Bad News For Me!!!

[johnno010684]

Hi peoples, i took my VX Clubby to pedders today for a 28 point steering and suspension safety check, because i have a knocking sound coming from the front left so i thought why not seeing as the car has just clicked 200k. So here goes for the list of faults: front shocks failed=$329ea, Strut mounting plate LH separated, RH soft/ collapsing=$98+$70 for bearings, lower control arm inner bushes split and separated=$295 radius rod bushes$223, radius bush?$49, steering gear leaking into boots RH rackend heavily worn$605, power steering pump leaking$435, front rotors glazed/surface cracks/heavily lipped $274, bendix heavy duty brake pads=$123, rear shocks very soft no control$406, x member mounts split/collapsed. urethane diff mount insert$153, cross member bush$279, rear rotors undersize$178, rear pads$123. thats it!!!!! all of those prices are including labour but the guy suggested i do most of it myself to save $$. all up price $3984.40
What do you guys reckon? is it worth spending a bit to replace these bits or trade the beast in for a ve ss?

[johnno010684]

Oh i forgot to mention i just purchased a cam package from comp cams worth $1200, will the cam still fit in a ls2?

[calais24/7]

Try pressing enter after each item lol, and imo don't listen to everything they tell you. Especially pedders, in MY expirence

[GEN3RATD]

wow. get a second opinion.

[edals]

I Think they are taking you for a ride mate, thats a lot to be wrong all at once. I would take it to a HSV/Holden dealer and see if they come back with the same results !

[Boonz]

thats what pedders write for a 1 year old car with 20,000 k's on it... but alot of that stuff you can do yourself, pedders parts are usually a fair bit overpriced compared to its competitors equivalents, best to hunt around first and see what you can find

[TI3VOM]

Johnno Pedders can go and #### themselves (this is my opinion)
They quoted me $2500+ to fix my suspension, I took my car to JAX and they charged me $370 to fix what was really wrong with my suspension!
Take it to at least two other places to get a second and third opinion.

[accentstencil]

Pedders are known for exagerrating repairs needed.

[johnno010684]

yeah i agree, however i know some of those things are stuffed like the steering rack and power steering pump, i might try and do a little bit at a time. a reco rack is about 2-300 off ebay so there 600 is way to much. The rotor's and pads im pretty sure i can get cheaper too. sorry about listing it all like that bit of a big f*&^%n rant haha.

[Mick1988]

Pretty much all of those bushings you can replace yourself with Nolethane ones will cost you heaps less than they quoted. For the things you can't fit yourself take it to a suspension shop (not pedders) and give them the nolethane parts so they only charge you for labour. Car will be worth more with every bushing replaced with Noltehane throughout

[1HOTVT]

Pedders quoted me $864 for some work and then they said a couple of extra bushes needed replacing and quoted me $1550 almost double the original quote and said it would be perfect when they are finished with her.I reluctantly agreed to the new price and gave them the go ahead and when I picked her up it cost me all up $2100 and they still can't get the tires from scrubbing out.
Needles to say store manager took a runner when I got there at 4.30 to pick up the car.


Pedders will never see my business again and I will rubbish them every chance I get.
They did say that for another $880 they could fix the rear camber problem.

I left them with an immaculately clean car and got back a greasy oil hand printed car with oil on the carpets and oil smudges on the leather seats

$2100 gets you a rear sway bar and link.
Front sway bar and strut tower.
A tad over $700 labour.
And of course the 4 new bushes and a $110 4 wheel alignment that is worse than when I dropped it off.

Pedders NO BULL what a joke

Have all the receipts if anyone doubts my story.
Oh yeah forgot to mention they had my car for 2 days.
Said they were busy could I leave it an extra day.I left it wednesday night at 5pm and got it back at Friday 5pm.

[ClairBear]

Those safety checks are a con. I have yet to find someone who had one and came away with nothing wrong.

A favourite old trick (I say old because I am not sure it still happens, this was back in the 90's) was to offer a free brake/safety inspection. Then they would tell you that your car was not roadworthy and they would refuse to give back your keys until you had the repairs done. This wasn't Peddars by the way. Happened to me and a number of friends over time. If you threatened to call the Police they generally backed down.

But OP, please get a second opinion on the repairs, preferably an RAA (or your state similar) approved repairer.

[johnno010684]

ok thanks for your help guys, you have made me see the light on a dark situation! i guess i will do a couple of things at a time then, for starters is it best to get rubber, urethane or nolathane strut mounts?

[1HOTVT]

Pedders used the urethane bushes on mine.
To be honest I never checked them after they did the work but thats what they said they used.

