$900 in suspension labor + cv axle replacement

I bought a lifted truck about a month ago. I wanted to make the following suspension changes:

Remove front 3/4" spacers
Set the Bilstein 5100s from .85" to 0"
Replace cv axles
Alignment

I already have the cv axles. Called a shop that quoted me at $150/hr for labor and he guessed this would take 6hrs, so $900. Is this reasonable? Having a hard time finding a shop that will do this work

I'd do this myself but I'm new to vehicle work and this seems a little too ambitious. I'd be fine removing the spacers and coilovers, but compressing the springs and replacing the cv axles is beyond what I'm comfortable doing.

I was also suggested to remove spacers and coilovers on my own, take the coilovers to a shop for them to compress the spring and adjust the 5100s, then reinstall the coilover myself, and have a shop do the cv axles + alignment. I like this idea, but I'd need quite a few more tools, and 2-3 days to do the work and be without a vehicle, which isn't practical for me.

I'll pay the $900, just want to make sure that sounds reasonable for the work I need done, or if I should shop around a bit. Thanks in advanced

 

I just had my front drivers side cv replaces and payed 85$ total, took the guy about an hour.

 

If you were in socal i wouldve offered my hands to wrench on it haha.

 

Thanks, that gives a better idea. So replacing both cv axles should be under $200, and that is definitely the hardest part of this.

 

Sounds pretty high to me, does this shop specialize in off-road vehicles, if not I’d look for one. I would at the very least get another quote from a different shop.

 

If its that high - the stealership is $140 an hour!!

 

That shop are trying to screw you over. No friggen way

 

Why don't you check the regional forums here, see if anybody might help you out putting it in or just do the whole complete install for much much much less

 

$150 an hour is pretty crazy high. 6 hours is pretty crazy high, but I used to write estimates, and at least I understand where they're coming from there, if they're not sure what's involved, there's no 'book' on unfawking janky suspension mods.

I'd submit, though, that if you're comfortable doing the shocks, there's not a *ton* more involved in doing a CV axle. Just going slow and making sure you don't have the spindle tugging on the ABS sensor harness or brake hose while getting the spindle out of the way to get the axle out & back in.

You'd also have a bit more reason to check your alignment cams beforehand to make sure they'll move, and if so, I'd be marking them to reinstall, then taking them out and putting plenty of anti-seize on them. You're changing stuff and getting an alignment anyway, might as well, if you can... and if they're already screwed you can get OE parts in hand, they're a lot nicer than the aftermarket ones most places would be getting you. Also helps keep someone dishonest from trying to pad the bill saying they were seized up... you'd need big brass balls to lie about that shit when they're all lubed up.

I'd definitely farm out the spring compression though... I've done a lot of struts with normal spring compressors before, and rarely been uncomfortable. Doing a set of these, especially preloaded, or heavier springs... sometimes I'm cringing a little even with a wall-mount compressor. Matter of fact, doing the ones on my 1st gen is how I finally got around to installing said wall-mount... I was trying to do them in the vise with normal ones, and was all like "nope, nope, nope, not doin' this."

 

Like the others, it’s not reasonable.

Do some more digging here, read up on anything you want do do. You’ll find a ton of good and valid information.

Don’t let short-term ownership be an excuse for shelling out $$ unnecessarily.

Alternatively, if you want to give away $900, come over to my place this Saturday. I’ll get it done!

 

Seems high, I'd aim for $600-ish, but not sure if you'll find that. If you are rusty then all bets are off as shops have to protect themselves for both hours and the inevitable broken/siezed parts.

Here is my thoughts by item.

Remove front 3/4" spacers - call it 2 hours total to remove and re-install your assembled 5100's....$200.
Set the Bilstein 5100s from .85" to 0" - definitely hire someone with a full size spring compressor, I paid my local shop $65 each....$130.
Replace cv axles - A fast person can do both in an hour, they will probably charge you 2 hours....$200
Alignment....$90

For a total hands-off cost of $620-ish.

Aside from the spring compression and alignment I did the rest of my work in my driveway. So that makes it $220 + Food/Beer for a local Tacoma person to help you.

 

You're not far off line-by-line, but there's a LOT of redundant labor in there. By the time you take the shocks out to remove the spacers, they're already out to toss on the spring compressor. Since you're popping the upper ball joints to get the shocks out, you already did a good bit of the work to get the axles out.

If I were writing it up, I'd do book time for the CVs, add maybe an hour for the shock work (you can do that in a wall mount in like 10 minutes per...) and then whatever for the alignment. Just winging it without looking it up, 4 hours or so?

Then again, I also know what I'm getting into there... the average service writer doesn't, even on a stock vehicle much less mentioning screwing with lift stuff. There's also the possibility that OP's shop has no interest in opening that can of worms, and he got the "I'm either gonna scare him out the door, or make this worth our while" price.

 

They are ripping you off,it takes about 3-4 hours max.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/adjusting-bilsteins-while-on-the-truck.389592/

Save yourself some money before you go in.

 

I’m in castle rock if you’re still looking for a hand. I’ll work a hell of a lot cheaper than 900 bucks

 

If i didn't already know how to do this stuff, for $900, I'd learn. I got a buddy with a shop up in evergreen area that will most certainly beat that price. You are looking at 4 hours of work max by someone who knows what they are doing. I'd say you can do it your self learning as you go and be done in day.

 

I'm a casual do-it-yourself enthusiast and yesterday I completed the following in 3.5 hours:
1. replace passenger CV including installing new seals on CV (1 hour)
2. remove passenger strut (TRD OEM), install Bilstein 5100 using "no compressor" method (20 minutes)
3. Remove driver side strut (TRD OEM, install Bilstein 5100 using "no compressor" method (45 minutes)
4. Forget to put one bolt back in the lower spindle, almost have wheel come off in driveway (1 hour fix )

so that's a total of about 2.5 hours not counting my stupid mistake. All done with jackstands on my driveway. Maybe 3.5-4 hours max for a professional with a lift, including time for the second axle.

 

Suspension is so simple that Plank from Ed, Edd, and Eddy could do it

 

You had/have 3/4" spacers and 5100's on the highest setting? And OEM UCA's? I had no spacers on the highest setting on 5100's and my alignment shop said that there was virtually no wiggle room at that height. I have 17-inch wheels; so, 16-inchers might have more wiggle room.

You can break this down into two parts: the axles can done in one job, and the other stuff in another. Do the axles last; if you have any vibrations now, they may disappear when you lower it, and may not need to replace the CV's. You don't want to consider some OME 88X's? I just installed 885's with zero setting on the 5100's and a 1/4" spacer on drivers-side to compensate for the Taco lean. The height is virtually the same as before when I had the 5100's on the highest setting with OEM springs, but the ride is better and I restored some lost suspension travel.

 

Plank is overqualified. More of a billy job