Whiteline Suspension Work

[quarkgun]

Gday guys,

Just wanted to get a feel off someone who's had the work done before;

I got quoted $1400 for supply and fitting of the following items;

F-Swaybar 24mm-h/duty Blade adjustable BNF24Z $229.09

R-Swaybar 22mm-X heavy duty BNR11X $229.09

Caster adj kit-radius rod bush KCA331 $125.73

Sub-frame align & lock kit KCA349 $124.91

That's about $700 worth of labour... seems pretty excessive to me, but i dont know how much work is actually involved...

So in summary, that's front+rear swaybars, pineapples, radius rod bushes and an alignment.

What do you think? Should I be looking for another quote and if so, where?

[_Ryan_]

try and get 25 more off of the pineapples, and ~200 off of the labor IMO. Depends how much work fitting pineapples is. I estimated based on fitting both end camber kits being the same as fitting pineapples.

I would consider doing camber kits at the same time, just so it is all the same age, and won't need another alignment.

[White GTS-T]

If they're supplying it, as well as fitting it, I’m assuming they've done that type of work before? It does seem a bit excessive though, even if they charge $100 p/h, but they may just be over quoting. It might pay just to ring around and get a quote elsewhere to compare.

[nisskid]

lol at $700 labour.

[White GTS-T]

lol at $700 labour.

Haha. That's why i asked if they have done that type of work before. Maybe they think you have to drop the whole rear subframe?

[nisskid]

put it this way, someone who doesnt know how to put pineapples, castor bushes, or swaybars into a skyline would not be touching my skyline lol

[DaGr81]

How about trying to install what you can, i.e. Swaybars, did you get the link kit also?

[bigmikespec]

Pedders wanted to charge me $20 for each bushing they would press out. I said yeah no worries (insert sarcasm) and ended up doing it myself. Yes it took longyer, yes I have higher blood pressure as a result. But I saved near $500 and love my car even more!

As above, do what you can, search the forums and ask for advice from people who know.

[quarkgun]

Thanks for the advice guys... i was thinking it was far too much. Might have to bite the bullet and give it a go myself

[PM-R33]

Install it all yourself, just get some one to push the old bushes out. It isn't that hard if you have the right tools and you can't really brake anything.

[DaGr81]

Yes this forum has some great tips and there's a diy sway bar install somewhere I'm sure of it

[quarkgun]

It sure does. I've found one for the pineapples, the radius rod bushes. still looking for the sway bar install

[Duncan]

swaybar fitting was probably too easy to get its own thread, so I will try in 3 easy steps:

jack up you car and put it on stands on LEVEL ground

undo the links at either end of the swaybar where they connect to the lower control arm,

undo the 4 bolts that hold the bracket for the sway bar, and remove the sway bar.

then, as the workshop manual says...."installation is the reverse of removal"

this is one easy job. personally I wouldn't try bushes myself without the right tools and knowledge, there are some tricks with pressing out and back in, to me its one of the jobs that it is easier to pay fo.

[quarkgun]

Thanks Duncan. I did the sway bars today, easy as pie, and really makes a big difference to the feel of the car around corners. Hardest part was I needed to remove the radius rods to get at the d-bracket bolt. All up, took about 2 hours.

As for the radius rod bushes, when the mechanics open, i'll get someone to pop out the old bushes, and pop in the new. Installation of the rod itself will be easy.

Then just the pineapples to go. Would have done it today, but ran out of time and needed to get to work bummer

Hopefully should have it all ready for Oran Park

[quarkgun]

Speaking of pineapples, does anyone have pics of installation? I've got a pretty good idea what to do, but a picture is worth 1000 words as they say...