Hey guys, I am in the process of restoring a VR V8 Ute to its standard height and currently accumulating parts needed. The Ute will be taken to the mechanic for wheel alignment and balancing plus swapping springs and bearings. I was quoted $350 for labor alone from a "reputable" company. First off, does that price sound about right? Second question - What parts will I need / should i have replaced in the process. On order is 4x King Springs and 2x Front Bearings. I am mainly looking for things that perish over time and parts that will have to come out in the process of replacing springs (in the hope that adding the new parts to get swapped at the same time will not affect labor costs). A rough price would be handy for suggested items but not essential. I want to get as many parts as possible so I do not get stung with what the mechanic charges for parts. Thanks in advance guys.
Wheel bearings are unnecessary to replace but a good idea just the same, you will probably need new shocks as if std shocks were left in the lowered springs most likely have stuffed them, and if lowered shocks are fitted you will need a pair of std again. $350 seems pretty reasonable to me but im from a heavy vehicle background were labour is $100 + an hour. Also its a good idea to replace the strut top assembly as lowered springs can put excessive pressure on them and just flog them out, bump stops and shock boots if the new shocks dont come with them.
Cheers for the info mate. I am clueless with suspension etc as you can probably tell. In short i should get: strut top assembly (is this the strut top mounts alone or is their more to it?) Wheel bearings (maybe) Bump Stops Shock boots Shocks (if they are shagged) How do you tell if the shocks are standard or lowered? I had a look underneath and could only see monroe GT Gas. I am presuming they are standard as the previous owner liked to cut corners! Thanks again mate
while its apart i would replace the front sway bar links and bushes with nolathane ones the factory holden ones are rubbish.
The top strut mount also has a plastic strut bearing which sits under the top strut mount.In the link below,theres new genuine holden top mounts and bearings for $90.These are the same ones I bought when I replaced my struts a few weeks ago. ---COMMODORE VR VS VT VX VY VZ STRUT TOP MOUNTS & BEARINGS | eBay---
I think the OP indicated he already has the bearings and another member misinterpreted that to mean wheel bearings. A VR is old now, the shocks will be buggered if they haven't been replaced in the last 80,000 or so k's. They should definitely be replaced all round. At the rear, look at the spring insulators which sit between the spring top and the chassis. They could be pretty tired too. The top strut mountings on the VR would be very tired and should definitely be replaced, as well as the upper bearings. The centre sleeve can punch out in a tired mount and the top of the strut will put a nice big neat dent in your bonnet when it goes. Wheel bearings should be ok as they are a sealed unit and last a very long time normally. (Mine had over 330k on them and were still fine when I sold my VR). Front bump stops are usually included with the strut kit as they are an internal stop that sits on the top of the strut shaft inside the spring. Rear bump stops will be ok and shouldn't need replacing unless they were shortened by the previous owner when the ute was lowered. Rear panhard rod bushes are a must. Use Nolathane replacements. If you really want the suspension to work effectively and the way it should, all rubber bushes in the front and rear suspension should be replaced. They are not expensive but will require a few tools to remove and replace. If you can't afford to replace them all, definitely replace the upper control arm bushes as they clap out easily and lead to a very sloppy and noisy rear suspension. Replacing all the bushes is reasonably time consuming. I don't have a clue about labour costs as I do all my own work. I made up the tools and replaced all the bushes in my VR at home.
Cheers for all the info guys! Very comprehensive! Looks like a have a few things to add to the shopping list
Just unleashed the tape measure and she sits 7cm off the ground at its lowest point. Would you expect this to be SSL or otherwise? Too damn low that is for sure!
