Some wheel cylinders cost $10 for rebuilds. Some cost $75 on up. It all depends on how common they are.
It costs me $15 to $20 to have the machine shop hone all my master and wheels cylinders out for me. Another $20 to $30 for kits. My time is worth more if I don't spend the money and do the work myself than if I spend an extra $200 and watch TV with the time I save. Then I have another $200 to spend on some other goodies I can safely rebuild myself.
If I end up replacing the shoes, have the drums turned down and replace the hoses and a steel line or two, I can have the whole works done for $90 to $150, depending on who I know that day.
If you get to know the small shop guys (not Midas, or Mieneke) they will remember you if you bring the parts to an old truck in and tell them about your project. They start giving you the good guy discount, and they like it too.
