My girlfriend got me H&R springs for Christmas and being that I dont have a lift or spring compressor or friends with either, I have to have them installed by a mechanic. I brought it to a guy I trust pretty well and he told me it would take him about 4 hours to install them, so it would cost me $260 +tax. I told him I would drop the car off in the morning. I went to Home Depot and got the spiral wire wraps to put around the top and bottom of the front springs and did that. All he has to do is put them on for me.
Is $260 +tax too much to just install springs? I didnt think it would take that long but I do trust him pretty well. If this price seems reasonable, then Ill drop the car off in the morning, otherwise Ill go searching around for a better place to do it cheaper.
Let me know what you all think....thanks a lot..

 

yes that is a very good price.. most places want $400

 

Spring installation prices all depend on where you live. Where I live (Virginia) you can get them installed for as little as $125. It does normally take 4 hours, but this is a very common thing for lots of performance shops, so their rate is lower. I know you trust your mechanic but you must consider that a shop that does this regularily will be much cheaper. I would assume about $250 for a private mechanic, and about $150-$200 for a performance shop is the going price around here. For you, living in New York, I would expect the rate to be more or less doubled.
-Cyrus

 

So I'll drop off the car tomorrow morning and let him do his thing. I'm happy to hear that the price isn't too high. $400 would be rough. Tomorrow afternoon my Max will be riding on H&Rs, cant wait!!

 

Do a search. I know this questions has been asked hundereds of times so you might find out how much some other New-Yorkers paid for spring installtion. Ahh, Virginia is SO much cheaper .
-Cyrus

 

I had NOTHING either. I went down to my local discount auto parts store and:

1) Bought 2 jack stands and a hydrolic jack
2) Rented their crappy spring compressor
3) Bought some misc. crap (wrench, bolts, ect)

Me my friend and his friend started at 10am and it took us 5 1/2 hours, and 2 broken socket wrenches, but we did it. And it feels good too. But the compressing was such a B!TCH! I'd say this whole process was not intellectually difficult, just really tiring and lengthy.

Then I returned the compressor, got my $42 bucks back, got some free wrenches, and the satisfaction of a job well done. I also have a quality jack and jack-stands so I can work on my baby more often.

 

I would still go around and get other price quotes for the install. Around here it's usually anywhere from $120-$150 to have springs put on.

 

another question is.. are you getting alignment also?

 

It should not take 4 hrs to install 4 springs using power tools. At most, 2 hrs of labor.

 

The alignment won't be done by the mechanic. I'll be taking the car elsewhere for the alignment, so that's roughly another $50. I was thinking about going to a place called SpeedWorld tomorrow morning to see what they would charge, if it's less than $250 I'll leave the car with them. A friend of mine said he went there and had springs installed for $125 or $150, he couldn't remember for sure. They are a performance place so they do more Spring installations than my regular mechanic does. Thanks for the help fellas, I knew you'd all be able to give a good word to help a fellow org member.

 

Firestone offers an unlimited alignment plan. As many alignments as you like on your car whenever (no limitations) on that one car. Its $140 but when I got it, it was on sale for $109 . That's a good deal because the guy said a lowered car should have alignments about every 6 months. For $140 (or cheaper?), you really can't beat unlimited alignment.
-Cyrus

 

Yeah, 4 hours labor is about normal, since that's what I was told when I went looking for an installer several years back.

I would also recommend the Firestone lifetime alignment. I got one, and it has paid for itself many times over.

 

I just got Ground-Controls and Tokicos installed yesterday. Took 3.5 hours and cost me $304.74 with 4 wheel alignment.

 

In Miami a performance shop charges $100 to install, here in New Orleans $175.00, the dealers and other rip offs $240 plus, Why dont you do it your self I just got my brothers digital camera in the mail I can take some snap shots for you etc...it will cost you nothing if you have the tools. Invest in some craftsman tools, breaker bar, spring compressor (Autozone, $46.00 charge you bring back you get your $46.00 back), one of these org members can surely help you. In four hours I can do myself or less. NO lie Cumalot can vouch for that I can take the rear apart in 20 mins and put back on in about another 40. The front is a bit more time one more nut and bolt and a brake clip.

