I pretty much have no arms when it comes to installing ****. Is $100 a decent charge for my mechanic to install my H&R Springs on my 99 si? Thanks, just curious.

 

hell no!
too much


[Modified by blueciv69, 6:37 PM 4/22/2002]

 

This is way too much man. I did a spring install on my 2000 si and it took me less than an hour...and I'm inexperienced. A mechanic should be able to do it even faster. Try it yourself, it's really easy. Good luck.

 

Yeah do it yourself, it ain't nuttin.

 

thanks all....i'll grab my ***** and try it myself .........maybe


[Modified by 99MilanoRedSi, 1:36 PM 4/23/2002]

 

There ya go!

 

pay the $100 bucks. that is nothing. depending on the year of your car and how many tools ( you will definitely need power tools and spring compressor). it is an 1hr and 1/2 job to be done correctly. 100 sounds about right.

-truth

 

**** if you lived closer to me id do it for free

 

Spend the $100 on tools and do it yourself.

Spray all the bolts with penetrating oil the day before.

You will not need power tools.

 

****.......i'll spend the $100 on gas and drive to CA! haha

 

YES WAY TOOOOO MUCH. that is my personal opion

 

$100 is way cheaper than anyone around me. So personally, I would leap on it. Quotes I've gotten to do my springs & shocks (H&R sports & AGX's) range from $310 to $490. Oh yeah, and not counting an alignment. I finally found a place that's only charging by the hour, and he guaranteed no more than 2 hours if everything goes well (he doesn't have to cut any bolts off, replace bushings, etc.)

Doing it yourself is great, but for some (me), it really isn't an option. In my case, a lack of tools, experience, a paved driveway, and friends to help kind of limits my mechanical impulses. And the chances of my bolts being completely seized are pretty damn high, considering the almost 80,000 miles on the car, and at least half of that put on during NH winters.

So in short, $100 isn't too much at all, depending on your situation.

 

Yeah - I really don't where most people who think $100 is too much are living. $100 is about the minimum most shops will charge for anything and swapping springs is moderately complicated, requiring the removal and reinstallation of quite a few bolts. If even one bolt is stripped or if a bolt head breaks (quite possible with suspension bolts), the shops' profit margin is gone instantly.

It is actually a very reasonable price.

 

Where are you at in WI? Stop by and I'll help you change them for free. I'm about 1.5 miles from the Marshfield speedway or 2 miles from Reflections Teen Club.

 

ttt

 

Spring compressors are not expensive (and can be rented for a few bucks).

Removing a dent from you head could be very expensive.

Use a spring compressor.

 

to be safe use a spring compressor...

tools will cost you more than $100 bux..
air compressor >$200
air hose $15
impact gun $30
impact sockets $20
air rachet $30
spring compressor (rent)

if you don't have tools and/or time... $100 might be worth it...

If I were you.. I'd make friends with people with tools...
or buy your own tools

 

way too much
i think all i used was like two wrenchs, a screwdriver, and an allen key
and "borrowed" a spring compressor from pepboys(free),also used the stock jack
i even had one bolt stuck in the back, but if your only installing springs the bolts that hold the arm on are a lot less likely to be siezed
time: about about an hour and a half, and that was with about at least a half an hour trying to take the siezed bolt out and pretty much by myself
if worse comes to worse and you got a couple bolts stuck just make sure you can loosen all of them before you start and if you cant just take it to the shop for that one
and the best part is being able to say you have a sack and lowered it yourself

 

I did it myself with armed with a small 29 piece craftsman set, a borrowed spring compressor, and figuring it out just by looking at the suspension. Very simple.

Edit- I forgot the penetrating oil, very useful and important.


[Modified by G2LSS, 9:23 PM 4/23/2002]

 

$100 is what i charge straight up w/ no problems like rusted bolts that dont come free. u will need 3/8ths rachet, short 12mm (brake line), 14mm (strut pinch bolt), and 17mm (lower fork bolt) socket. 1 17mm wrench (lower fork nut), and a deep 14mm socket (upper strut mounts) and a 5mm or 5.5mm allen wrench. look at it, figure it out. its easy. 1hr by hand (no air) complete.
this is what i do for takin the springs off the strut. loosen the 14mm nut on top of the strut till its a few turns from "springing". then place the 5mm allen wrench in the top of the strut. turn it so its locked against the ground. place a tire against the allen wrench and use an object (ie, post, house, another tire) behind the strut and turn the 14mm nut w/ the wrench. boing, it will spring, watch where all the parts go. usually they will stay within 1 ft. cut the bumpstops in half (ie per most spring manufacturers recommendations) and do the same steps backwards.

 

Thanks for all the replys..... My mechanic buddy did it for only $50 last night, I told him $100 was too much. he's a pretty cool guy. The H&R springs look great and feel even better.

 

try a get a few guys from the forum to come over and help with the install..if not..thats not a really bad price to pay..earlier i paid 120 and it was at an upend speed shop..shop guys wont gouge u..cuz they want repeat business and they ve got bills to pay too

 

At the shop I work at we charge $175+. It is easy to do yourself but a $100 coming from a shop is cheap.

 

I hate to sound like an a-hole, but if you can't install your own springs then I don't think you deserve to drive that SI......
Trust yourself, it's easy.

 

I did it myself, and it was a pain in the *** because it was my first time, friend helpiong me was only experienced w/ civics, and i didnt have all the tools the first time.

Ended up taking it apart/putting it back together 3 times in the front, and 4 in the rear before getting it right... and the rear still has the knock sound. Thinking about taking the rear apart again, using the upper perch and replacing the bushings this time.

Things to note if you do this yourself...

It's so much easier w/ a friend's help (esp for stepping on the rotor).

if you don't have the tools, $100 can get you a good floor jack ($50 sears SUV jack for me), jackstands ($15 autozone ones), and sockets/possibly wrench set (depends on your sales).

Get a manual, helms preferably, or haynes/chitons if you cant afford a helms. You could use the helms later for other things.

Get a spring compressor, it'll save you some possible headaches. Nothing like a car sitting on jackstands and not being able to compress the front springs enough to get the upper mount on.

Make sure you install everything exactly like its supposed to. 2 yanks of the rear suspension was because i 1) first forgot the inner upper strut mount bushing on one side, and then again because 2) I installed the bushings the wrong way so they were not abosorbing the impact correctly.

For the front, if you have aftermarket struts, find out what to do w/ the stock brake lines (if your stock struts have the bracket on them). 1 reinstall of the front was for the brake line bracket.

Then remember washers go between the bushings. Another reinstall and 1 set of ripped polyurethane bushings (they really arent that great...) because I forgot the washers between them and the dust covers. The dust covers just ripped right through them.

What fun eh? on the bright side, I did this aroudn 135k miles and I did not have any siezed bolts or stuck bushings. My only problem was one siezed nut on the strut, which i eventualy got off.