i'm looking into getting the spring set and F&R sway bars. i asked my dealership for an installation estimate and i was quoted ~ $500. is this about right? sounds a little steep...any other reputable shops in king or pierce county that specializes in mazdas/suspension that i should contact?

 

At a dealership labor rate, that might be on the high side of right. The install requires removal and dissassembly of all 4 strut assemblies, although that should be easier at a dealer where they should have stands for doing such (I had to use a couple of screw-type spring compressors while sitting on my toolbox, which gets old in a hurry). Putting the sways on is cake, especially with a lift. I could see them estimating the job at somewhere between 4-7 hours (at somewhere between $85 and $120 per hour).

Don't forget that the knuckleheads in Olympia charge sales tax on labor up there (quite a shock for me when I was up in Seattle for work a couple years back....).

It's a pain in the *** to do, but if you know your way around a toolbox, it's not prohibitively difficult to do yourself - just make sure everything's torqued up properly when you're done.

 

I just finished installing my sways this past weekend by myself and it was definitely doable. I didn't get the springs, but if I do, I might consider getting them installed professionaly simply b/c I don't own a spring compressor. If I had a spring compressor, I'd try it myself. Note... I just got into cars, and I didn't know squat about them until a few months back (when I bought my 8). I am a computer science major -- so mechanics is pretty far from computers, and if I did it myself, then chances are so can you.

-jc

 

Just an FYI, spring compressors can rented or borrowed from auto parts stores. I rented a set from Shucks a few years back for something like $5 for the weekend when I replaced the shocks on my RX-7.

 

thanks for all the info. i've checked out the diy's on this forum, and some things i'd feel pretty comfortable doing. unfortunately, suspension is not one of those things. i'm basically trying to get a feel on how much i'd be spending, esp. since i just shelled out $2500 on wheels and tires.

~)(, i'm in the same boat as you as far as knowledge on the nuts and bolts behind auto's, so it's good to know that it can be done

 

Back to the second part of the question... Can anybody recommend someone up here that would do it for something a little more reasonable?

 

i read in another post that someone took their RB sways to midas and had it done for $100 in about 40 min. a friend of mine with an STi told me to take it to his shop (he's got sways, cat back, and up/down pipes installed at the same place). i'll have to get more info from him.

 

Sway bars are very easy to do and not complicated. Even a beginner should be able to do it in 2hrs. Springs are unfortunately much more difficult to do, $500 for sways and springs is a little high but not unreasonable. Not sure what their labor rate is but $75 / 500 = 6.5hrs, about how long it took me to remove and reinstall springs. They can probably do it faster than that but you don't pay for how fast they do it, you pay for how fast the "book" says it takes to do it, like it takes 3hrs to change an alternator on a Miata (I did it in 30 minutes and I am not even that mechanical).

 

hmmm, after going over expo's d.i.y. threads, it doesn't seem too intimidating, save for the front sway bar. thanks all for your input. now i just gotta convince the mrs. that it's necessary.