4 Wheel Drive/SUVs: Ball Joint Replacement cost, gmc 1500, ball joints

Question
Mr. Brandt,
My 98 GMC 1500 4wd Pickup needs new ball joints...what is a ballpark figure I should expect to pay to have this done?  Any suggestions for where I should take it to be done?  Thanks.

Answer
Buddy,

This amount, can vary greatly from area to area.  Where I live, standard shop rates are $85 an hour.  If you get the work done at a dealer, many times the cost will be more than a smaller shop, as the parts markup is quite high.  I would suggest that you contact a few reputable shops in your area, and ask them for an estimate.  I would try to find a shop that specializes in 4-wheel drives.

Carl