Pagoda SL Group

W113 Pagoda SL Group => Drive train, fuel, suspension, steering & brakes => Topic started by: lurtch on May 15, 2015, 00:22:58

Title: Front Suspension rebuild_OUCH !!
Post by: lurtch on May 15, 2015, 00:22:58
Hey all,

This invoice will be of interest to those of you who are realizing they need to do this big job. I think I got a fair deal, but please feel free to comment - - - .

We do not have these cars because they are cheap to own and operate, RIGHT?

Larry in CA

Title: Re: Front Suspension rebuild_OUCH !!
Post by: wjsvb ✝︎ on May 15, 2015, 02:51:43
Did I miss the charge for the center link and tie rod ends?  Shocks?  Jon
Title: Re: Front Suspension rebuild_OUCH !!
Post by: cabrioletturbo on May 15, 2015, 02:59:01
Yikes. With all that work, it better drive nice!



Hey all,

This invoice will be of interest to those of you who are realizing they need to do this big job. I think I got a fair deal, but please feel free to comment - - - .

We do not have these cars because they are cheap to own and operate, RIGHT?

Larry in CA


Title: Re: Front Suspension rebuild_OUCH !!
Post by: jpinet on May 15, 2015, 03:14:53
I'm not shocked at all by the total of this invoice. It cost me more than that just to purchase 6 pistons! I think  get a deal whenever I spend less that 100$ for a part, no matter what the part is? Everything is expensive on these cars, but then, so is the car itself!
Title: Re: Front Suspension rebuild_OUCH !!
Post by: Garry on May 15, 2015, 07:35:22
Larry

By Australian standards that is good value.  Bet it feels nice to drive now.

Garry
Title: Re: Front Suspension rebuild_OUCH !!
Post by: stickandrudderman on May 15, 2015, 10:06:44
That invoice is all over the place!
Ceramic pads?
Separate inner and outer bearings? They come in a kit which includes the seals @ £87.00 per side.
Genuine pads £22.50
Genuine discs £42.80 each
No charge for grease & sundries?
Lower king pin kit 162.00 each.

Wheel alignment @ $75.00 is cheap.
Balance 4 wheels @ $50 is about right.
Replace centre link should be 0.5 hours maybe 1.0 if there's any difficulty with seized taper joints.
Tie rods, during centre link replacement maybe 1.0 hour.
"Replace upper outer pins & bushings" 1.6 hours is probably not enough but why does that repair kit not feature on the parts element of the invoice?
Replace king pins. This is easily a four hour job per side, if not more but again no king pin set on invoice?
Replace front shocks. AT 0.8 hours is about right, maybe 1 hour. I take it you provided the shocks?
Replace steering damper should be max 0.3 hours.
Re-line front disc brakes & lube caliper slides. This is the strangest of all. Have they fitted new discs or not? They've invoiced you for them (rotors) and new ones certainly don't need "relining", whatever that is. As for lubricating caliper slides, that is just pure BS.
Replace front discs should be 2.4 hours and that includes adjusting the front wheel bearings. Replacing the wheel bearings at the same time would be an extra 0.5.
Bleed brakes & replace rear shocks is about right.

In short, it looks to me like the bill is probably considerably less than it should be but the competency (or in the worst case the integrity) of the garage is doubtful.

Title: Re: Front Suspension rebuild_OUCH !!
Post by: Raymond on May 16, 2015, 17:32:02
The price looks like a good value to me.  It'd cost you that to do Buick.  And, the work is laborious but it isn't a Swiss watch.  It doesn't take an exceptionally good craftsman to do that work.  The guy may be a great mechanic who doesn't excel at paperwork. 
Title: Re: Front Suspension rebuild_OUCH !!
Post by: badali on May 16, 2015, 21:12:11
Remember this, A finback 111 or 108 sedan involves the same work and they are not as valuable car at resale time.  I think it is a reasonable price compared to the value of the car as long as it was done correctly.
Title: Re: Front Suspension rebuild_OUCH !!
Post by: stickandrudderman on May 17, 2015, 10:02:05
The value of the car should have absolutely no bearing on the invoice except that customer's instructions are likely to differ.