New struts and springs for G20?

[pkelecy]

Hello all. My first post here.

I have 2001 Infiniti G20 that I bought used about a year ago. Even at 9 years old it's a great car (the best I've ever owned), and I love it.

However, I recently noticed one of the front struts felt very stiff and so took it in to get checked out. The mechanic said both the front struts and rear springs needed replacing (apparently the car "bottomed out" during his test drive). He also recommended replacing the front and rear dust boot covers as well as the rear shocks while at it. The cost for all that would be $1400-$1500!

The car has 105K miles on it, and I'm guessing the struts are original. So I can believe those would need replacing, but the springs? Is it normal for those to wear out at only 105K miles? Also, is $1500 a reasonable charge for this work? Seems high, but this is the first work I had done on the car.

Also, I've worked on cars before, and am wondering if this is a reasonable DIY job. Is it?

Thanks for any feedback on this. I appreciate it.

Pat

[RED_DET]

No need to replace springs. Only the shocks, which should run about $400. You can do it yourself if you rent a spring compressor. $1500 is a rip off and now way I would pay that amount. $1000 for labor, it don't take 10 hrs to change out the shocks/struts.

[pkelecy]

Thanks for the rely!

So would bad rear shocks (or struts?) cause the car to bottom out? I can see how it might, but thought I would ask anyway.

Glad to hear I could possibly do this myself. Can this be done with the car on jack stands, or does it need to be raise more than that? I have jack stands, but am wondering if it would need to be higher to get the strut out. Also, where would be a good place to rent a spring compressor, and how long should I expect this to take?

Thanks again. -Pat

[RED_DET]

Bad shocks would cause the car to be bouncy or unstable over bumps. Push down on the rear of the several times repeatedly and test the rebound. At first it should seem soft, but the second time you push down, the shocks should stiffen up some. If the rear end bounces more than once after you push down on it, then more than likely the shocks are blown. I would say with 105K miles on them, they are blown as shocks/struts only last about 50-60k miles. Jack stands are fine and you can rent a spring compressor from auto zone for $40. For your first time expect to take 2hrs. You will also need a air compressor to assist with the spring compressor.