Re-Gearing shop in LA/Ventura Area

To anyone that has re-geared in the LA/Ventura area. I'm looking for a quality shop in the LA/Ventura area. If I was closer to SD, I would go see Dirtydeeds, but that is too far for now. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated .
Jimi

 

Thank you for the info on Premier West. I've heard this before, but not seen it in writing. Appreciate the heads up!

 

Oh, I understood that: You mentioned all aspects we'd need to make an informed decision: inexpensive, several problems, demonstrated willingness to make it right. Good summary.

 

socalexpeditions, thanks for the info. Ryan (IronRyno Fab) @shmellmopwho that built my slides also recommended Sibi. They will definitely be on my short list. I just wished they were closer for the break-in.

 

Ryan is a great dude and does solid work!! I will definitely look into Sibi!!

 

Exactly why I paid top dollar to have the best rated local shop do it. Not everyone can afford that though, so it's good to have multiple options.

 

Any opinions on adding PowerTrax grip pro? I would love to add a Truetrac but that's not an option and a locker would be too much for the off-roading I do.

 

YAY! FRIENDS!!!

 

I can't speak on what @socalexpeditions experienced in the past but I hosted a group buy with Premier West not too long ago where we had nearly 100 trucks done and I haven't heard of any of my participants having any issues from it. I myself had my truck done by them and haven't had any issues, everything seems solid. Through my group buy @Silver1stgen13 had his truck done

I also know @fisherman951 did a group buy with them before I did and I believe everything went ok with his as well. @SAGE63 had a good experience when he signed up for this one.

My best guess is that they may have had a careless employee or some other issue which caused these problems and it has been rectified as I haven't heard of any problems with them recently. I have seen that very thing happen with other shops before to the point where the guy didn't even put gear oil in the diff.... After our last group buy with them, I did feel confident enough in the service they provide that we started up another group buy with them that is running right now. I would not risk having my name attached to them if I didn't trust their work. If you would like to check out the deal we are running please check out this thread and feel free to message me with any questions you might have. Either way, I hope you have a great experience with whatever company you decide to go with

https://www.tundras.com/threads/max...ar-group-buy-open-to-all-makes-models.128715/

 

Just a heads up…for those who don’t have stupid money to burn… Sibi asks for $500. Non-refundable just to get on his calendar… Never heard of such a thing… Only in CA. guess! Consumerism Gone mad….. Must be nice to have so much work you can turn people away…

 

Thats not how it was presented to me… there was No talk of what gears/Brand/or parts… Just $500 bucks to save a spot on the calendar… yes.. 3 or 4 months out… I would have gladly paid in full… up front for parts that applied to the job… but I’m not going to give someone $500 just to hope he can work on my truck without any written guarantee of work to be performed. And I’ve had plenty of work performed my vehicles by many shops over the years… Just not in CA.

 

ProGear did not ask for a deposit. They *were* gonna pass on credit card fees to me, if I'd used a credit card though. Businesses get to set their own policies.

 

kyle11863, thanks for the input and I will definitely look at the group buy

 

Hello!

In the email we sent for the deposit request. It is a $500 nonrefundable deposit "TOWARDS THE WORK" to set an appointment. We don't just take $500 and run. Check our 212 5 star rating on google for yourself. You get a receipt/Invoice sent for everything as well, just like the thousands of others who have set appointments with us. Sorry for the misunderstanding, but if you go back and read your email again you will see. Like @socalexpeditions said all shops that have actual work flow take deposits. We have over 150 regears booked through feb 2024. Cheers and have a great day.

Edit:
Google Link
https://www.google.com/search?q=sib...CQAQCYAQCgAQCqAQC4AQHIAQCoAgo&sclient=gws-wiz

Our Email if you have any Concerns or ?'s
Sibibuilt@gmail.com

 

@Sunnier Sorry for bringing this back up, but did you do business at ProGear? If so how were their service and did they needed the vehicle for 2 days? I'm curious because I've been back and forth on the phone with them and been leaning towards having them regear our 4runner there.

 

I had a great experience but, yes, they had it more than a day. Due to the distance from my house and my work schedule, that worked better for me, and we planned the work for when they could store it inside the gate until I could pick it up. It's a small property, so if you need to drop off and pick outside business hours mean it'll be unsecured in the tiny front lot (I brought a second key, and picked up the one they had on another day).

I don't know what your truck's like-- how close to stock or, if you did a bunch of suspension mods, if you did everything including welding yourself and keep up on regular inspections looking for wear-- but when they took the rear axle off, they called me over to see numerous repairs needed. They didn't push me to have them do them but, once I saw it (everything removed) it made sense to have them do it. They're not inexpensive to start with, and I agreed to a lot of extra (expensive) work. But I left feeling good about it.

If you bring it down and have to leave it, lmk if you need help from a local.

FWIW, my other finalist was M.I.T. Drivetrain in El Cajon. Along with ProGear, they're the top-rated locally, and I'd always expected to go there. But my impression after a in-person meeting and initial quote was that it would not go well (assumed I knew nothing; take advantage of a female).

 

thank you so much for your detailed experience and reviews on this. As for my truck it’s already been regeared a couple years back and from my experience from the shop that did my truck and how their service was I did not want to bring my wife’s 4Runner there for the regear.

I reside in Long Beach so it will be quite a trek me for to bring to ProGear but I rather drive way the heck down there for ProGear’s service and business after going through some reviews about them as well as Keith from DirtyDeeds recommendations of Progears.

