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Reputable shop for regear near Bay Area?

Oncorhynchus

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My factory warranty will expire later this year. Time to plan for regear. Any recommendations for trustworthy shops near San Jose?
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bjm00se

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Arabia's Overkill has a great reputation, but they're not the least expensive.

I've had good luck with Rear End Specialties in Santa Clara, but there was a kerfluffle on the Bay Area Jeep facebook group where a member claimed they ripped him off by claiming a locker he brought in was unusable, but then (he says) using it anyway, while charging for a different one. (Apparently, the serial number on the "unusable" locker they returned after the work was done didn't match the SN on the one he originally brought in.)

The 4x4 shop in Livermore has a strong reputation.

Many years ago (2008??) I had a successful no-drama regear done at 4 wheel parts in San Jose. But apparently they have a really high staff turnover and so the odds of getting a good technician are kinda hit-or-miss, and for the hourly shop rate they charge, may not the best choice.

One thing I've observed over time is that regears are tweaky. That's why I don't do them myself - I don't weld, and I don't do work where the difference between success and failure is measured in thousandths of an inch.

Ordering gears and diff rebuild kits online can save a buck, but if you bring the parts to the shop, even if they're willing to do the work, you're in a no-win situation if something goes wrong. The shop will say the parts were no good, and the parts supplier will say it was an install problem.

When the shop supplies both the parts and the labor - if it's noisy you can just take it back and tell 'em to fix it.

None of these shops are big, and they're all busy. Best way to reach them is to ring up on the phone during working hours. Attempts to get a price quote via web form or email can be hit or miss. Mostly miss.
 

Naylia

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As @bjm00se mentioned, Arabia's has a great reputation.

4WheelParts doesn't have the best reviews on Yelp, lots of people complaining about having to stand in line or that the parking lot isn't big enough or whatever, but when I talked with them about tires and lockers last week, the guys behind the desk seemed completely knowledgeable on the topic and they were definitely doing plenty of business in the actual workshop portion of the business. I'll be doing tires there in a couple weeks. Will come back and share how that experience goes.
 

Naylia

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None of these shops are big, and they're all busy. Best way to reach them is to ring up on the phone during working hours. Attempts to get a price quote via web form or email can be hit or miss. Mostly miss.
Yeah, I'd even just stop in if you have time so you can talk to them and get a feel for the vibe of the place. How are they treating other customers on the phone while you wait? Are they straight up with you on timing to get in/parts availability/etc or a bit evasive? Like I'd rather have someone tell me...we can't get the parts you need for four months, then to get my Jeep in and start waffling and trying to sell me an alternative to what I wanted.
 
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Oncorhynchus

Oncorhynchus

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As @bjm00se mentioned, Arabia's has a great reputation.

4WheelParts doesn't have the best reviews on Yelp, lots of people complaining about having to stand in line or that the parking lot isn't big enough or whatever, but when I talked with them about tires and lockers last week, the guys behind the desk seemed completely knowledgeable on the topic and they were definitely doing plenty of business in the actual workshop portion of the business. I'll be doing tires there in a couple weeks. Will come back and share how that experience goes.
I’ve had really good experience on the retail side of the 4WP in San Jose. Very knowledgable and good customer service mindset. I do worry about the technician staff, not specifically because it’s 4WP but because many shops are struggling right now to attract and retain talent.
 

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jonboy

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Rear end specialties in Santa Clara did my JK several years ago and they were great to deal with and did a great job - no problems at all.
 

wjjohnson43

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I can also vouch for rear end specialties in Santa Clara - they did my regear 2 weeks ago, gave through and complete instructions on the break-in procedure, and returned all the takeoff's.
 

bchen

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I had an axle swap + lift done at Arabia’s Overkill. Those guys seem ultra dependable. The downside is that they were really busy so finding a time window is actually hard. The benefit of anything being done there is that they know what good looks like and will do it right.
 
 



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