 

Damn guys, if you're willing to spend $250-400 to install springs, you should do it yourself. If you don't have the tools, that $250-400 will easily cover what you need plus you'll have the tools to work on your car.

2 ton jack $50
jackstands $15
3/8" metric deep socket set 10mm-20mm (quality) $50
3/8"breaker bar $25
3/8" socket wrench $25
3/8" extensions $15
3/8 torque wrench $50
spring compressors $20
Chiltons manual for the 4th gen $18
Liquid Wrench $3
shop light $25

Total cost to install your springs with brand new tools that are yours to keep forever: $296 and this is for quality tools (Craftsman/Husky)

Changing out springs is not a rocket science. I can change out all 4 springs in 2 hours with handtools. First try took 2.5 hours. If they tell you 4 hours, go somewhere else.


Dave

 

I got mine done here in Seattle, where EVERYTHING is expensive, for $120 by Garage SPL (Racing shop)

I personally think $250 is way too much.

Now, if that $250 includes and alignment, which you WILL need, then THAT'S a good deal!!!

 

2 hours with just hand tools? wow thats fast. you must be extremely buff or something cuz it took me at least 2 hours on the spring compressors alone.

 

Is installing struts/springs really that easy? I'd definitely upgrade my struts myself to kyb agx's (and springs later on if i feel like the struts aren't enough) so that i can completely forgo the cost of two separate installations. i don't have much experience with autos - i've only installed fstb, clear corners, and rewired corners, but don't know how to change my engine oil-yet I want to learn to do more stuff on my own, but is suspension out of my league??

 

What kind of Grill is that?

 

Damn Sexima what wrong with you man? Right above the picture is says "Trenz Billet grill". This is just a guess, but I think its the Trenz Billet grill (polished). If you like it, Greg has it on special for like $140. Check it out: http://www.custommaxima.com/TrenzGrills.html .
-Cyrus

 

ack.. sorry... it's late and I'm missing my baby, and I am very tired...

 

: Whatever. Goodnight man I'm gonna sleep now...its 1:35 our time. u should do the same.
-Cyrus

 

You located in NY? You talking about the Speedworld on Queens Blvd? I get my work done there all the time. Their pretty good... I recommend going there early in the morning cuz it gets packed in the afternoon.

 

I'm talking about the SpeedWorld on Sunrise Highway in Baldwin (On Long Island). I've never been there before but my friend said they are pretty good. I'd take the car there right now but I have no way of getting back and I'm not sitting there for 3 hours. Let me know if you think I should take it there. I'm going to give them a call now to see if they're busy and how much they would charge.

 

I installed my B+G springs and KYB AGX shocks this past Sunday.

It took Zumble, SuperChiu, and myself about 4 hours to do the install and we were fortunate to have a wall mounted spring compresser at our disposal. That made our lives much easier.

If you have a basic set of mechanics tools which you can pick up from Sears (lifetime warranty on Craftsman) and rent a spring compressor from AutoZone (free), you definitely can do this yourself.

I would recommend spending the money you would have paid a mechanic to install the suspension and buy a nice set of tools. That will still come out cheaper than NYC prices for a suspension install. (IMO)

Good luck!

 

The guy I just talked to at SpeedWorld said they charge $175 for installation on springs. As soon as I have someone to follow me, I'm bringing the car there so they can do it. They said it would take a couple hours. After that I'll go get an alignment and be on my merry way.

 

That way you have a comparison.
-Cyrus

 

Erm...250? I got Eibachs for Xmas, Z Motorsports down here in houston is doing em for 95...And they've got a guy there that knows damn well what he's doing. I'd comparison shop at performance shops. BTW, I thought rear springs on Maximas were hella hard to install for some reason...?

 

I don't know how hard or easy they are to install. The only stuff I've installed was easy (FSTB, Intake, Dash Kit, Corners, Tails, etc.) Nothing requiring me to rent tools or have the car jacked up for hours.

 

yea thats wat i thought

 

Well I just got home from dropping my Max off at SpeedWorld.com.
They only charge $175 to install the springs!! I'm glad I looked around and didn't settle on my mechanic.
Can't wait to see and drive the car in a few hours.

 

The rears are the easiest two 12mm nuts on top and one 17mm bolt on the bottom and watch out here they come.