I was just wanting a bit more assurance from others who have dealt with ProGears and if they really needed the vehicle for more than a day (2 days is what they quoted me over the phone). So I’m going to have to try to find out how to schedule a drop off day (taking time off from work) and then to where I can pick up on a Saturday from them.

this is my wife’s 4Runner… nothing fancy on there yet besides wheels and bolt on kings.


Dara

 

I'm happy to help, sharing experience. Add to your planning: I don't think they're open (m)any Saturdays-- benefits of being in business forever and keeping a stellar reputation. And I caution against leaving your 4R in the unsecured front lot overnight, especially with a key hidden inside. And, if I recall, they open at 0900. The day I dropped off my truck, I had to get a Lyft back home 20 miles away and went to work late. Then got a ride to pick it up after close of business.

You may consider, if they're certain they can turn it around in 2 days, getting a local hotel room and staying overnight.

@5.7TRDProm

Edit: it's a bummer there's no well-rated installer near you. Another very respected option is "Zuk" (?) over in Arizona. He's waaaay inexpensive compared to ProGear or any other reputable shop in CA. The most recent homie I know that had him do a regear is @FrenchToasty. The drive over and back is farther from you than San Diego would be, but I think he works weekends(?), so maybe you and your wife could make a weekend if it-? Maintaining break-in driving and cool-down recommendations will be a bit of a hassle in both circumstances. Recommend you pay the extra to get pre-polished so you don't have to sweat that break-in.

 

Thanks! I don’t mind a trip to Arizona to have him work on the vehicle as well if he is open on weekends. The gears are rem polished so definitely no sweating about breaking it in.

do you happen to have any contact information for Zuk?

Dara

 

http://www.gearinstalls.com/
his email is on the bottom.

also he doesn’t work on gears in trucks or pull any of the diffs himself. You need to bring him your diffs or donor diffs to get built. He is one of, if not THE best builders in the country. Blueprints all the gear sets he builds, and sends pics of EVERYTHING!!!

 

Crap.... now if thats the situation. It would be a issue with me also. I'm not too savvy with working on differentials yet and having to take it apart and bring it over.

Pro gear on the other hand right now Im just stuck with dealing on taking time off bringing the vehicle over and then time off again to pick it up since they aren't open on the weekends or at least a saturday.

 

Sibi Built in Santa Ana and we are local to you. We do over 30 Regears a month with all good reviews you can check online or in the community for yourself

 

Or arrange to buy polished to avoid the break-in, take off 2 days in the same week, make the long haul down to SD at o'dark;30 the first day to drop the truck, stay overnight, and head home the second night.

I don't think it's a bad idea to look into this ^ group buy-- as long as they match ProGear's warranty, which pretty much covers everything for the duration.

 

@Sibi Built and @freedom123
You guys are definitely on my short list and recommended by Ryan (IronRyno Fab) @shmellmopwho. Do you guys do 5.29 Yukon with PowerTrax grip pro? I don't need a lockers. I see there is a group buy on Tacoma world.

 

Sorry to come off a little side ways about this, but something about "group buys" on differential work I'm not too keen of, just because I had gotten suckered into one back in 2019 for my Tundra and I just had a really bad experience and service. It wasn't what I expected as well as having to "fix" things myself that the shop fugged up on so that threw a lot of trust issues with that on who works on the vehicle and what is being done by who and how many tech was even working on just 1 vehicle. I brought it up to the shop they reached out to try and "correct my claims", but my time is valuable to just waste and take off for someone to try and fix their error they should have gotten done right straight from the get go.

Again this has nothing to do with you or Sibi built, I'm just throwing out my experiences with "group buys" things for differential jobs. Also I click that tacoworld link and see things are being booked out for May... thats way out of my time for what I am looking for.

in post #19, I had mentioned that I already have the gear set on hand and they are already rem polished so it would not be an issue if I were to drive out either to AZ to Zuk (which wont work out since he doesnt work on the vehicles) or ProGear. Again I'd hate to take time off for work just to deal with a back and forth commute to drop off and pick up the vehicle as I already have planned vacations where I'm spreading my time off towards.

ProGear had advised me already that they won't honor warranty for anything that happens to the gearset as I did not buy the gear set from them, but will honor labor warranty i.e. axle leaks or some kind of install procedure work, just no warranty for the parts itself which I totally understand and get hence why it doesn't bother me about no warranty on the product.

 

It was done at PWG, the group buy was through a word of mouth soley from a taco forum member as well. Nothing was shown and gone over with there, I don't even know if the gear installed was the gear I requested besides given 1 Nitro Gear sticker with my invoice. As well as not even knowing if there was an actual install kit was included, installed or original bearings hardwares reused. A whole complete kit or just the ring and pinion only.

I honestly wouldn't care about a GB pricing. I just want my hard earned pennies to be worth every cent of quality, service, and work that I am willing to pay for.

 

Just sent an email over since he reached out through our instagram handle. We'll see what about proceeding forward with this.

 

Dang Sibi looks great, but I don't think I can swing their hours of operation. I live too far. The search continues.

 

Thanks man. No group buy needed for us here. We already have the gear set that's sitting in the room for almost 2 years and been hesitant with some shops and trying to find a reputable shop to make sure my money is worth handing over to and getting it installed for us properly and in a correct way.

 

Of course, I'm already aware of that. Thats the thing most shop has a disclaimer about even with the other 3 shops I had inquired about. Most will not offer warranty on "customer supplied parts" only on their work. So if the gears blows from the actual gear defect it's not the shops fault, but if theres some kind of damage to seals or improper installation thats where the shop will own up on for warranty.

I already knew this wayyyyyy ahead of all this vehicle modding stuff.