Replacing shocks

[dak911]

How many hours and how hard to replace the 4 shocks?
My indie wants 5 hours = $500...seems a lot of time and $$
Rears look relatively easy, fronts need a spring compressor?
tns Daniel

[brad bedell]

Roadster? If so, that seems high. Maybe they thought the rears are stuts also? I'd shop around if I were you. I can do all 4 at home with a crappy spring compressor and air tools in about 1.5 hours. Based on that, I'd expect book to be about 3 hours. The hardest part about the rears is the carpet under the top. The area is a little cramped, but even then, I wouldn't consider it 'hard'.

Now, if the 5 hours also includes an alignment, road testing/etc, then they may be pretty close.

[Gofast]

That is a lot, but a lot of mechanics just quote hours from a book.

With a gutted car (no interior to remove) and coilovers (no spring compressor)
I've done it so many times it only takes me ~90 minutes.

[rf900rkw]

Book time is 1.5 hrs per strut and 1.5 for both rears. This does not include alignment or any other extras.

[z3papa]

The same book says 6-8 hours for a rear subframe bushing install. The book is a rip off and there is a reason why competent mechanics make a very good living off the book. It should not take a good mechanic more than 2-2.5 hours to replace all four.

[brad bedell]

Book time is 1.5 hrs per strut and 1.5 for both rears. This does not include alignment or any other extras.

Is there a deduction or footnote reference for doing all 4?

I get 1.5 hours per strut if you also include racking the car, setup/etc. Most of the manuals I've worked from had a footnote that revised the time if it was done in conjunction with other suspension work.

[Wertles]

In the roadster, the rears took me 35 min a side. The fronts took 1:15 a side. I did have to use a spring compressor on the front struts but that was a free rental (deposit only) from Autozone. The coupe took 4 hours for the rears only because I went very slowly removing and installing the interior.

[z3papa]

In the roadster, the rears took me 35 min a side. The fronts took 1:15 a side. I did have to use a spring compressor on the front struts but that was a free rental (deposit only) from Autozone. The coupe took 4 hours for the rears only because I went very slowly removing and installing the interior.

Maybe I'm skewed since I can change a set of wheels in 15 minutes or less but I'd bet serious money that now you have done it a time or two, that time would drop appreciably.

[rf900rkw]

Is there a deduction or footnote reference for doing all 4?

I get 1.5 hours per strut if you also include racking the car, setup/etc. Most of the manuals I've worked from had a footnote that revised the time if it was done in conjunction with other suspension work.

Front 1.6 for one, 3.0 for both.
Rear 1.1 for one, 1.5 for both.

Nothing extra is included. Most books call for a flat .5 for testdrives and setup/cleanup. I've never seen a shop charge that.


I'm not going to participate in the time wars. We no longer charge by time, we charge by job worth.

[gmushial]

How many hours and how hard to replace the 4 shocks?
My indie wants 5 hours = $500...seems a lot of time and $$
Rears look relatively easy, fronts need a spring compressor?
tns Daniel

I did mine - I had never done them before on this car, ie, so it was a learning experience - [that was rears + new mounts + fronts inc rebuilding the assemblies, ie, not installing new complete ones + new hats etc] and it took 1hr 45mins.... find someone else that isn't trying to get rich off you. W/re how difficult: if you can do a waterpump, you can do the struts + shocks - the only iffy part is the spring compressor and not having it slip (if you use a HarborFreight style one). If you rent the monster one piece unit, then it's a cakewalk.

[MarcMacZ3]

Honestly, that price is high. I stood in with my mechanic and watched him do the front and rear in a matter of 1.5-2 hrs. Paid him in beer

[gmushial]

Part of the "trick" of doing the rears quickly, is to do them with the Z on ramps - this way one doesn't have to worry about the trailing arms coming down, taking out the brake lines etc. Simply undo the two nuts holding the RSMs in place, reaching under and undo the bottom bolt... and one has the whole unit in their hand. Use an impact wrench to add new RSMs to the new shocks, and insert, put the bottom bolt in place(*), torque fully; then the two top nuts, rubber cover boot and slide the "carpet" stuff back into its clips... then drive it off the ramps... don't have to even lift and "unlift".

(*) if one's arm isn't strong enough to compress the shock to get the bottom bolt in place, then use a small scissors jack to do such - upward lifting force by hand is probably 50-60 lbs.

[Wertles]

Maybe I'm skewed since I can change a set of wheels in 15 minutes or less but I'd bet serious money that now you have done it a time or two, that time would drop appreciably.

