Actually, based on what I've seen others pay for G front axle service in the USA, those prices aren't way out of line in my opinion.  Do they have much experience working on the G?  For front axle work it's better if they've seen one before, but not required.  For all the grease and gunk and screwing around involved, it's probably worth $400 to have them do the kingpin as long as they know what they're doing.

You might be able to get the stalk switch for $30-40 less buying from Sean (Eurotruck) or Vlad (fourbyfourclub) from this list.  Installing it is pretty easy, just a few screws to remove the trim panel around the steering  column and plug it in.  If you're so inclinded, adding relays to the headlight circuits will take a LOT of the electrical load off that switch.  From the ones I've seen their failure isn't due to mechancial breakdown, but rather the electrical contacts inside heating up and getting loose or displaced within the plastic housing.  I took my first one apart, but couldn't fix it.  I bit the bullet for a new one (like $180 5 or 6 years ago) and put relays on the circuits.  Not a lick of trouble since.  While you're at it, have a look at the rocker switch for the headlights.  Sometimes the connector for it heats up and gets loose too.  There's an article on fixing that one at ClubGwagen.com in the G-tech section.

All the best,

-Dave G.

PS - the thing they really have to be careful of on old axles like ours is that they have an oil seal at the inboard (right at the pumpkin) end so if they're not carefull when they stuff the axle back in, that seal gets displaced and 90wt from the diffs will mix with the swivel housing grease, adding to the diff oil level, and causing it to blow out the vent.

But that's not the test for a bad kingpin bearing....  And depending on what's going on it might not even be abnormal.  Have to have the far wheel on the ground to test for drive line play like that.

Checking for a bad kingpin bearing is best done by grabbing the wheel at the top and the bottom and trying to rock the wheel "in and out" - toward and away from the engine.  Do this while watching the seal between the swivel housing and the swivel ball.  If you see movement between housing and ball while "tipping" the wheel in and out, then you have kingpin problems.  If the wheel tips in and out with no movement between ball and housing, then you have wheel bearing and/or hub problems.

Rotating the wheel is checking a whole different thing.

What kind of things made him "seem very experienced with G's"  ?

Ask him, "If we measure that amount of play you see before you do the repair and then measure it again after you do the repair, how much difference should I expect to see?  And if we don't see that difference, do I still have to pay for the repair?

-Dave G.