Urethane bushes have a high capacity to bear tension, compression and friction and retain their hardness, even under the most adverse conditions.

[VYMAD]

OP, I would get a second opinion as has been stated above. With 200k on the clock, a lot of the mentioned components may well be stuffed, but I'd get a second for sure.
And over $400 for rear shocks? They gotta be gold plated. That's the one that sticks in my mind out of the endless list they gave you.
By the sound of other posts here, go some place else!

[vxcommie]

my local mechanic can fit 2 pedders sports ryders rear shocks for $300! i would not go near pedders, do eveything you can and everthing you cant take to your local mechanic.

[monkeys437]

The only time Ive been to peddars they were great. Left a lazy grand behind (shocks strut tops and various bushes) but it felt like a different car to drive when I got it back.

Previously I had paid 3 different places to align the rear end (camber kit) and all of them took my money and gave me back a car with uneven camber on the left and right side and gave me a lame-ass reason why you can never get it perfect.

[wortus]

When I bought a VN in 1998 it was 8 years old with 170,000km and after the dealer refused to replace the stuffed shocks I took it to Pedders for one of their inspections because I knew they were and wanted proof. I got a whole list of other things that they said were no good. Shocks were replaced and 8 years and 150,000km later it went back to another Pedders for a front wheel alignment and I was told all the same things were stuffed (except the shocks). What I found ammusing was their posters stating these safety checks only identify parts that would likely fail within a short period of time. I'd hardly call 8 years a short period of time and IMO mos of those parts were roadworthy. Also the car had passed a pink slip the mornng they tried to tell me it was unsafe to use.
Another story I was told was someone took their car to a Pedders that had recently changed hands for an inspection, they were told the shocks were stuffed so said go ahead replace them and when presented with the bill produced a receipt from the same outlet for shocks that were still under warranty so said thanks for the new shocks but I don't have to pay!
What you have also got to realise is that just because a few rubber bushes have some minor cracks on the outside ie rear trailing arm bushes this in no way means the bush is stuffed as they will try to tell you.

[azkwazere]

Wow, those prices are rediculas! hahah

You could cut that in half so easily!
honestly though, if you havnt done much maintenance on the car then those parts are likely to be worn at 200,000.

You can visually inspect all the parts they've listed there and make your own assessment but id say they arn't far off the mark. Its just the prices of the parts which i think they are taking you for a drive on.

$329 each for front shocks? hahah gold.

aZk.

[QldKev]

Have a good look at the list
Things like rotors, do they feel bad? If so
DBA Disc Rotor - DBA040 - Supercheap Auto Australia $85 each - you just saved $100.

Power steering pump leaking, many do seep a bit. Is it leaking bad that you need to top it up all the time, is it dripping. If not, you just saved $435.

front and rear shocks, check if they actually need doing, is the car bouncing when rocked?, hunt around you can find full Gabriel packs front and rear for $360. 658 + 406 - 360 you just saved $700


Check what actually needs doing, don't take their word for it. Then get the parts and do what you can yourself.

[acarmody]

Or GSLRallySport do RDAs for about $45 each, more saved.

[Calaber]

Just steer clear of Pedders - full stop. They have listed so many things wrong with your car, it's a wonder you can still drive it. All suspension and brake components wear, but they don't all wear out together and 200k is only average distance for a VX. Some of those things probably are in need of replacement but go to another specialist or mechanic if you don't know how to fix it yourself. Just don't get Pedders to do it.

[Mirkz]

Pedders are expensive.
I was quoted about 2k for some work on my car. I've since fitted new shocks & springs all round, but still have some work to go.
Got a bunch of bushes etc that need replacing. Not sure if I can do them myself etc or not... but yeah... probably give it a look before giving it to a suspension shop.

The shocks and springs and links I did myself with my bro and just took it to a suspension place for an alignment and they tightened everything up... only cost me $55 or something small.
She was gold for a while, but yeah, the other bushes are farked :P

[GothicKidd]

Different states, different mechanics, different locations.. When I first bought my car I had my car checked over once by 1 place they mentioned bout the springs, pedders mentioned bout bushes and springs and got them replaced... since them.. Ive had 3 different mechanics go over my car.. Only 1 place has mentioned bout the shockers should be shortened to suit lowered springs.. part from that..
Where I took my car to pedders.. I think they done a good job

Id trust a mechanic over myself to do work on my car.. but thats my opinion.. but if you think you capable of doing those things.. do it

[c2105026]

Get a second opinion. I (or my old man at least, poor uni student me...) paid $1000 for a new set of shocks/struts. On a VB. At the local pedders. We were quoted $750 but they discovered a few more parts needing doing.