Eight Hours to install Eibachs?

**DeHaldaswerth** · 02-11-2002, 20:54

A dealer quoted me 6 hours to install Eibachs and two hours to align for a total of $640. Is this reasonable? Is this a project I can take on myself with normal tools and a lot of patience? (excluding the alignment, of course)

**2slow2speed** · 02-11-2002, 21:21

From your profile it seems like you are in
Arizona, why not just go to Mark Basch at
Basch Acura Service? (602) 244-8010.

His shop specializes in NSXs, why trust anyone else?

BTW: I have been quoted $320.00 to $640.00 to install a coilover kit in the Bay Area. Service here is kind of expensive, $85.00 an hour in labor.

According to the Comptech site it takes about
4 hours to install the springs.. Not 6 as your dealer quoted...

Good Luck!

**CDub** · 02-11-2002, 22:35

I paid $100 for the installation and it took a little over 2 hours. Then I paid $90 for the alignment. I think it was pretty reasonable. The shop is in Gardena, CA. and the alignment place is in Huntington Beach.

[This message has been edited by CDube (edited 12 February 2002).]

**gobble** · 02-12-2002, 07:19

I did that job myself (except the alignment) and it only took six hours. I had never put springs on a car in my life before. That sounds like a lot of time for someone who does this for a living.

**ilya** · 02-12-2002, 09:15

I had it done at NSX Modified. It took no more than a couple hours of actual work and it cost me $150 ($75/hour).
I don't think they are ripping you off. It's just that dealers who do not do this often are slow and it may very well take them this long.
When you have a pro, it should only take a couple hours and they will only charge you for the hours worked... not book time. It could save you a lot of money.

**Lud** · 02-12-2002, 09:59

6 hours very is high for a real-world job where you just stand on the rotor to give the shock assembly room to slide out. Someone who knows what they are doing can do it in more like 2 hours.

However, if you do it by the book and start pulling the suspension apart it's probably reasonable. The only problem is if they know what they are doing, there is no reason to go by the book to swap springs.

**Poloman** · 02-12-2002, 11:13

Try it yourself! My brother and I did my springs in just under 5 hrs. Moreover, we had a blast talking about the different components on my X. Make sure you have someone around to help you.

Good Luck!!!

**grippgoat** · 02-12-2002, 12:17

If you do it yourself, you can rent a strut-style spring compressor from your local auto-parts store for $10 or less. Also, I'd highly recommend a 5mm (I think, might be 6mm) allen socket to make removing the swaybar endlinks much, much less of a pain in the butt.

-Mike

**DeHaldaswerth** · 02-12-2002, 13:31

I think I will do it myself. Is there a good "real world" procedure that I can use as a resource (i.e. a do it yourself description of the spring removal process)here on NSXPrime? I am especially interested in hints or tips similar to what Lud mentioned about standing on the rotors, as well as torque specs for the various fasteners I will be working with.

**NSX 3.0** · 02-12-2002, 13:54

I paid just over $400 for my Eibachs and Konis installed with an alignment from a Acura Dealership.

Steven 91 Blk/Ivory

**nsxtasy** · 02-12-2002, 14:04

Originally posted by DeHaldaswerth:
Is there a good "real world" procedure that I can use as a resource (i.e. a do it yourself description of the spring removal process)here on NSXPrime?

Yes. Lud has cleverly hidden this section by giving it the obscure title "Shocks and Springs" and placing it in the "Do It Yourself" part of the FAQ, where no one would ever think of looking for it.

**ilya** · 02-12-2002, 15:17

Ken has the unique talent of conveying sarcasm through text. It's usually difficult to do it well, but he has a lot of practice.

**DeHaldaswerth** · 02-12-2002, 16:02

Perhaps I am blind -- I couldn't find the information before I posted the inquiry, and I can't find it now under the do it yourself category. Help?

**ilya** · 02-12-2002, 16:42

You're right. I'm not sure where it went on the DIY page either. Follow this link to the page:
http://www.nsxprime.com/FAQ/DIY/shocks.htm

**DeHaldaswerth** · 02-12-2002, 16:48

Ilya -- You are a true gentleman and typical of the reason that this is a great forum

Thanks for your courteous response.

