More front suspension ?s
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 4,071
Likes: 0
From: San Diego CA
More front suspension ?s
Ok so I'm hoping to do the front suspension rebuild on it myself, might have to borrow my grandparents' garage, though. However in the mean time I'm curious what it'd cost to have a shop do it. Whenever I mention it they're all like $800 and want to take the whole suspension apart. I just want the parts that come in vansteel's poly front suspension kit replaced. There's only one shop I guess I can trust to not overcharge me out the ***, but I'll have to show em the parts that need replaced, first. So here's the q's.
To get a quote from a shop without hearing some overpriced bs, what should I tell them I need done? When I say front suspension rebuild they automatically assume springs, shocks, and the whole works. So apparently I need to be more specific. What sort of quotes should I be hearing?
If I end up being able to do it myself, what tools should I make sure I have before I start? Would it be cheaper to buy a press to fit the bushings or should I just take em somewhere to have em pressed in for me? My buddy was a mechanic for 10 years so I'll have his help on the project but he won't work on it unless we have a flat area. (My house's driveway is sloped, the garage is full of crap, and doing it out in front of the house is out of the question)
To get a quote from a shop without hearing some overpriced bs, what should I tell them I need done? When I say front suspension rebuild they automatically assume springs, shocks, and the whole works. So apparently I need to be more specific. What sort of quotes should I be hearing?
If I end up being able to do it myself, what tools should I make sure I have before I start? Would it be cheaper to buy a press to fit the bushings or should I just take em somewhere to have em pressed in for me? My buddy was a mechanic for 10 years so I'll have his help on the project but he won't work on it unless we have a flat area. (My house's driveway is sloped, the garage is full of crap, and doing it out in front of the house is out of the question)
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,727
Likes: 38
From: Fremont CA
You can remove the suspension parts and take the control arms to a local auto machine shop to have bushings exchanged. Get a "pickle fork" ball joint seperator, coil spring compressor and a torque wrench at Harbor Freight Salvage if you don't already own them, they aren't the greatest quality tools but, they are OK for limited use (you do have a shop manual don't you?). Your labor will certainly be cheaper than SD shop rates that must be in the $70-80 an hour range plus, you will learn somthing in the process. If you can't work on your Corvette yourself, it will be an expensive car to own!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 5,269
Likes: 54
From: Orlando Florida
St. Jude Donor '05
You really need a garage to do this, it's really annoying when it starts raining in the middle of the project and you're outside half way under the car....
I'd definately do it myself (again) - taking it apart is not that big of a deal, you'll need some tools like a ball joint separator and a spring compressor that you can rent at AutoZone. Once it's apart you want to clean and paint the spindle, control arms a.s.o.... pressing the new bushings in is a lot less painful if you have a shop do it for you.
If a shop charges $80 per hour then $800 sounds reasonable for this job if you provide the parts... it is a lot of work, not too difficult if you have some good books but time consuming.
I'd definately do it myself (again) - taking it apart is not that big of a deal, you'll need some tools like a ball joint separator and a spring compressor that you can rent at AutoZone. Once it's apart you want to clean and paint the spindle, control arms a.s.o.... pressing the new bushings in is a lot less painful if you have a shop do it for you.
If a shop charges $80 per hour then $800 sounds reasonable for this job if you provide the parts... it is a lot of work, not too difficult if you have some good books but time consuming.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,377
Likes: 6,377
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Originally Posted by Kalway
However in the mean time I'm curious what it'd cost to have a shop do it. Whenever I mention it they're all like $800 and want to take the whole suspension apart.
