Got a couple of estimates for replacing shocks and struts

185 Views 7 Replies 7 Participants Last post by frankh, 5 d ago

Patman

Discussion Starter · 6 d ago

One place I just went in and asked and they told me $1276 for the entire job out the door. I would think I hope so. That's with Napa brand parts Another was telling me 1700? That was a AAA place @ 1600 with my discount since the discount is only on the labor? They were telling me $133 ea. for the rear shocks and @240 for ea. strut. Then I had the "gall" to suggest replacing the shocks myself(implying buying my own parts) etc. To which I heard you can't do that yourself because the rear spring is "loaded" and will shoot across the room when the shock is removed. I have done this already on several Cruzes and never been hit by a spring!! I almost told him I am not going to argue with you because I know you are "full of it"!!!!! I had better be scared that way I will pay their over inflated prices and be like my neighbor and say I'm 55 yrs old and I pay everyone to work on things because this guy it is because he has no clue of how to do . I just love what these places are told to tell you so that you are afraid of that thing called a car that only mechanics work on and you are not a mechanic!!!!!

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snowwy66

· #2 · 6 d ago

They wouldn't be lieing about the front.

No idea on the rear.

Harborfreight sells the spring compressor tool although no one in the truck forum seems to know how to use it properly.

You can also buy struts with the springs already installed which would be the better way to go. You get new springs and mounts that way.

BTW. I watched a kid slice off his nose and front teeth and toes taking the strut off a car improperly. He didn't pull the entire assembly out first and compress the spring. He took it apart inside the car.

The strut rocketed to his feet and cut off his toes. The spring hit the the rotor and ricochet up his face and through the ceiling. Shoved his front teeth in to his skull and sliced off his nose.

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thebac

· #3 · 6 d ago

Good God, thats highway robbery. Its not difficult to replace shocks OR struts on these cars. You can do it all yourself.
Make sure to schedule an alignment, too.

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TheRealHip

· #4 · 6 d ago

I think it took me 3 hours to do the front and the rear.

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Cruzing12

· #5 · 6 d ago

Had the rear coils replaced. Watched the guy unbolt one rear strut at a time, and it wasn't that tensioned.

Fyi rock auto just got the Bilstein B6 rear struts in.

Contemplating as they need pieces to be a complete unit

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Valpo Cruze

· #6 · 6 d ago

If the jackwagon thinks you can't do this at home because the springs are "loaded" then he does not comprehend the job in the first place. A set of spring compressors and now the spring is rendered mostly safe. Some cars once you disconnect the shock can droop the axle low enough to unload a spring as well.

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thebac

· #7 · 5 d ago

Not to be rude, but just buy the "loaded" struts with the springs already installed if you dont know how to properly use a spring compressor.

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frankh

· #8 · 5 d ago

I used two ratchet straps one each coil fed through twice and they easily compressed the spring coils safely. From memory the springs had to be compressed only about an inch so the straps were under very little tension.

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