**ilya** · 02-12-2002, 17:04

Good Luck. I've seen it done and it requires some old-fashioned muscle and manual labor.
Make sure you have an extra pair of hands to keep from getting hurt. Some parts are tricky if you haven't done it before.

**nsxtasy** · 02-12-2002, 17:14

Hey guys, my humble apologies. I always go into the FAQ from the table of contents page (http://www.nsxprime.com/toc.htm). Usually that matches all the sections if you go in from the FAQ on the menu bar (from the top of each NSXprime page) and then click on the heading (e.g. Do It Yourself). For some reason, the "shocks and springs" section shows up in the table of contents but not from the "Do It Yourself" heading directly. So this explains why it was showing up for me, but not showing up for you. Please excuse my attempt at humor, as you can understand why I thought it would be easy to find.

**nsxtasy** · 02-12-2002, 17:16

P.S. You still might want to at least call Mark Basch and ask him how long it would take him to install them. I'm sure he's done this dozens of times and can tell you over the phone exactly how long he can do it in.

**Andrie Hartanto** · 02-12-2002, 17:48

Originally posted by 2slow2speed:
From your profile it seems like you are in
Arizona, why not just go to Mark Basch at
Basch Acura Service? (602) 244-8010.

His shop specializes in NSXs, why trust anyone else?

BTW: I have been quoted $320.00 to $640.00 to install a coilover kit in the Bay Area. Service here is kind of expensive, $85.00 an hour in labor.

According to the Comptech site it takes about
4 hours to install the springs.. Not 6 as your dealer quoted...

Good Luck!

Where in bay area do they charge that much to install the kit on the NSX. Don at Hilltop Auto service charges $200 to do them. And $80 for alignment.

**sjs** · 02-12-2002, 17:51

Originally posted by ilya:
... I don't think they are ripping you off. ...

I do. No other way to read it whatever their reasoning, or lack thereof. They are, after all, supposed to be professionals, no?.

**nsxtasy** · 02-12-2002, 17:55

Originally posted by sjs:
I do. No other way to read it whatever their reasoning, or lack thereof.

A dealer that has never done this before may be ultraconservative in providing a cost estimate if they are inexperienced at performing this particular service. I don't consider that ripping you off (unless it turns out that it actually takes two hours and they still charge you for six). (However, this is why I try not to have my NSX worked on by places that lack sufficient experience.)

**Lud** · 02-13-2002, 07:34

Trying to do it alone could be a real experiment in inventing new curse words, as you can sort of guess by reading the DIY instructions in the FAQ. The way to go is have a large (200+ lbs) friend come over to drink beer and step on the rotors for you or through strategic use of big pry bars.

The rears are easier to stand on than the fronts since they don't want to spin. For the fronts, it's easier to either have them step on the lugs than the rotor itself since they can sort of balance across the lugs or have yet another person (or a piece of wood) pressing the brake pedal while your buddy is standing on the front rotors so they won't spin.

Other than that, just go slow, take your time, and do one corner at a time start to finish so you always have a properly-assembled one on the other side of the car as a reference.

My ~2 hour estimate is for someone who (1) knows what they are doing and has done this job before and (2) has air tools and a bench spring compressor. Your first time without all the air tools or the big spring compressor will easily take 4 hrs or more.

**DeHaldaswerth** · 02-13-2002, 07:39

BTW, I know Mark at Basch Acura, and would certainly trust him to do the spring install, or any other work for that matter. This is just one of those situations where I want to do try the work myself. The quote from the dealer came while I was having the warranty work done on my window, and it just didn't sound right, which, in turn, motivated my original post.

**beckertb** · 02-13-2002, 08:19

I, too, accomplished installing my Eibachs with simple hand tools and patience. It took me nearly 4 hours. I had to borrow a spring compressor from a local auto parts store. Overall, with the exception of a few skinned metacarpals, a rewarding experience. Certainly can be considered a DIY job if I can do it.

**grippgoat** · 02-13-2002, 11:56

Just a clarification. I think the allen socket you'll need for the swaybar endlinks is 6mm, not 5mm, as I just found the 5mm allen socket I had bought sitting in my bedroom still attached to the plastic store display hanger (as opposed to floating around on the 3/8" drive ratchet I had bought specifically for the task).

-Mike

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