242 SYE - did I get ripped off?
 

Hey guys. I took my 2000 xj in to help me solve driveline vibrations. As expected they recommended a SYE. Id done lots of research on the subject before I'd even brought in the jeep. So i knew if i was paying for labor i wanted a HD setup and not a hack and tap. That was discussed with the manager before i approved any work. I was considering buying the parts myself but he assured me he only buys the best stuff and that it would be done right.
Well, a week later I called them to check on progress and I'm told they had to order a longer driveshaft because the one that came in the kit wasnt long enough. (This should have been my first clue something was off. Originally the manager told me he builds all his own driveshafts. Now I hear they ordered one from up the street. )
I picked up the jeep the next day and when i crawled underneath it looked like this.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...6dc612436a.jpg
That is a hack and tap. I pointed it out and the manager said when he originally talked to me he thought it was a 231 case but since it is a 242 case he had to use my existing output shaft. (Not a whole new output shaft as discussed beforehand. )
I had to go and the guy was interupting my questions before i could finish them. I feel bait and switched. I'm going to go back and complain tomorrow.
By the way, i did not receive any calls from them to authorize any changes.
any advice? What should this have cost? What can i do now that it's done and it's not what I thought I was paying for?

I would be a bit dissapointed that they didn't put a full SYE in like you wanted them to, especially if you paid for one, but a hack and tap is fine if installed properly. For a hack and tap install I would expect $150 labor at most for install, and 400 or so for parts and new driveshaft.

Unless you pay for Advance Adapters or Tom Woods you're not going to get a SYE kit for a NP242, all others are hack and taps.

Bingo!

Before we go any further post up your written estimate.

Well it is technically a hack and tap, because they are cutting off a portion of the shaft and tapping a new hole -- but -- they also cut it all the way down to the smooth portion of the shaft and machine new splines onto it, making it as short as physically possible. Far shorter than you can get with any hack and tap kit. They also machine the tail housing to accept a new output seal. No one else does this for a 242. edit: Actually it looks like Iron Rock now has a modified shaft kit for $450, but there's no core refund and it doesn't include a drive shaft.

Attachment 406216

Bingo, not your average driveway hack and tap. Mucho stronger

How much did you pay? A hack and tap is much faster to install than a new output shaft (as previously stated, there is really only 1 or 2 options for the 242 that aren't a hack and tap).

Are you in Colorado (it says Morrison on your profile)? If so, I would assume an actual SYE would cost $500+ for install and a hack and tap should have been like $300 for the install (labor cost only).

Denver is ludicrous when it comes to automotive mechanic pricing (in my experience), I would be shocked if you can find a reputable shop to do it for cheaper. Down in FL everything costs half as much as in the Denver area.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...597a48a851.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...1d03895924.jpg

$213 sye kit
$55 seal kit
$109 gear lube
$467 driveshaft
$407 labor
+tax = ~$1300
The issue lies more with the bait and switch. He literally told me I would be receiving a new output shaft and I did not.

Does it look to you guys like they didn't crack open the case at all?

I dont think they opened the t-case, that metal collar needs to be whacked with a hammer + screwdriver or something to get it to turn and it looks original.

WTF seal kit are they referring to? It is just RTV gasket maker, even from the factory.
Additionally, what gear oil are they referring to? My T-Case only takes 1.5 quarts of ATF (Dex or +4), which should only be $10 for high quality fluid. Driveshaft was super expensive, Adams or Tattons would have been $300 or so.

Other than that, $400 for the labor is around what I would expect from a shop.

Yeah there's no way a $213 SYE kit (looks like the RE kit which goes for half that) is going to include a new shaft (Iron Rock's is $450), and that RTV sure isn't fresh. The old shaft never left the case, it was just cut, drilled, and tapped.

And what gear lube costs $109? Is it infused with unicorn piss? Two quarts of Royal Purple is still only $30.

Wow It looks like they charged you double what they paid for the SYE kit and driveshaft, and what gear lube are they using for $109? That's 4 times what a expensive fluid would cost, $12 a quart at most.

:rofl: :rofl: :clap: :clap: :clap: