New suspension... fitting costs.

[ricksaxby]

Hi again everyone,

I have now decided that what my car really needs is to be lowered. The car has done 120,000 miles and the guy that MOT's it seems to think it is still on the original suspension!



Well anyway I think that changing the shocks/ springs will drastically alter the cars handling (after a second visit to Tony at WIM... who's brilliant!!).

I have found these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MAZDA-MX5-89-98-GAZ-COIL-OVE...

... and with the 10% voucher I've received from eBay makes the total price quite reasonable IMO (£384.30 inc postage, not bad eh?).

My question is- what would be a reasonable cost for a garage to fit them for me? I haven't got the know-how or tools to even attempt it myself so will need to take it somewhere to be done. As I haven't had this sort of work done before I have no idea how long it takes so thought I should have some ammunition before phoning around to get some estimates!

Thanks in advance, Richard

[matt uk]

I've been quoted £200 to fit new springs and dampers. Couldn't tell you if that was good or not though..

[matt uk]

I've been quoted £200 to fit new springs and dampers. Couldn't tell you if that was good or not though..

[Herman Toothrot]

For someone familiar with the job its a about one and a half hour job on the drive. It is very simple if you think the approach through (only undo the top non ajustable bolts on the wishbones) and use spring compressors. If your new to swapping the suspension then un-doing the adjuster bolts etc will probably happen and lots on un-necessary fiddling about.

£200 sounds ok, if they are unfamiliar with the 5's suspension then 2.5 hours work.. £40 an hour, the regular garage rate these days.

[kevham]

I reckon £200 would be fair. It's a straightforward job at home but certainly not 1.5 hours as Herman suggests unless a) you have air tools and b) you have help. Without these, it can take several hours and be a real headache - especially if your car is old, rusty and has never had any of the suspension components off.

Assuming you are reusing the topmounts and bumpstops, the existing shock assemblies need to be removed and dismantled (need spring compressors), the new shock assemblies built and then re-fitted. There are various methods of removing and fitting the shocks - if your fitter has not researched or has never done an MX-5 before, he could knacker the alignment so make sure he knows what he's doing.

The fronts are hardest and can be changed by disconnecting the upper wishbone at the chassis end or the lower ball joint at the hub. No need to undo the lower wishbone adjusters.

The rears only need the lower shock mount to be removed (which can be very stressful!) - no need to undo any of the wishbones but the fitter will need a heavy bloke to stand on the hub (but there's normally plenty of those lying around a garage!)

I did a brief write up with some photos here: http://www.mx5scotland.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t...

If I didn't have tools, help and couldn't afford to keep my car off the road for a few days, I'd happily have spent £200 to have the job done.

Edited by kevham on Monday 10th November 21:55

[Herman Toothrot]

Funny, I've done mine twice 1st time it took about 2.5 hours as i'd never seen an mx5's suspension before, nothing was ceased. The second time 1.5 hours max as I knew what I was doing.

[Herman Toothrot]

kevham said:

and the lower ball joint at the hub.

Waste of time, completely un-necessary. All you need to undo is the top long inner bolt on each front wishbone and the ARB droplinks, rear outer upper bolt on each wishbone & ARB link.

[kevham]

Herman Toothrot said:

Funny, I've done mine twice 1st time it took about 2.5 hours as i'd never seen an mx5's suspension before, nothing was ceased. The second time 1.5 hours max as I knew what I was doing.

I guess it depends on your mechanic skills (mine are crap) and whether your car is rusty as hell (mine was). But I also tend to forget that a lot of my grief was down to fitting the poly bushes.

[kevham]

Herman Toothrot said:

kevham said:

and the lower ball joint at the hub.

Waste of time, completely un-necessary. All you need to undo is the top long inner bolt on each front wishbone and the ARB droplinks, rear outer upper bolt on each wishbone & ARB link.

Should have said 'or' lower ball-joint (now edited).

No need to undo any upper wishbone bolts at the rear.

[Herman Toothrot]

kevham said:

Herman Toothrot said:

Funny, I've done mine twice 1st time it took about 2.5 hours as i'd never seen an mx5's suspension before, nothing was ceased. The second time 1.5 hours max as I knew what I was doing.

I guess it depends on your mechanic skills (mine are crap) and whether your car is rusty as hell (mine was). But I also tend to forget that a lot of my grief was down to fitting the poly bushes.

Yes poly bushes are a pig, I did the front of my car then didn't bother with the rear.

[Herman Toothrot]

kevham said:

No need to undo any upper wishbone bolts at the rear.

Thats the only bolt I'd touch on the rears, also the most accessible. Undo that one bolt, push lower wishbone down, push damper assembly to the side of it then lift the upper wishbone over the top of the shock. Rears really are a 10 minute (one man) job this way.

Edited by Herman Toothrot on Monday 10th November 22:06

[hcanning]

Is it the funny angle of the photo playing tricks with one's perspective, or is there some crazy ofset action going on with those wheels?

[ricksaxby]

Think it must be the funny angle, I am pretty sure the offset is perfectly normal.

[lord summerisle]

i tried swapping mine myself - i organised a weekend in my dad's unit so i could do it in the dry and level, rather than on a sloping cobbled street.

I got the backs done over the weekend - the first one took me ages, as i figured out what needed doing. the second went on much quicker - both shocks where on by the end of Saturday - after about 4hrs work (mostly unseezing various bolts) sunday i had to take em partly off again as i had assembled them slightly wrong (brass spacer the wrong side of the top mount)

I had a go at the front - but all the bolts where seezed tight and i didnt want to round em off.
Took the car to a local garage who fitted the front shocks then did a full geo set up - total cost of £120 or so

[princeperch]

lord summerisle said:

i tried swapping mine myself - i organised a weekend in my dad's unit so i could do it in the dry and level, rather than on a sloping cobbled street.

I got the backs done over the weekend - the first one took me ages, as i figured out what needed doing. the second went on much quicker - both shocks where on by the end of Saturday - after about 4hrs work (mostly unseezing various bolts) sunday i had to take em partly off again as i had assembled them slightly wrong (brass spacer the wrong side of the top mount)

I had a go at the front - but all the bolts where seezed tight and i didnt want to round em off.
Took the car to a local garage who fitted the front shocks then did a full geo set up - total cost of £120 or so

LS - not that I'm stalking you or anything (!) - but you fitted the hood to your motor didn't you, if memory serves?

Care to give an idiot some pointers on my thread or via email?

Edited by princeperch on Tuesday 11th November 22:32

[ricksaxby]

Tony at WIM says he could fit them in 2 hours (at £65+ per hour) plus £40 to get the alignment re-done. He really knows what he's doing so very keen on taking the car to see him again.

He mentioned that 'Absolutely Shocks' recommend changing the top mounts to their mounts at the same time as fitting the Gaz kit otherwise they can knock. Has anyone heard of this happening? I did not want to buy the mounts also as this will make it even more expensive and I am on a strict budget!

What do people think?

[maz8062]

I got mine swapped for £100, but that quote by Tony is super competitive plus you can have the car aligned immediately afterwards. Seems the way to go