My friend offered to install my springs and shocks.
The job should take, what, about 5 hours.
So I was thinking 50 bucks and a 30 pack.
Reasonable???

 

It'll take 3 hours. Plus, if you "help" you shouldn't have to pay.

But, your initial offer seems reasonable.

 

If he's a real "friend" he wouldn't charge you ****..

 

$50 is good and the beer, You should get involved and help him out. Between the both of you guys it should take 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. I know it took me 2 1/2 hours to do my friends car when I sold him my Eibachs, he helped the whole time.

 

why not do it yourself? it's not too bad ^_^

 

It will be alot easier since you are putting in new shocks and springs, just putting the springs on would be a *****, I know cause that's what I did

 

I think it should only take about 2-3 hours and if you help him and do a lot of the work yourself then you should have to pay him jack. Just give him the beer as a thank you.

 

do u guys have power tools, or are u doing it with basic tools in the driveway?

 

I would do it myself but I'm not mechanically adept. I don't touch my car, I leave it to the experts. I had trouble putting on a pop charger.
I feeling guilty cause he's always helping out with this stuff.

 

yup, driveway and basic tools. I guess I have to rent a spring compressor.

 

A spring compressor is a must for the fronts. The rears you can actually just dissemble without the compressor. Not much force or preload on the rears. Test it by pushing down on the assembly. If you can make it move, then preload isn't an issue. Just take the top shock bolt off while you hold the assembly down. Shouldn't jump at all. I've done mine that way, even put the rears together without compressors. It's a little tough I'll admit.

The install of your new springs probably will not need a compressor. I know the H&R's didn't need one. You can have your buddy push down on the strut mount while you thread the bolt. It's easier that way.

Do get a 1/2 inch drive and a breaker bar to break the lower blots lose. There a P I T A sometimes. May want to presoak them in WD40 overnight.

*** TIP ***
When you put the lower front strut bolts back in, pull as much positive camber as you can on both sides as you tighten it up. Positive camber meaning pull the top of the rotor twards you and push the bottom of the rotor inwards. You'll see, there's some free play in the bolt holes. Do this on both sides and your camber should be perfect. The only thing off will be toe. Make sure you get an alignment after it all settles in after a week or so.

 

thanks for the tips,

If your camber is off, after install, what are the symptoms to look for and how can it be adjusted?

 

Alignment shop will fix it for you if it's off. Symptoms are pulling to left or right.

 

Theres no way in hell you can do a whole supensin job in 2-3 hours with a lift and power tools{ by your self that is}. I consider my self very good at installing supension with out power tools and I can't do it any quicker then about 5 hours{rushing}.

$50 bucks and some beer is not worth it, but if it for a friend then it's a good deal .

 

Perhaps your just a bit slower then the rest of us. I have no lift, just floor jack and jack stands. I do have an impact gun, that only save a few minuts removing bolts. Takes me about 3 hours to change my entire suspension. I've had it apart so many times I even know exactly which tools & socket sizes to take out of my tool box. It really is an easy job.

 

Ok, I have installed 5 set's of suspension on maxima's in the last year, I know exactly how to do it and do it as fast as humanly possible.

Now tell me how it is possible to do this any quicker then 4 hours. Heres everything on the table.

Jack the car up nad place a jack stand under it, remove the FSTB and bolts, remove the wheel{wheel lock included}, then take the 2 big bolts off the suspension and remove the brake lines and then remove the suspension from the car. This right here at maxima speed takes a good 20 minutes X 2{Front right and left}.{40 minutes}

Then I have to bring the suspension down cellar and decompress the springs and then remove the springs from the stoch struts and transfer all the hardware. Now I have to compress the aftermarket spring and install it on new strut. At max speed this takes at least 20 minutes to do, if not more. X 2{40 minutes}

Now you have to put the suspension back on. Putting the supension back on, putting the tire on, and re-torqeuing all the bolts takes about 25 minutes per side. X2 {50 minutes}.

Then of course there is the rears, these are a bit easier to do so it takes about 10 minutes less per side which equals a total of {120 minutes}.

So heres the total for me doing everything as quick as possible all by self: 4 hours and 10 minutes, 5 hours if I do a more relaxed pace. How in the world could someone do this in 3 hours, let alone 2{with out power tools and a lift}? BTW I work on a sand driveway without the luxury of a garage. BTW, I am installing H&R's and KYB's this weekend, I will bring out the stop watch.

 

A large pizza and some beer, that sounds about right to me.

 

have hogan do it for you... hell do it for $70

 

Why is everyone arguing about how long it takes to do it, if you can do it in 1 hour or 10 hours woo hoo good for you, as long as the job gets done. Obviously it's different people so it's gonna take everyone a different amount of time, whether you're human or robot.

 

I think some people think there robots or just can't tell time

 

I can wash, wax and vaccuum my car in 30 minutes, including windows. Suspension still takes me at least 4 hours. And I have Cattman's which eliminates some steps.

 

OK lets not take this to far. First off, I use the impact gun on the spring compressor. I can have the OEM springs compressed in 2 minutes. Installation of H&R's is so easy, you don't have to compress the springs. You wasting your time if you do. Just push down on the strut mount, your body weight can compress the H&R's just enough to catch the strut bolt. Save you lots of time my friend. And as for the rears, you don't need the spring compressor to remove OEM springs from the rear shock assy. Again, saves a lot of time. H&R's in the rear, again no compressor needed. I do realize some people work faster then others. I can do my entire car, in the dirveway, only floor jack and jack stands, start to finish in 3 hours. Hey no big deal, but thats how long it takes me.
The first time I installed the H&R's I did it with my brothers. They build drag cars. Both have body shops. Took the 3 of us just a little over an hour to do the entire car!! OK we had big boy tools, but bottom line, the job is easy.

 

Thanks for the tip on compressing the springs using my body weight. I tried that when I had eibachs and could not get it to work. If it works for H&R's I will be able to save my self a good 45 minutes, thanks again for the tip.

 

there is no way you can do all of that in 30 minutes! i can do it in an hour and thats if i fly through it!

 

I take my time cleaning my car. Clay bar, polish, wax, leather cleaner, leather conditioner, Black again for the plastic parts, vacume and clean the windows. It takes a good 6+ hours to do properly .

 

i wash mine, take it for a spin dry (and have old ladies wave their canes at me when i fly by ), dry it, then wax... it doesnt take me too long to wax it, i move through it pretty quick... with my black car, its just gonna get dirty quick anyway

 

$50 sounds good to me! but...if they are KONIs, and all you have is a hacksaw then maybe a lil more