Hi all, i have recently bought some new shocks and springs to replace the bilsteins on my mk1. I asked a friend of mine if he would do it for cash and he said he would for £225. When i questioned this he told me that there garage database suggested it would take 6hrs. Having read posts and seen video clips this seemed like an awful long time for someone who did this stuff for a living. So i guess my question is does anyone know of anywhere in the south wiltshire area where i might be able to take it and who would possibly be open to the suggestion of cash in hand. Any info would be gratefully recieved, Thanks.
4 hours maybe if he has a lift, and nothing goes wrong, like the rear wishbone captive nuts. The 6 hours is probably correct. The problem with the videos is that they generally show someone with a well rehearsed process, and often they don’t follow the official instructions. For instance, a couple of months ago, I spent a couple of days swapping over different sets of shocks and springs into my car. I discovered, for me, the fastest way to remove the front shocks was the so-called long bolt method (remove lower shock bolt, remove droplink, loosen ARB mounts, drop the engine tray, remove the upper wishbone long bolt, kick down on the lower wishbone (if necessary), undo top mounts, remove shock unit with ease). I’m pretty sure you won’t find that method in any Mazda service book. But by the time of the 5th install, I timed it (nicely cleaned bolts). Removal took me 9 minutes. Does that mean a mechanic will take 20 minutes a corner to pull and replace shocks/springs? Of course not. There are operations to remove the old unit. Then the mechanic has to assemble the new unit. Then refit.
Generally, MX5 specialists seem to charge £40-80 a corner, which seems to be about an hours labour per corner, depending on where you are in the country. The specialists probably have their own shortcuts that a generalist garage, working from the databook, won’t have.
Why not have a go at fitting the shocks yourself? Get your friend to give you a hand/advice, because thats what friends do.
Hi
I’m with AT on this. If you have any interest in doing it yourself, and some spare time, read on. Otherwise, sorry to waste your time.
As a way of encouragement, I did all mine myself with the aid of this book http://www.amazon.com/Mazda-MX-5-Miata-Eunos-renovation/dp/1844252434.
There are other methods and no doubt others may suggest different approaches.
Additionally, I have had the suspension down three times in 18 months to do different jobs. Once to replace all four rubber boots at the top of the shock absorbers, front ones again to replace ones that split within 6 months, once to replace the bushes at the ends of my Bilstein shocks.
If you have any mechanical skills at all it is really quite easy. I can’t give you a time it will take. I set aside two weekends. One for the rear, one for the front. Start with the rear. Maybe have a friend to help with the front. The first time I got my wife out! Thereafter no need.
If your springs are already on the new dampers you will not need spring compressors. Otherwise you can hire them!
It’s an old car so before deciding WD40 and clean all the nuts and bolts and make sure you are happy that you are going to be able separate the components. Back to video to check!
Good luck if you decide to have a go.
MikeC
I had the Rodders manual for the MX-5 and I used that to replace my rear shocks, including the various short-cut tips such as removing the hub upper bolt to get the shock assembly out. To be fair the first one took me 4 hours as I went through a pretty steep learning curve. (For example, the top nut was very tight and it proved impossible to free up with the shock assembly out of the car so I had to refit the shock back into the car - top mount only of course - so I could get the leverage to crack it. I also had to grind off a siezed link bolt.) The good news is that the second one was done all in for less than an hour spent.
If you have the time and the patience, do it yourself and save the £225. You’ll certainly feel a real sense of achievement afterwards. But if you are going to do so I strongly recommend the Rodders manual.
Hi chaps, thanks for the replies. I would love to have a crack at it myself but unfortunately flat renovations are taking priority and my MOT is due and one of the rear shocks is leaking. I might see if i can persuade my friend to show me how to do it if I offer some assistance.
Thanks again,
Justin