?

I bet we could do a Gamechanger in one day with floor jacks and jack stands.

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

In a shop that’s too many billable hours. Shade tree it’s about spot on. If there’s no welding or anything like that involved than it really shouldn’t take a competent shop 15-17 hours to install that particular lift. Alignment included. Should be a 1 day affair with maybe the alignment the next morning even if they’re super meticulous with the install.

 

[Neomonk21]

My buddy said he's putting a Gamechanger on a JL next week so he should know more about how long it takes. He just started there so maybe they are overestimating how long it takes.

 

[sinisterj]

I would expect in the $800-$1,000 Range

 

[ChrisNLA]

My buddy said he's putting a Gamechanger on a JL next week so he should know more about how long it takes. He just started there so maybe they are overestimating how long it takes.

Hopefully he comes up closer to one day, lol.

One day in a shop with shop tools and a lift.

Maybe the alignment the morning of Day 2.

I'll give ya two days with hand tools laying on the ground and stopping for cold snacks

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

I originally said low rate/high hours, but if you focus on the price and what you're getting, I think it's a fair deal.

$1,500-1,700 includes the front driveshaft, steering kit, and alignment too, right?

Call it $1,000-1,200 for the lift and $500 for the other stuff. I don't think that's bad.

 

[JeepOfTheseus]

Maybe at most ~2-4 hours too long imo, otherwise I agree with @Wheelin98TJ that this is a pretty extensive job. It seemed like some folks were saying "lift kit" only, but this is steering components AND a front driveshaft (which is a multi-hour job in of itself).

Let's say conservatively:

* Getting on lift/initial prep (e.g. wheel removal, laying out parts/tools): ~30-60 min
* Lift Kit (Shocks/Springs): ~2-3 hours
* Control Arms + Track Bars: ~3-4 hours
* Steering Components: ~2-3 hours
* Front Driveshaft: ~2-3 hours (it is a bit annoying to get at)
* Alignment/final torque/wrap-up: ~1-1.5 hours

10 hours would be on the fairly quick extreme end - that would be if nothing goes wrong (keps lock nut on the front shocks breaks and starts spinning...ask me how I know). More realistically: 12-14 hours. And sure, there's overhead in doing any single install...drooping the suspension is necessary for almost everything in the list, but that takes like 15 min.

 

[Neomonk21]

I'm tempted to do it myself just to see how long it takes me, lol

 

[JeepOfTheseus]

I'm tempted to do it myself just to see how long it takes me, lol

More rewarding, too.

 

[ChrisNLA]

I originally said low rate/high hours, but if you focus on the price and what you're getting, I think it's a fair deal.

$1,500-1,700 includes the front driveshaft, steering kit, and alignment too, right?

Call it $1,000-1,200 for the lift and $500 for the other stuff. I don't think that's bad.

I missed that part in the original post.

Tie rod / drag link, and fussing with the driveshaft gets that estimate a lot closer.

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