Quote from shop on lifting my 5lug

Hello!

So i was going to lift my truck with a puck kit a bought with a friend but he got sick and is unavailable, i might take it to a shop to get it installed since im not that confident in my ability, but they keep quoting like 500 when youtube says it's a 3 hour job

 

Having worked the past ten years in a job very much like auto repair, and having had customers say the same thing to me, my reply is "have youtube do it, I'm busy."

 

Puck kit? Is that front spacers and rear blocks? If so, the quote isn't that bad. Most shops are $125-150 an hour x3 hrs = 375-450, break that down to each corner 93.75-112.50. 500÷4 = 125 a corner, that sounds about right. It's not exactly an easy job, need a hoist and the right tools.

 

Either do it yourself or pay the asking price.

 

Better yet. Don’t do the ‘puck kit’.

If you’re looking for a mild lift, get some Bilstein 5100s. Maybe some front springs, maybe keep them stock. Consider upgrading your stock hangers to the Hammer Hangers by @ARCHIVE then call it a day.

They say, “Friends don’t let friends drive with a spacer lift.” Be safe out there.

 

I agree with this ^^^

paying someone for their labor is a matter of convenience for you and puts food on the table for the guy doing that labor.

If you have the tools and time to do it yourself then you effectively put food on your table. It’s a pretty simple choice either pay or wrench.

be confident in your abilities, I bet you can figure out how to do this.

 

A 3 hour job that also requires a person who knows what they are doing, that also requires an expensive life and all of the necessary tools to do the job is what you are paying for. If you believe that it's too much money, see how long it takes you with your lack of experience, lift and tools?

This is why l pay people to do the jobs that l can't. I don't have a lift or those specific tools. That 3 hour job can turn into a 5 or 6 hour job if one hasn't done it before.

 

Do it yourself, or pay the cost. Either way, you will learn to regret the spacer lift and pay to have a better lift installed.

 

People debating my labor costs: "All you gotta do is...". My reply: "Sounds like you can do it yourself."

 

OP, for your safety

Due to lack of mechanical skills to tackle this job and especially for your safety, shop around and pay a shop. A spacer lift will involve the use of a spring compressor.

 

OP has a 5-lug, 5100s don't work for them. You can either spacer lift or go full long travel, not much in between has been verified.

 

I used to build a lot of furniture. Sometimes, a guest at the house would comment on a piece, saying they really liked it. When they found out I built it, they would ask how much it would cost for me to build one for them.
After I quoted a handful of pieces for different people, I just started saying I didn't have time. People expect a solid Oak or Cherry cabinet at Wal Mart MDF prices.
Pay it or drive it like it is. That price didn't sound out of line to me.

 

Also, part of the profit for the shop to keep the lights on is the mark up on the parts. The OP bought the parts himself, trying to save money. If I was a shop owner and a potential customer came in with a handful of parts, I would politely show them to the door. You wouldn't walk into a restaurant with a steak, potato, and a bottle of wine and ask them to cook for you.

Also, the OP only stuck around for 2 minutes. He clearly doesn't have the attention span to do it himself.

 

My spacer lift has been fine...

 

Come on guys, the OP has a point. I wouldn’t pay anyone $500 to fuck up my truck with a spacer lift.

 

Mine isn’t fucked up at all. But tell ya what you give me a list of other lift options for a 5 lug truck and I’ll go explore them.

 

A for sale ad and then a receipt for a 6 lug

 

Most people don’t know the difference between MDF and solid Oak or Cherry.

 

Ok, now that was kind of funny.
But I've had a spacer for a few years now and have had no problems with it. I even bumped a parking curb at the mall the other day and as near as I can tell, nothing has shifted....

 

I have a 5 lug with spacer and aal. I'm going to replace the aal with a shackle flip and different springs.

The tire shop charged me $225 to install the Fat Bob's kit and to mount and balance 4 tires. It took 1 guy about 90 minutes.
If you go when their not busy, they'll give you a break.

And this is maple