I need my springs done on my Z. But I'm having a hard time with the fronts. Is there anybody local to my area that does this? The shops around here are nuts and say that it will cost me $250 or more just to swap out the front 2 springs. There's no way I'm paying that much.

 

Did you try renting a spring tool from autozone? I swapped all 4 springs and shocks on a friends Z in the driveway in under 2 hours. Its super easy with the right tools.

 

You don't have the knowledge of basic wrenching you have to pay to play. In this case, pay someone else to do it.

Don't know how you couldn't do this with a spring compressor.

 

Give Hills Garage a call (closed on Sundays though)

(410) 636-5554

 

Give AAM a call.

Don't forget the alignment that's another $80 or so...

 

If you want to save $$$, you don't even need any tools except a deep socket wrench and 2-3 heavy *** dudes.

Place aftermarket spring on shock, place tophat on spring and install it on the car unbolted. Have 2-3 guys sit on the front to "compress" the spring in order for you to screw on the main top bolt. Viola, spring installed w/o tools.

If you guys can't generate enough force to compress the spring, start jumping up and down until you can get the first few threads started.

 

I'm 25 minutes from
Frederick in hagerstown. I have a shop and I can do the job for you.

 

No one has ever installed suspension in Frederick, MD. True story.

 

I was thinking the same.

You do know know how to do it, but do not want to pay someone for their knowledge.

 

I was willing to do it for half what was quoted. But I guess it's already been taken care of

 

Half? Lol based on this thread a better price is a 6 pack of cheap beer.

 

I hear ya. I mean it is going to take a few hours prolly and this is not side work for me, it's what I do for a living so I have to charge something.

 

If it takes you a few hours and you do it for a living your not doing it right.

 

Nonsense. People of this forum should pull together and help each other out for free or for beer anytime they can. Barny is buying pavers, mulch, flowers, trees and a Hispanic or two. Ethan is buying a 6 pack of budlight. Ethan's yard is going to look good once barny is done.

That's how we roll here.

 

Here we go lol. Knew someone would have to comment. Everybody's a mechanic now with YouTube. I takes what it takes. I take my time and torque stuff and check everything, not see how fast I can go and brag about it.

And I'd love to help everybody out for free. But as I said its how I make a living and I have bills just like the next guy.

 

Anyway I'm a former AAM mechanic so the motto is take 6 months and charge triple what everybody else does lol.

 

LOL I agree. I've done two handfuls of Zs suspension and many other cars over the years.

No shop, under any circumstance, even being super meticulous should charge more than 1hr for the front. And that's PUSHING it. With the right tools and no lift 1hr wraps up the entire job with someone who has done it before.

 

Oh, what shop do you work at?

I've been doing this for over 13 years and I've went to automotive school and all that. It very well may not take now than an hour. But every car is different. I remember doing suspension work on many Z's with veilside and other random body kits that hung so low it was a 20 minute job just to get them on the lift. And occasionally you get a car with a seized bolt that may hold you up a few extra minutes. Or my personal favorite, when someone else was already in there and the cross threaded a bolt then you have do deal with that, etc.

And realistically any shop you call is probably going to quote 2 to 3 hours. Even though it may take less they have to err on the side of caution in case something does extend the job. And many places have alot of overhead cost to deal with.

Again I'm not trying to sound like a jerk. But I mean wherever you work, if someone walked in and started saying they could do it cheaper and better I'd think you would want to explain your take on it.

Anyway I'm always fair. And sometimes I quote high to protect myself and no one wants to pay more than you quote them, but they are always happy to pay less.

So bottom line if the job really only took me one hour, I would drop the price accordingly.

 

Agreed 1 hour tops. As long as things go smoothly. No rusted or broken bolts.

 

We all work at the sofa shops we sit on them and quote people for jobs we will never do.