Am I getting ripped? EG Civic control arms

[BigGaz86]

Hello all, new here and great to be back in a Honda!

I have a 93 EG Civic VTi hatch. Just took it to the mechanics for the following quotes:

Front shocks very soft, recommend replacing
Sway bar link bushes worn
Lower control arm bushes worn
Rear lower trailing arm bushes worn.

I was quoted $1600. Am I getting ripped? Would like some input or suggestions of what others would do and if they can recommend me to anyone in Sydney.

Cheers.

[[SDCTVE]]

It sounds like you are if your getting quoted $1600 for a pair of shockers and a few bushes, I would definitely get a second opinion1 if you were in Melb I have a couple of mates who are mechanics but i dunno anyone in Sydney.

[mugen_ctr]

front shocks blown or leaking? soft doesnt cut it man, tell him to give u a proper report of it, if he cant, walk away, might be shit kickin you around.

but other wise, the cost should be closer to 1.2k, to be reasonable. Its the labor that kills it. Replacing bushes take time, as u need to pretty much strip the thing out than press it out. Keep asking around, you might be able to find a better price.

[BigGaz86]

Thanks for the input guys, I'll keep looking around and see what I can come up with.

[quangsuke]

walk away its a rip off. even if labour included. its cost 2k to replace ALL the car bushings at most mechanics.

definitely go to another place and bring someone that knows a thing or two about cars so they dont milk you.

[hmetro24]

I went once to serivice the car, the mechanic said u have to change shoes and trailing arm bushes. he quoted me 850$. I turn around and went home. i went and bougha new bushes and brake shoes for 130$ and couple of tools +- 200$. came back home ripped the hell out of the rear. changed bushes and brake shoes Bymyself,(took me sometime, first time always hard) . but i saved 650$. and from that time, I said my car will never ever go to a mechanic.

[dougie_504]

Sounds like a rip to me...

[jdm_b16a]

Front shocks very soft, recommend replacing
Sway bar link bushes worn
Lower control arm bushes worn
Rear lower trailing arm bushes worn.

I was quoted $1600. Am I getting ripped?

Cheers.

To purchase those bushes - sway bar links, LCA arm and rear LTA - costs about $35 from the US.

Putting them in using an hydraulic bench press (which most workshops will have) is about an hour's work.

Getting the parts off your car and back on is about another hour.

Front shocks - $50 a pair at the wreckers

Total $85 plus labour (say 3 hours @ $60 ph) = $265.

Peter

[TheSaint]

I went once to serivice the car, the mechanic said u have to change shoes and trailing arm bushes. he quoted me 850$. I turn around and went home. i went and bougha new bushes and brake shoes for 130$ and couple of tools +- 200$. came back home ripped the hell out of the rear. changed bushes and brake shoes Bymyself,(took me sometime, first time always hard) . but i saved 650$. and from that time, I said my car will never ever go to a mechanic.

+1 man - i started out doing this and havnt looked back since

even if you buy the parts and pay somebody else labor it should only be a couple of hundred dollars

as for shocks - you can get a set of four skunk2 sport shocks on ebay for under $500

[dougie_504]

DIY is great, and if I ever need to practice something that I don't want to screw up on my own car then I usually just go to Pick-A-Part and have a play there lol.

Fixing these issues will make the car handle better but none of them are exactly urgent or life-threatening IMO (depending on how you drive of course).

[BigGaz86]

At the moment its just a daily drive, do have plans for it but thats a while away yet. Really glad I posted this now, seems to me the guy is taking me for a ride. Cheers again for all the input, I'll hunt around for the parts and see if I can either have a crack myself or take it somewhere else.