1. Welcome to TRD Forums! A community for Toyota, Lexus, and Scion Enthusiasts. To enjoy all the benefits of the site, we invite you to signup.

Installation advice for suspension on my rolla.....

Discussion in 'Stop, Drop & Roll' started by ghoztrider, May 16, 2005.

  1. Offline

    ghoztrider New Member

    Message Count:
    935
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Location:
    Suburb of Philadelphia, PA
    Installation advice for suspension on my rolla.....

    My struts are gonna come in on wednesday and i've been asking around shops on how much it is to install them. One shop quoted me at 438 with labor to install my struts and springs, mineke quoted me 843 dollars. 8 hours of work....

    Any place that would do it cheaper? I heard the rear is really hard to install.....

    I really odn't wanna pay so much money to install it.... I'm willing to pay 200 but that kind of money is ridiculous
  2. Offline

    JspeXAE102 Well-Known Member

    Message Count:
    4,851
    Likes Received:
    15
    Trophy Points:
    588
    Location:
    群馬 日本
    shops around my area charge about $80. Or you can do it yourself in about 2hrs. 8hours of work? Maybe if the workers took a 6hr lunch break in between... thats my kind of job.
  3. Offline

    BangRolla New Member

    Message Count:
    331
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Location:
    houston, texas
    hmm doing it yourself wouldnt be that bad. it would take all day tho, if you're not expirenced.
  4. Offline

    teevee247 Well-Known Member

    Message Count:
    2,418
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    588
    Location:
    Montreal, QC
    On my 94, it tooks us 5 hours, and we had no idea what we we're doing, lol... and a local shop quoted me $115 CANADIAN to install the struts, springs and rear strut mounts...

    Your best bet would be a small independant shop, ask around to your friends and family woh they recommend or heard good things about... and call those shops up for a quote, even in a busy area, I wouldn't pay over 125$ US for installing struts...

    Actually, it almost sounds like those shops are quoting you labor and the oem struts??? Maybe call them back and specify that you already have the struts, you just need the labor to install them?
  5. Offline

    ghoztrider New Member

    Message Count:
    935
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Location:
    Suburb of Philadelphia, PA
    no they are just charging my labor..... labor and wheel alighnment which is 60 dollars. They know i have my own struts and springs.... I guess i have to go to the tiny shops and see what they charge
  6. Offline

    jiggaman725 the black guy

    Message Count:
    448
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Location:
    Ellicott City, MD
    honestly the struts take even the most in-experienced mechanic (with the right tools, of course) less than 2 1/2 hours...i know most shops around here charge around $85 an hour so it shouldn't be more than like $250 max
  7. Offline

    ghoztrider New Member

    Message Count:
    935
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Location:
    Suburb of Philadelphia, PA
    minieke said its gonna take 2 hours for the front and 6 hours for the rear on my car and i'm like are u kidding me thats insane...... I'mg onnna go look for the smallest little shop to do this
  8. Offline

    rolla02 Corollalcholic

    Message Count:
    2,622
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    38
    Location:
    Delaware
    6 hrs in the rear, no way.

    Me and buddy did all of mines in like 6 hrs.
  9. Offline

    Vamp Gunmetal 2001 Corolla S

    Message Count:
    1,756
    Likes Received:
    21
    Trophy Points:
    588
    Location:
    Rosedale, MD
    Vehicles:
    Gunmetal Grey 2001 Corolla S
    DIY! It's not all that hard with the right tools.
  10. Offline

    chr12is New Member

    Message Count:
    140
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Location:
    Toronto Ontario
    ok there is no way you are gonna get a job like that done in 2.5 hours, especially with the difficulty of the rear, I did my struts and springs this past weekend in my garage with my brother helping me, who is an experience mechanic, and it took us 5 hours with all the right tools. We knew what we were doing. Depending on your year you will hit different problems, I know for my gen, 93-97, the front is dead easy, just hope that none of your bolts are ceased, the rear is easy, but its tougher, the brake line is easy, just clamp it, but the control arm thing back there can be a bitch, because it is hard to get undone. Doing the springs and struts themselves is dead easy, its the rusted disassembly that takes time
  11. Offline

    ghoztrider New Member

    Message Count:
    935
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Location:
    Suburb of Philadelphia, PA
    yo vamp i read ur diy a while ago and u guys had all the right tools only thing i have is a spring compressor that might come in handy.... I can do my fronts but the rears i don't know about

    anyone have a list of tools? its a 00 rolla
  12. Offline

    Vamp Gunmetal 2001 Corolla S

    Message Count:
    1,756
    Likes Received:
    21
    Trophy Points:
    588
    Location:
    Rosedale, MD
    Vehicles:
    Gunmetal Grey 2001 Corolla S
    McPhearson spring compressor
    metric socket wrench set
    breaker bar (gives you more torque to break loose stuck nuts)
    torque wrench (for when reassembling)
    metric hex keys (for removing the rear sway bar)
    dremel with cut-off wheel (to cut the rear strut to remove rear brake line)
  13. Offline

    Tamago New Member

    Message Count:
    585
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    you can use diagonal pliers to cut the rear brake tab.. just one good squeeze and ur done, much quicker than a dremel (and safer imo)

    you don't need a spring compressor if you use your head..
  14. Offline

    rolla02 Corollalcholic

    Message Count:
    2,622
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    38
    Location:
    Delaware
    Dont forget the penetrating lube
  15. Offline

    Tamago New Member

    Message Count:
    585
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    "does anyone in here smell astroglide?"

    hehehe
  16. Offline

    ghoztrider New Member

    Message Count:
    935
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Location:
    Suburb of Philadelphia, PA
    i gotta see if i can find those tools then.....

    Spring compressor i got and i got the socket wrench set
    the rest i might be able to borrow
  17. Offline

    chr12is New Member

    Message Count:
    140
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Location:
    Toronto Ontario
    you dont need the dremel, you dont HAVE to cut the brake line tab, just clamp off your brake line, and undo it and then change your strut and spring. Make sure you are ready to go ahead with the strut and spring when you clamp the line and deattach it, you dont want to have it detached for to long
  18. Offline

    Ninety Four New Member

    Message Count:
    2,070
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    I was charged $150 by a shop called Xtreme (If you're in the Atlanta area, the shop is located on Buford Hwy in Doraville). That price included installing both the springs and stuts. They did a good job on the back, but there was a problem w/ the installation on the fronts that took them forever to fix/diagnose. I had to come back 2 times after the original installation for them to get it right, which was a pain.
  19. Offline

    laz Member

    Message Count:
    634
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Location:
    NYC
    I have done this job by myself in 5 hours with tools that I borrowed from autozone. If you ever in the city (NYC) hit me up since there is a place that I know that will do it for $150 but then you have to et an aligment for $65.

    GL X
  20. Offline

    rolla_7AFE hmong

    Message Count:
    647
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    468
    Location:
    sacramento
    Its Ez Mang Jsut Get He Tool I Got Minr Done N Like 3 Hr Or So
  21. Offline

    98tealrolla New Member

    Message Count:
    119
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    now i understand that you have to match up the bolt holes exactly as they came off right?..... But you dont have to worry about matching up the bolt holes for the rears. I take it this is for the camber matching
  22. Offline

    Tamago New Member

    Message Count:
    585
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    lol the bolts dont have camber adjustment..

Share This Page