[crume]

What is a fair price to pay for installation of Pinks and Strut Tops? Approximately how long should it take? Thanks.

[Boostpimp]

Skilled mechanic with proper tools (air) can do it in under an hour but they'll proly charge you a minimum of 2-3 hours labor @ around $70 an hour.

[droideka]

I paid $120 at $60 an hour for a guy that took his time and torqued everything porperly while I watched. I don't want somebody putting my sh!t together with an air wrench.

[staticx313]

Spend $20 for the online service manual (thanks to 4ml1fn) and get some buddies and do it Its fairly easy (we've done my car a couple times and a wrx) and is not to bad if you find someone with air tools (they will definitely help). You'll not only save yourself about $200, but you'll feel good doing it as well and gain some knowledge good luck!

Robert~

[titsataki]

I would think a couple hours. It is not very hard but as droideka said a skilled person is more efficient and knows their stuff much better that say someone like me. By the way calculate in the alligment expense/time after the install.

Cheers

Nick

[Seranin]

i had read somewhere that you want to wait a week or so for the springs to settle before getting an alignment done..is this true? or not necessary?

[salisburyv]

I was quoted 275/installed and aligned...for the new tein s techs...I think that was fair so i'm gonna do it.

[crume]

Static X, I was originally planning to do the install myself. That was until I had a bad experience installing the steering rack bushings. That mod appeared to be so simple but was a total pita. I guess now I'm gun shy. I also read that you need a spring compressor. Is that true or can you get them installed without one?

[Rev]

For the rears you won't need a compressor.

For the fronts, you will need it. Unless you have someone to help you out and push down on the spring while mounting the strut top.

Get the $39.99 ones from AutoZone, McPherson Spring Compressor.

Check out my sticky thread in the Handling/Braking forum, right at the top, for pics and tips.

[imajinaxn]

i am a total newb to this, how do i know how much to "torque" it, cause i was reading the installs of the pinks and strut tops and it was posted how much to torque the screws and that just confused me.

[Rev]

Torque wrench.

[donmei]

Imajin,

If you don't know what a torque wrench, this is not the job for you. You'll hurt yourself and possibly screw up your car. If you want to learn, suggest you find someone who will let you watch.

You need to to decide if you're a work on it or get it done by someone else kindof guy. Doing it yourself requires a fairly decent investment in tools and time. Also, I'm not sure I'd want to learn on my new $30,000 car.

Don

[2cati]

For the rears you won't need a compressor.

For the fronts, you will need it. Unless you have someone to help you out and push down on the spring while mounting the strut top.

Get the $39.99 ones from AutoZone, McPherson Spring Compressor.

Check out my sticky thread in the Handling/Braking forum, right at the top, for pics and tips.

Are you saying that this can be safely done without a compressor?

The front & rear can be dismantled & reassembled (shorter but with slightly higher rates) simply by using body weight (while some one else threads the nut)?

[imajinaxn]

Originally Posted by donmei

Imajin,

If you don't know what a torque wrench, this is not the job for you. You'll hurt yourself and possibly screw up your car. If you want to learn, suggest you find someone who will let you watch.

You need to to decide if you're a work on it or get it done by someone else kindof guy. Doing it yourself requires a fairly decent investment in tools and time. Also, I'm not sure I'd want to learn on my new $30,000 car.

Don

well i own a 2.5 rs and a wrx, i have worked on both a little, but these are amatuer (SP?) like installing strut bars and what not. when i hear you guys talk about how much torque to apply, i just tighten so i know it won't shake. should i just go and ask somebody how to torque something with the correct measurements?

[donmei]

Sure, torqueing something up is easy. My point was that your question showed that you had not done any real mechanical work. Replacing springs can be easy, or it can be difficult. It depends on the car, the amount of corrosion, etc. Have you ever used a spring compressor before??

I'd just hate to see you screw up your car if you've never done this kind of thing before. Do you know anyone locally who is doing it? Then you can help and learn in the process.

Thats how most of us who are a little more accomplished learned. One big difference though. When I learned to turn wrenches, it wasn't on my brand new $30,000 car. I screwed up. I learned. I broke stuff. I cost myself money. It was fun and sometimes stressful. Sometimes infuriating. But it was all good. I wouldn't have the ba11s to learn on my STI. Thats mainly it.

Also, now that I'm older, I've started paying people to do the boring dirty jobs. I have a mechanic who I trust 100%. Thats part of my equation. If I didn't have him, I'd do more myself.

Hope this helps.

Don