Good shops in North Jersey for suspension work?
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From: Rockland/Orange, NY, USA
Good shops in North Jersey for suspension work?
I 'd like to try out some shops in Bergen county because they 're a lot closer for me than going into Queens and I don't have to cross any bridges.
How are these 3 shops and what where your impressions of them? I need knowledgeable people when in comes to suspension work because I 've been having some problems and need a good troubleshooter. The list of my problems is long and probably due to 3yrs of auto-xing as well as hitting a big pot hole last year that totally screwed up my caster. I also plan on installing new GC coilover springs plus various bushings that I think could be damaged or on their way out. I need people that know Honda/Acura suspensions inside out because I have not been successfull in Rockland & Orange Counties. My most recent experience was with STS tire where I 've been getting tires installed. The last few weeks I saw them install a coilover kit on a Celica and an aftermarket sway on a '99 Si so I figured what the hek. I had them install a new 22mm Comptech bar on my GSR (to replace my old Neuspeed 19mm bar which I miss dearly). Well they installed it upside down at first and were wondering why the muffler wasn't going back into place!! Since that install 3 weeks ago I 've been getting a loud thump from the rear and they don't know where it's coming from. That's the people I 'm dealing with up here and I have vowed to only go to Honda/Acura shops from now on. Used to go Rampage Racing (out of business) which I liked a lot and DRT, both in Queens, but I hear Bergen has some decent shops and it's a lot closer for me.
I 've found out about 3 shops:
- SPI in Cliffwood Beach (don't think it's in Bergen)
- Kaztech in Hackensack
- Bullish Racing also in Hackensack
Which one(s) do you recommend? Even Essex or Sussex counties are not too far for me and I work near Parsippany so anything along 287 or the GSP (up to Rt.78) on my way to work is fine. The city is just too much out of my way plus there 's much tolls to be paid.
[Modified by VTEConly, 8:12 PM 7/21/2002]
How are these 3 shops and what where your impressions of them? I need knowledgeable people when in comes to suspension work because I 've been having some problems and need a good troubleshooter. The list of my problems is long and probably due to 3yrs of auto-xing as well as hitting a big pot hole last year that totally screwed up my caster. I also plan on installing new GC coilover springs plus various bushings that I think could be damaged or on their way out. I need people that know Honda/Acura suspensions inside out because I have not been successfull in Rockland & Orange Counties. My most recent experience was with STS tire where I 've been getting tires installed. The last few weeks I saw them install a coilover kit on a Celica and an aftermarket sway on a '99 Si so I figured what the hek. I had them install a new 22mm Comptech bar on my GSR (to replace my old Neuspeed 19mm bar which I miss dearly). Well they installed it upside down at first and were wondering why the muffler wasn't going back into place!! Since that install 3 weeks ago I 've been getting a loud thump from the rear and they don't know where it's coming from. That's the people I 'm dealing with up here and I have vowed to only go to Honda/Acura shops from now on. Used to go Rampage Racing (out of business) which I liked a lot and DRT, both in Queens, but I hear Bergen has some decent shops and it's a lot closer for me.
I 've found out about 3 shops:
- SPI in Cliffwood Beach (don't think it's in Bergen)
- Kaztech in Hackensack
- Bullish Racing also in Hackensack
Which one(s) do you recommend? Even Essex or Sussex counties are not too far for me and I work near Parsippany so anything along 287 or the GSP (up to Rt.78) on my way to work is fine. The city is just too much out of my way plus there 's much tolls to be paid.
[Modified by VTEConly, 8:12 PM 7/21/2002]
Joined: Jun 2002
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From: Doylestown, PA
Re: Good shops in North Jersey for suspension work? (VTEConly)
I live in north Jersey but all my work gets done in PA near where I work. there is supposed to be a good race shop located on route 53 going north from route 10. I don't know the name of the place... I've never been there... was recomended to me by someone I trust.
That's about it...Sorry!
That's about it...Sorry!
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From: New Jersey
Re: Good shops in North Jersey for suspension work? (Watkinsm3)
i know a place around me that charges a real decent price for installing struts and springs. 60 a wheel, so times that by 4, 240 for all the springs and struts.
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From: Rockland/Orange, NY, USA
Re: Good shops in North Jersey for suspension work? (Watkinsm3)
Hi Matt, it's Harry.
Since the last time we raced together, my car 's gone down hill fast. I have noises coming from the front, excessive tire rollover & bodyroll in the front which tore up my Kumhos on the last event at the Mclub, I have banging noises coming from the rear and the car has really bad understeer as well as uncontrollable traction loss in the rear which brought my car around several times.
These problems started 1-2 events before I installed the Comptech 22mm bar but were not as bad as now. After the Comptech bar install, things worsened much more and the fact that I definitely had problems became more evident.
The V700s are totally destroyed after only 9-10 events (I got 21 events out of the previous set last year). From talking to some people at the last Mclub event, the general consesus was that I have some bad bushings and there may be a problem with the front sway bar (bushing/end link, etc.) and/or a bent front shock or LCA (that started with the pot hole last year). The rear may be a combination of things, like trailing arm, and/or bushings. I hope the 2nd.. Trailing arms are $200 plus a lot more labor.
