Next time I decide to do a bunch of work on my car myself...

[JulesMaximus]

I spent a few hours today replacing the front struts and tie rod ends. The strut boots were falling apart and the car really has lost its relatively good road feel so I decided to replace the struts and strut boots since I had to do an alignment anyway after replacing the tie rod ends.

Anyway, I started on this project this morning but couldn't get the bolts that hold the struts to the wheel hub loose. Those fuckers were really on there tight! I had a 2' long 1/2" drive ratchet with a 19mm socket but I couldn't get enough leverage to break the left side bolts free. I couldn't even get it to loosen with an impact wrench (granted, it's a cheap one). I had to remove the brake caliper and brake disk to get the wrench in there and tug on it from below rather than push from above and I finally got it to loosen.

Getting the tie rod ends off wasn't difficult but I had to return one POS tool for another (which was the one I was originally going to buy until the fuck at NAPA talked me out of it).

Anyway, the dealer wanted $1500 to replace both tie rod ends and to replace all the strut boots (not even replacing the struts). I paid about $500 in parts plus another $100 in tools (I bought some impact sockets and 1/2" extensions along with the tie rod end removal tool) and $70 for an alignment. I had +.5 degrees of toe on each side after all the work was done, everything else was within spec.

So, I saved about $800 and I have new KYB GR2 struts front and rear (which I wouldn't have had if I had the stealership do the work).

I did the rear struts last weekend. Those were easy.

Actually, now that I think about it, this was a pretty good project to tackle on my own and well worth it. My wife thought I was nuts though as she saw the carnage in the garage, me drenched in sweat, with black hands, and half the parts that hold the front wheels on to the car strewn about the garage all day.

Car is all back together though and it drives like a dream again.

Edit-This was on my 2003 Nissan Maxima. Oh, and thanks to everyone who suggested places to buy Nissan parts online. I bought all the parts from Rock Auto and they were great. :beer:

 

[boomhower]

You need to find you a good mechanic. I have one and they are great and do work dirt cheap. One worked in a GM dealership for ten years and the other a Honda dealership for thirteen. I have taken my cars there and had work done for so cheap it isn't even funny. The price was fair, not the rip-off you are used to getting.

 

[Black88GTA]

I finished replacing the valve cover gaskets on my Subaru today. Sounds simple, right?

NEVER. AGAIN.

I don't know wtf they were thinking. An extra 1/8" - 1/4" clearance on the driver's side would have made all the difference between a tear-your-hair-out nightmare and a relatively simple (if messy) job.

 

[NutBucket]

Engine work on a Suby? Pull the motor dude!

Struts can be a bitch, but be happy you don't have rust to deal with Jules. I can easily do struts in a few hours now. The only time consuming part the last couple of times was due my using Koni inserts which require hacking the old struts apart.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: NutBucket
Engine work on a Suby? Pull the motor dude!

Struts can be a bitch, but be happy you don't have rust to deal with Jules. I can easily do struts in a few hours now. The only time consuming part the last couple of times was due my using Koni inserts which require hacking the old struts apart.

Which is why I'll never use Koni inserts. I had Koni yellows on a Mustang GT many years ago and I loved them but that's just way to much work IMO.

 

[NutBucket]

Well, for two cars I had 3 sets of inserts (the rears on my car weren't inserts). For 2 sets I bought an extra pair of used struts ($50 a set) and pre-assembled them. This worked out very well. So really I only had to hack up one pair the day of install. Plus, I now have extras if I need to send in the Konis for a rebuild. But, the results are well worth the effort as there aren't very many adjustable shock alternatives for either car (short of a fully adjustable coilover).

 

[Ronstang]

Tie rod removal tools ruin the tie rod boots at a minimum, sometimes the tie rod end. Use a big hammer to rap on the spindle eye a few times and the tie rod drops right out with no damage to either part. I have several tie rod removal tools but do not use them anymore.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Ronstang
Tie rod removal tools ruin the tie rod boots at a minimum, sometimes the tie rod end. Use a big hammer to rap on the spindle eye a few times and the tie rod drops right out with no damage to either part. I have several tie rod removal tools but do not use them anymore.

I was replacing the tie rod ends so I didn't care about the old boot or tie rod ends. They were going in the trash.

 

[KIAman]

I used to love working on my own cars all the time.

Now with wife, kids, home, I can't justify even doing my own oil changes because of lack of time. Besides, I get reminded constantly on what my "hour" of labor is worth.

 

[PricklyPete]

Originally posted by: KIAman
I used to love working on my own cars all the time.

Now with wife, kids, home, I can't justify even doing my own oil changes because of lack of time. Besides, I get reminded constantly on what my "hour" of labor is worth.

Yeah...time is the hardest to come by...although I look forward to doing this kind of stuff with my son or daughter when I have one and they are of age.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: PricklyPete

Originally posted by: KIAman
I used to love working on my own cars all the time.

