How long to change all 4 strut's?

[scoob fae ork]

Hi guys the reason i have asked this is because a garage has just charged me for 8 hours to change the strut's and fake up the 4 wheel alighnment till i can get to a garage accross the water with a proper alighner.

I feel they are taking one's piss but i might be wrong?

Can anyone help me with a proper time ?

Donald

[woodywrx]

i did my bugeye coilovers in about half that, doesn't take much if you dont hit any problems. only 2 bolts at bottom of each and the 3 small nuts on top, evan tho the rear seats have to come out and the rear seatbelt reels, depending if u dont have little girlie hands like me!

[rig-pig]

im a mechanic and i did mine from start to fin in around 3 hours on my blobeye

Edited October 2, 2010 by rig-pig

[scooby222]

is that to remove stryts and then change springs onto new struts and refit or just swap complete units over?

1st would take longer but dont know about that long....think its a bit of con mate

[scoob fae ork]

They were just swapping unit's they did not even have to change the top mounts as they were already fitted.

[Baz man]

Extracting the urine if you ask me mate

[r20grm]

I'm a mechanic too, charging you 8 hours is crazy! i've done loads of sets of springs and shocks on all models of subaru, 2 and a half 3 hours max i'd say!

[scoob fae ork]

I'm a mechanic too, charging you 8 hours is crazy! i've done loads of sets of springs and shocks on all models of subaru, 2 and a half 3 hours max i'd say!

Does that time include the 4 wheel alighnment too ?

[r20grm]

Does that time include the 4 wheel alighnment too ?

Sorry if they just did a quick set up on it would just be another half hour on top of that!

[cruz104]

I had mine done at Nobles and I was in at 8am and back on the road by 8.50am on my way back to work, they had 2 mechanics on it so was a bit quicker.

The Garage is taking the absolute mick charging you for 8 hours!

[scoob fae ork]

Sorry if they just did a quick set up on it would just be another half hour on top of that!

Cheers for that mate , i think i'm gonna have a word with them on monday and see what they say.

Im not a happy chappie

[rig-pig]

like i say i was about 3 hours start to fin and that was changing springs over and fitting both strut braces

[mystery machine]

I recently had all four struts & springs replaced with coilovers and was charged 4 hours at £47 per hour, plus a single payment of £65 for alignment.

Unless your garage were subject to some especially wacky mitigating circumstances, then 8 hours sounds like a total rip-off.

[scouk]

8hrs seems excessive.. I swapped mine out for coilovers a coupel months back on the drive way with a jack and took about 4 -> 4.5hrs in total.. That includes refitting front & rear strut braces and re-adjusting the rear right as I stuffed up the camber

I have noticed with other jobs though that it depends a lot of how stuck the bolts are.. A simpel job can sometimes take ages.. But for an estimate, 8hrs is rediculous. That's 2hrs per corner and it's only 5 nuts/bolts per corner (+ taking wheels off first) and extra 7 bolts for hte rear seats and seatbelts..

They could just be quoting the standard autodata time, which is rarely accurate when people know what they are doing...

Edited October 3, 2010 by ScoUK

[thebigfelly]

yea id say their going for the time set in the book and thats what your getting charged for, plus you gotta take into acount the time for all those tea breaks and nipping out for lunch ...

[craigdmcd]

4 hours total for the job, including checking and adjusting the front camber and and checking the front toe - that's all that will be moved with this work, as the rear camber is non adjustable.

[mystery machine]

the rear camber is non adjustable.

In theory, but as I understand it there's enough play in the bolts to make it worthwhile checking. I watched John at ProGrip adjust my non-adjustable rear camber during four-wheel alignment.

[craigdmcd]

In theory, but as I understand it there's enough play in the bolts to make it worthwhile checking. I watched John at ProGrip adjust my non-adjustable rear camber during four-wheel alignment.

OEM struts have virtually no give in them, whilst aftermarket and specialist shockers seem to have enough play to give on average around 0.5 degree of camber adjustment.

[scoob fae ork]

Well guys i spoke to him today and there was no give in the guy, i was told it was the camber on the rear srutts that caused the problem. I can remember doing them my self in 5 min a corner i just wish i had the time to do it my self but hey ho you cant win them all i guess.

So for all that i paid the £318 quid today

[r20grm]

I thought the garage was just doing a quick set up on the alignment till you got it set up properly? I'd hate to see what he'd charge for a proper job Guess you won't be using him again!

[scoob fae ork]

One thing i can say altho they dont have a 4 wheel alighner the set up will be as near as makes no difference bang on its just the time it took and the friggin cost of it