Oh absolutely. That is the way with everything on the car. First window slider, 1.5 hours. The forth one, 25 minutes. First seat bushing, 1 hour. The fourth, 10 minutes. First seat belt guide, 1.5 hours, the last in 40 minutes. I try to post my first times here on the forum as generally it will be the OP's first time as well tackling the project. I am only a DIY'er with a decent tool box and an Internet connection.

[gmushial]

Oh absolutely. That is the way with everything on the car. First window slider, 1.5 hours. The forth one, 25 minutes. First seat bushing, 1 hour. The fourth, 10 minutes. First seat belt guide, 1.5 hours, the last in 40 minutes. I try to post my first times here on the forum as generally it will be the OP's first time as well tackling the project. I am only a DIY'er with a decent tool box and an Internet connection.

Which given this group and the knowledge therein - has been worth its weight in gold (at the very least).

[Z3 Bimmer]

Thanks for the info . Any suggestions were to buy the front struts? Autozone, maybe, since I have to get a spring compressor?

[IgotBMW]

Here's a DIY video. I'm not familiar with these struts but you can buy them off ebay for less than $40 shipped.

[ame]http://youtu.be/4l3rfGbxvlM[/ame]

[Wertles]

Also a great DIY thread with pics on how to do a whole suspension by yourself.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16582

[Vintage42]

Here's a DIY video. I'm not familiar with these struts...
http://youtu.be/4l3rfGbxvlM

They are Chinese Sensens, equal to the OE Sachs and to KYB and Monroe (Tenneco). The person who filmed the video told me he was unaware the Z3 was missing its bumpers and covers.
31331092670
31331137932
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...umpercover.jpg

[Z3 Bimmer]

Thanks guys. I won't be going into this in the dark.

[Cloudbase]

Ha! It took me a solid 4-5 hours, but I was working in a freezing cold single-stall garage with only two floor jacks and hand tools.

[Kyle Anderson]

Ha! It took me a solid 4-5 hours, but I was working in a freezing cold single-stall garage with only two floor jacks and hand tools.

Haha, sounds exactly like the last time I did them... had a hard time with some of the bolts (broke both rear sway bar ends). My best is 2-2.5 hours when everything went smoothly. This is without air tools.

To answer the OP's questions, it is on the high side. $100/hr is high for an independent mechanic... that's around what most dealers charge now. A major reason dealers have higher shop rates is so that they get reimbursed more for warranty work.

[albrazzi]

They are Chinese Sensens, equal to the OE Sachs and to KYB and Monroe (Tenneco). The person who filmed the video told me he was unaware the Z3 was missing its bumpers and covers.
31331092670
31331137932
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...umpercover.jpg

Has anyone used these parts long enough to have any idea of quality, I would be concerned with the general quality. Can you say Chinese Drywall!!

[Vintage42]

Chinese drywall high quality but toxic. Shocks no toxic. No same as Koni, but like KYB. $136 for a set of four include shipping, vellee good.
http://www.sensen-na.com
http://apxautoparts.com/apx/blog/?p=23
http://apxautoparts.com/sensen-shock...struts-reviews

I don't think the original Sachs shocks on my Z3 say anything about German drywall, but they have lost their life after only 33,000 miles.
I removed them last week to install reinforcing plates, and the right shock would barely re-extend itself, and the left shock had to be pulled out. And they are expensive:
http://www.bavauto.com/shop.asp
Sachs Struts $189.95 ea.
Sachs Shocks $75.95 ea.

Here are the labels from my Sensen boxes, printed with the numbers for KYB and Monroe, which evidently are equivalent and equal:
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...senZ3Shock.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...senZ3Strut.jpg
Apparently Sensen makes OEM shocks for Volkswagen and Volvo's Chinese factories, as well as for Tenneco who sells the SensaTrac brand in the US for Monroe, NAPA and Sears.

Googling for reviews of Sensen shocks/struts shows praise in many auto forums, with repeated comments about a stiffer ride and better handling than OE. I bought mine on sale to save for the future, but will be putting them on soon because of how dead the Sachs felt.

[sknittel]

My Indie shop claims to be very familiar and comfortable with BMW products. They charged me two hours labour to do the front shocks plus the fixed cost of a wheel alignment. They tell me my alignment came out dead center of the specs which suggests nothing is bent or twisted up front - comforting thing to know. I did the rears myself but cannot remember how long it took, but it was dead simple other than the contortionist moves to reach behind the seats.

[SCCompact]

Personally I'd drive without shocks before putting Chinese shocks on my car.

I do my best to try and find made in the USA when possible, even if it costs a little more, or in the case of our cars made in Germany or even made in Japan but not made in China.

The only Chinese products I like come from a restaurant and are made from pork, beef, chicken and vegetables - lol.