I have to really disagree with you on this one. The reason references aren't stamped on FMS gears is that tolerances are so tight for assembly line production that they aren't necessary. The cheaper (or so called performance) gears have that info stamped on them because they don't have the same level of quality control. A friend of mine and I did our gears at around the same time. We both were able to use the original shim sizes because we used Ford gears. We did verify our install with a pinion depth gauge and marking compound just to be sure. He switched to a Ford high torque differential (31 spline axles and such) and I used my original. Tolerances are so tight that the parts are pretty much interchangable. I'd hardly call that worse.

LX XLR8R supplied all the expensive parts and it was only up to the shop to install them and paint the axle assembly. I'm sure the painting required them to remove the axle assembly which wouldn't normally be necessary, so he took a hit there, but $745 for the labor and parts left that they had to supply was a bit excessive.

If anyone in Minnesota wants to pay me $750 to install gears, I'd be more than happy to do it. http://www.mustangworks.com/msgboard/smile.gif

I should say that he is getting, or I hope he got, something that you don't get when you do it yourself or pay a friend, and that's a warranty. If their work isn't warranteed, however, then he REALLY got ripped.


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351W 89 Mustang GT Convertible

I'm not knocking the quality of the motorsport gears (thats why I got them), I also have a set of Richmond gears with some reference #'s stamped on the gears. I dunno if they are cheapo's or not (I'm assuming no since they are companies like Torqueline and the like that are cheaper in price?). It just seems to me without a refence point the installer has to mess around with the shims some more possibly adding to the cost in terms of labor?

Did this guy do the full boogey clean up on the rear end, before I dropped mine off to be coated, I spent about 2 hours taking things apart and cleaning them up. Then probably another hour seting up the housing to recieve the c-clip eliminators. Had I elected to paint the rear end that would taken another hour or so. I suppose if I had the tools and know-how to set-up the diff and screw things back together it would take me another hour or two (probably more like three for me http://www.mustangworks.com/msgboard/smile.gif ) So thats about 6 hours or so. the going labor rate seems to be in the 60 or 70 dollar range, that ends up being 360 bucks plus probably another 100 or so on parts, and if he charged about the same to press on the bearings that'd come out to 520 dollars on the short side and 580 on the long.

My advice (and this is hindsight) it might have been better to get an estimate before dropping things off. I've had to steady myself a time or two when I dropped off some stuff and said "Do whatever it takes to make it right" and then added up the bill http://www.mustangworks.com/msgboard/smile.gif

I gotta tell ya, I have to write up an estimate and have it signed before I so much as check the oil. Where it get's tricky is in the amount you list as the estimated cost. Many times you can't possibly know until you tear something apart, so the estimate is often updated, and then either resigned by the customer, or a verbal authorization is obtained by phone. Every once in a while, I get someone who just says "Do what ever it takes". I did that once, and $1200 later, I had a pissed off customer. So now whenever someone says that, I write $1,000,000 in the estimated price box. They usually get a little more specific after that.

Take care
~Chris

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Retired Moderator
MustangNet

My site: JimPorterRacing

RACECAR spelled backwards is RACECAR

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why didn't you get an estimate???