Installing Eibach/Toytec springs

I bought my springs to level my truck out from the front end nosedive. I figured it would cost 10 or 20 for the local shop to install but they said 150?! And another shop said 260! So how hard are they to install on your own? I've done a few jobs with springs but not a lot. I already have the 5100s installed with stock springs, just switching springs.

 

You're not going to find anyone to do it for 10 bucks lol

 

Just had mine done for $80. I took them the old shocks with top plates and they put the new coils and shocks together. I was unhappy it cost that much. They charge $75/hour, but I know it didn't take that long. I have had them done for as low as $50 before at another shop.

 

Yeah it is a very stiff coil. So my buddy says we can do it in a couple hours. He's pretty good with Toyota suspension, he has the same lift kit. So I guess we'll see. I am a little pissed that it's gonna cost that much if I do have to call a shop.

 

Dammit.. I didn't expect that. I'm on a tight budget haha But I guess keeping my face attached is a little more important.

 

Yeah i could deal with 30 or 40 but i was told 150 and 260!! That's insane.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkVLBOnAifc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

Putting the shocks back on was easy with two people. A lot easier than I expected. We used a long pry bar on top of the bump stomp on LCA and the part of the frame right above the bump stop. Worked easy with one person prying and the other putting the bottom bolt in. Took maybe 10 minutes to do both sides this way. By doing it this way you dont need a bottle jack on the UCA.

It is worth the money to remove them as a whole and take to a shop to decompress and then compress the new coils on.

 

I found a shop to do it for 40-50 bucks, somehow. But thank goodness!!

 

i had the eibach installed for $90. i took the strut and coils to a tire shop and they still charge me that. some place wouldn't even do it. one shop told me that i'm not getting the lift from the springs, only the strut that give the lift. because of the 5100 are longer at the bottom, that will give the lift. i just ignore him and took off.

 

for the full install that sounds about right. labor and shop space is expensive

this, do this right here ^

What? The entire install? For 50 bucks? Or getting both of the struts compressed? Getting the struts compressed for 50 sounds right, but if they are going to do the entire install for 40-50 bucks i don't want to know what kind of back yard half ass shop that is.

the shop i took my struts too didn't even know what 5100s were when we were talking about lifts. Their only solutions were spacer lift, spacer lift, and spacer lift...

 

Yeah some of the mechanics now a days are just out for the buck and not worried about keeping business. It shows how much money they are out for. One will do it for 40 and one charges 260.. I mean really. How obvious does it get haha

 

no, it throws up red flags in my opinion. I don't know any GOOD reputable shops that will do an entire front suspension lift for 50 bucks...

 

Well the mechanic knows my dad so that doesn't hurt any. Plus we give him business. He's one of the remaining good ol boys that cares about people more than money.

 

I already have the billies on and installed. I am just simply swapping coil springs

 

hey, if you guys know and trust him, good score

it's still the same about of work as installing the billies...you still have to take out the entire strut and take the coil off of the strut and put a coil back on and put it all back in.

 

here in L.A. i took my truck to a small mom and pop tire/suspension shop in the hood (East L.A.)

once i got past the language barrier (1 out of the 5 guys working there spoke english), they got my spacer lift on and aligned within 90 minutes and charged me $40 for the install and $30 for the alignment...

that included them taking the shock assemblies off the truck too...

for that type of install, it's more labor than technical expertise, so you can always find a decent price at the small local shops, especially when you have cash in hand...

another good strategy is to hit up small shops that are surrounded by other small shops... with that tight of competition space, you can always find someone who will undercut everybody else...

 

Yeah there are still a few mom/pop good mechanics out there.

 

I have some Eibachs on the way, and my Billy's are already sitting in my garage. Once I have them seated at a shop, is there a right up or video giving step by steps of removing stock suspension and replacing it with the new shocks and springs? Also throwing on Icon progressive AAL

 

^It's pretty simple really. Just jack up the truck to full droop, remove the bottom shock bolt, remove the 3 top plate nuts and pull out the old coil/shock. Reverse to install. When you install your coilover, set it to a short height so you can fit it in easily. Once everything is installed, you can use your wrenches to set your ride height to what you want.

One more thing. You might want to spray some penetrating oil on your current hardware a day before if it's been in there for a long time.

Oh yeah... one more thing, you can rent a spring compressor for free at most auto parts stores so seating the springs yourself is easy too. Just FYI

Good luck!