Now with wife, kids, home, I can't justify even doing my own oil changes because of lack of time. Besides, I get reminded constantly on what my "hour" of labor is worth.

Yeah...time is the hardest to come by...although I look forward to doing this kind of stuff with my son or daughter when I have one and they are of age.

My son helped me with some of the work actually.

I won't do oil changes myself anymore. It is messy, you have to store the oil until you get some time to take it to a recycle center, and it just isn't worth the cost IMO. Oil changes are cheap, I'd rather pay someone else to do them.

 

[roguerower]

If there's one thing that I do regret now looking back (I'm 22 so not looking too far) it's that my dad and I never worked on a car together. We did tons of other shit together (fishing, pt, sports, etc) but never any automotive stuff and he was big into it when he was younger. Hopefully when I get out of school and have some space I can start learning. It's something that interests me and I could see it as being a very relaxing (at times) thing to do.

 

[thomsbrain]

I dropped a 350Z off its jack point so that the stand crushed the oil pan. Most expensive oil change EVAR.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: NutBucket
Engine work on a Suby? Pull the motor dude!

Struts can be a bitch, but be happy you don't have rust to deal with Jules. I can easily do struts in a few hours now. The only time consuming part the last couple of times was due my using Koni inserts which require hacking the old struts apart.

Yeah, Konis are fun...blah! Well worth it, though - drives like a dream now.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: JLee

Originally posted by: NutBucket
Engine work on a Suby? Pull the motor dude!

Struts can be a bitch, but be happy you don't have rust to deal with Jules. I can easily do struts in a few hours now. The only time consuming part the last couple of times was due my using Koni inserts which require hacking the old struts apart.

Yeah, Konis are fun...blah! Well worth it, though - drives like a dream now.

I had Koni Yellows on my '94 Mustang GT. That car was a lot of fun and stiff as a motherfucker when you set the struts to the hardest setting.

There's no way I'd put those on my Maxima though. I'm not interested in turning my family sedan into anything other than comfortable, reliable transportation. If I get the mod bug I'll spend it on my motorcycle or on buying another motorcycle...or a Lotus Elise.

 

[DVad3r]

Yup, I had the same experience a few months ago when I decided to install an EFI tuner on my bike + exhaust. I"m a pretty big mechanical noob but everyone on the bike forum said I could do it no problem. I did it...5 trips so the store for tools...1 trip to an exhaust shop to get some bent...3 days later.

I basically fuckin died in my garage, not to mention sweat like a pig. In the end though it felt pretty good. I have a great respect for people who are pro's and do this kinda stuff like it's nothing or without even thinking twice.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: DVad3r
Yup, I had the same experience a few months ago when I decided to install an EFI tuner on my bike + exhaust. I"m a pretty big mechanical noob but everyone on the bike forum said I could do it no problem. I did it...5 trips so the store for tools...1 trip to an exhaust shop to get some bent...3 days later.

I basically fuckin died in my garage, not to mention sweat like a pig. In the end though it felt pretty good. I have a great respect for people who are pro's and do this kinda stuff like it's nothing or without even thinking twice.

Well, in my defense it only took 2 trips to the parts store and a trip to Sears to have an alignment done after I finished all the work.

We won't go into the time I upgraded the forks on my motorcycle...my bike was hanging in the garage for 2 days. :laugh: I was able to finish it up with the help of a friend though.

 

[Ronstang]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Ronstang
Tie rod removal tools ruin the tie rod boots at a minimum, sometimes the tie rod end. Use a big hammer to rap on the spindle eye a few times and the tie rod drops right out with no damage to either part. I have several tie rod removal tools but do not use them anymore.

I was replacing the tie rod ends so I didn't care about the old boot or tie rod ends. They were going in the trash.

I understand, but you wasted the money on a tool you don't need in the first place. Now anyone reading this will know that and save the money.

 

[kevman]

I did my i35 in about 4 hours , breaker bar and clamshell springr compressor is the key.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: JLee

Originally posted by: NutBucket
Engine work on a Suby? Pull the motor dude!

Struts can be a bitch, but be happy you don't have rust to deal with Jules. I can easily do struts in a few hours now. The only time consuming part the last couple of times was due my using Koni inserts which require hacking the old struts apart.

Yeah, Konis are fun...blah! Well worth it, though - drives like a dream now.

I had Koni Yellows on my '94 Mustang GT. That car was a lot of fun and stiff as a motherfucker when you set the struts to the hardest setting.

There's no way I'd put those on my Maxima though. I'm not interested in turning my family sedan into anything other than comfortable, reliable transportation. If I get the mod bug I'll spend it on my motorcycle or on buying another motorcycle...or a Lotus Elise.

I have mine on the softest setting - haven't changed it at all. I have stock springs and stiff sway bars...it works great the way it is. When I start playing with autox, I might stiffen them up a little.