If you want to do the work yourself, I have a step-by-step paper on how to do it. Drop me an e-mail request for the Front End Rebuild paper to:
V8FastCars@msn.com
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 8,319
Likes: 7
From: Wilmington DE, Drive it like you stole it, 68 327 4 speed coupe
rebuild
Done this several times on serval vehicles.
the Pickle fork is an old gearhead term for ball joint seprator tool or tie rod end tool either pneumatic of manual. they come in different sizes for ball joints and tie rod ends , and you ll need to do both in a front suspension rebuild.
there are somethings its just easier to have a machine shop do i.e press in new upper an lower copntroll arm busings as well as the ball joint. You can do this your self with a manual press and plenty of muscle. also while doing this it is a good ideas to document the shim locations and number for the upper control arms to restore the factory aligment. Tie rod ends should also be replaced at this time, though you can probable keep the sleves, and weather or not you replace the idler arm and pitman arm is dependat on wear. this can easily be done in a weekend, garage or no but you need the right tools. I strongly reccomend you get a spring compressor. i have done it with out one and it not something i recomend for the faint of heart
Shoot me a line or two if you need some really detailed instructions or just want to chat
Tim
the Pickle fork is an old gearhead term for ball joint seprator tool or tie rod end tool either pneumatic of manual. they come in different sizes for ball joints and tie rod ends , and you ll need to do both in a front suspension rebuild.
there are somethings its just easier to have a machine shop do i.e press in new upper an lower copntroll arm busings as well as the ball joint. You can do this your self with a manual press and plenty of muscle. also while doing this it is a good ideas to document the shim locations and number for the upper control arms to restore the factory aligment. Tie rod ends should also be replaced at this time, though you can probable keep the sleves, and weather or not you replace the idler arm and pitman arm is dependat on wear. this can easily be done in a weekend, garage or no but you need the right tools. I strongly reccomend you get a spring compressor. i have done it with out one and it not something i recomend for the faint of heart
Shoot me a line or two if you need some really detailed instructions or just want to chat
Tim
Last edited by sweethence; Jan 9, 2006 at 04:59 PM.
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,257
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From: calgary alberta
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
I recently paid ~$72.00 to have all 8 bushing shells pressed into my control arms. You might want to wait until after the bushings are pressed in to paint the arms. I painted mine prior to taking them to the shop and there was a lot of damage to the paint from the pressing process.
Rick B.
Rick B.
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Brett Foote
Pro
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 642
Likes: 0
From: Baton Rouge LA
I just did a complete front rebuild on my '69 and it wasn't near as bad as I thought it would be. Everything came off fine and since the rubber were completely worn out (as in gone) an air hammer made quick work of getting the sleeve out. I just used a large bench vise for installing the bushings as no press was needed. I highly recommend getting the poly bushings since they went in fine for me and I've heard that the rubber ones are hell.
If you can't do this yourself then $800 sounds like a very fair price.
Good luck and you will love the results!!!
.
If you can't do this yourself then $800 sounds like a very fair price.
Good luck and you will love the results!!!
.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 4,071
Likes: 0
From: San Diego CA
Originally Posted by Paul @ Thunder
I just did a complete front rebuild on my '69 and it wasn't near as bad as I thought it would be. Everything came off fine and since the rubber were completely worn out (as in gone) an air hammer made quick work of getting the sleeve out. I just used a large bench vise for installing the bushings as no press was needed. I highly recommend getting the poly bushings since they went in fine for me and I've heard that the rubber ones are hell.
If you can't do this yourself then $800 sounds like a very fair price.
Good luck and you will love the results!!!
.
If you can't do this yourself then $800 sounds like a very fair price.
Good luck and you will love the results!!!
.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 8,319
Likes: 7
From: Wilmington DE, Drive it like you stole it, 68 327 4 speed coupe
slow down champ
The pickle fork is for separating the tie rod ends or the ball joints from the spindle. what the message above was refereing to is pressing out the old bushings from the upper and lower control arms and yes a compressor is a must it you dont want to spend all day. you can press them in yourself like i said earlier and if you should use a vice (not reccomended for a novice) make sure you go slow and even. Even better, there is also a tool you can pick up or maybe rent. White lithium grase or silicone lube on the bushings works just fine, and make sure you do inside as well as outside the bushings. They may sqeek a little the first time you drive after install , but that will go away.
drive fast take chances
tim
drive fast take chances
tim
Last edited by sweethence; Jan 10, 2006 at 06:08 PM.