So based on my googling and digging through the forums here, I was reading that a 4.56 or 4.88 gear swap should be right around 1,000 to 1,500 dollars. I asked a local shop how much it would cost and they came back with $2900! I've copied and pasted the email below, but it sounds to me like they're trying to gouge me, and i havent gotten a response back yet on exactly what that 2900 dollars entails.


Their response
and my last reply to them
Any input would be great.

 

Seems pretty high... Usually $1,000-$1,500 Parts & Labor as you said. I would shop it around if there are more shops in your area.

 

I paid $1800 for mine including complete rebuild kits. I only went to 3:73's. Reason it cost $1800 was because the only rear 3:73's they could find were Mopar and they were more expensive.
What difference does it make whether you have an auto or manual. The only difference I see is that you would need a Procal if you had an auto, but you're gonna need it anyway for the 35's.
$2900 seems way high.

 

You regeared to 373?

 

I paid that much for a gear swap, new carrier, sleeve and gusset job. That seems high.

 

sorta off the subject ... But why would you pay $1800 for 3:73's when all of us 3:73 guys would love to trade axles strait across.. Hell, I would have paid u! To trade my 3:73 for anything better like 4:10 all the way to 5:13's

 

My local shop is the same. They charge 1200 an axle. They replace all the bearings and seals but its still pretty high. The local drive line place in my area told me 500 if I pull my axles off and pull out the shafts and bring in the axles.

 

Sounds a bit pricey to me. My dealer quoted $2,400 but the local 4x4 shop quoted $1,800. The $1,800 price included Yukon gears and overhaul kits with 90 day warranty on labor. I'm not sure what the dealer was supplying. Both were 4.88.

I decided to buy Motive gears and rebuild kits as a package deal for $600. I'll do my own gears and save $1,200, thank you very much. Plus I'll have the satisfaction of knowing they are done right. I'll take however long it takes to get the shims perfect. Ok, actually I've already spent $850 of the $1,200 on TrueTrac lockers to replace the front and rear open differential carriers. That still leaves me with $350 for air compressor, impact wrench and sockets.



Write ups:
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/jk-w...gearing-82262/

https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/modi.../begins-78112/

 

It is not uncommon to see quotes up around 3k from folks out there on the east coast, while some shops in Texas and California are doing gears for around 1k. Guess it is so high just because people are stupid enough to pay it without checking around for better quotes.

Call around and see what other shops are charging, and be sure to try and find reviews on the shops as well. You could also scroll down to the Staging Area, and post in your local subforum to see if you can find some local people who can point you at a good shop.

 

I paid $1700 parts and Labor for 4:56 Yukon on my last Heep, and that was in Kalifornia. $2900 is out of line.