One guy there told me that he replaces the stock LCA and shock bushings every 1-2 seasons of auto-xing and tightens everything else down every year. No doubt my car needs some major suspension inspection and maintenance after 50+ auto-x events the last 3 seasons. So I was thinking that replacing the H&R springs with GCs is a good idea because while the shocks & old springs are out of the way, and LCAs partially taken down, many components can be inspected to get a better picture of what's wrong with the car.
Many technicians are not experienced enough to recognize a bent piece or a cracked or excessively squeezed bushing. I remember my old mechanic took hold of the LCAs and with all his strength started pulling them up & down where the whole car was rocking back and forth & up and down on the lift. Only then did we hear a slight noise and identified that it was an LCA bushing. That was back in 1994 with a different car and after going to 2 other shops, he was the only one that was able to find it. It takes a lot of force on the LCAs sometimes to duplicate the noise that you get on the street (or racing). These guys I went to last week, didn't even pull on anything. Then after I told them they have to litterally hang from the LCAs like monkeys and rock them up & down, the guy grabs it with 1 hand and pulled on it with 10 lbs of force for 1/2 sec. and said, "I don't hear anything" and then chased me out of the shop for insurance reasons! I got disgusted with their lack of expertise.
I think I 'll give those shops a shot in Hackensack and see what happens. I have the Comptech tie bar that I want installed too, so they can put that on while they 're checking out the rest of the suspension. I really don't want to go with coilovers yet because I don't want to get bumped up to D class since I have the most points for season trophy in E so far..
How is it going with you? How does the car feel? I have a feeling you 're going to have to get those Konis custom valved soon because the 525lb spring rates will eventually take their toll on your off the shelf Konis. I 'm sure I "ll be running into you soon.
Since the last time we raced together, my car 's gone down hill fast. I have noises coming from the front, excessive tire rollover & bodyroll in the front which tore up my Kumhos on the last event at the Mclub, I have banging noises coming from the rear and the car has really bad understeer as well as uncontrollable traction loss in the rear which brought my car around several times.
These problems started 1-2 events before I installed the Comptech 22mm bar but were not as bad as now. After the Comptech bar install, things worsened much more and the fact that I definitely had problems became more evident.
The V700s are totally destroyed after only 9-10 events (I got 21 events out of the previous set last year). From talking to some people at the last Mclub event, the general consesus was that I have some bad bushings and there may be a problem with the front sway bar (bushing/end link, etc.) and/or a bent front shock or LCA (that started with the pot hole last year). The rear may be a combination of things, like trailing arm, and/or bushings. I hope the 2nd.. Trailing arms are $200 plus a lot more labor.
One guy there told me that he replaces the stock LCA and shock bushings every 1-2 seasons of auto-xing and tightens everything else down every year. No doubt my car needs some major suspension inspection and maintenance after 50+ auto-x events the last 3 seasons. So I was thinking that replacing the H&R springs with GCs is a good idea because while the shocks & old springs are out of the way, and LCAs partially taken down, many components can be inspected to get a better picture of what's wrong with the car.
Many technicians are not experienced enough to recognize a bent piece or a cracked or excessively squeezed bushing. I remember my old mechanic took hold of the LCAs and with all his strength started pulling them up & down where the whole car was rocking back and forth & up and down on the lift. Only then did we hear a slight noise and identified that it was an LCA bushing. That was back in 1994 with a different car and after going to 2 other shops, he was the only one that was able to find it. It takes a lot of force on the LCAs sometimes to duplicate the noise that you get on the street (or racing). These guys I went to last week, didn't even pull on anything. Then after I told them they have to litterally hang from the LCAs like monkeys and rock them up & down, the guy grabs it with 1 hand and pulled on it with 10 lbs of force for 1/2 sec. and said, "I don't hear anything" and then chased me out of the shop for insurance reasons! I got disgusted with their lack of expertise.
I think I 'll give those shops a shot in Hackensack and see what happens. I have the Comptech tie bar that I want installed too, so they can put that on while they 're checking out the rest of the suspension. I really don't want to go with coilovers yet because I don't want to get bumped up to D class since I have the most points for season trophy in E so far..
How is it going with you? How does the car feel? I have a feeling you 're going to have to get those Konis custom valved soon because the 525lb spring rates will eventually take their toll on your off the shelf Konis. I 'm sure I "ll be running into you soon.
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From: Rockland/Orange, NY, USA
Re: Good shops in North Jersey for suspension work? (VTEConly)
I 've decided to go with RPM NYC in Queens. They sounded knowledgeable over the phone and said they will tighten down and adjust many parts of the car's suspension. They said they love to auto-x and road race and they have a Speedvision Touring car that they built and race and take suspension setups very seriously.
Unfortunately they 're booked this Sat. so I 'll have to wait till the following Saturday, so no racing for me again this weekend
Unfortunately they 're booked this Sat. so I 'll have to wait till the following Saturday, so no racing for me again this weekend
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