My mate is an audi mechaic and said he will fit my springs and new wheels on thurs evening with anthoer one of his mates who has a ramp at his house. How much should I expect to pay mates rates to them for an hours work? I know he won't give me a price I jhust dont want to pay over or insult with too little.
how much for someone to fit 30mm lowering springs?
- Thread starter boner1690
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thanks for the reply. so is about £40 right for mates rates, 20 each to them? I doubt it will take 2 audi mechaincs long working at the same time on a ramp
Mujnu
Registered User
If its a mate then it should be six cups of tea with sugar and a packet of biccies
phil miller
Registered User
Id say it will take them a couple hours, depends how they part the shocks on the front, id take the hub off at the same time
I can do all four on my own in under 2 hrs, so 2 can do it easy!
Just take the strut out on the front using a hub spreader, no need to remove the hub. The strut will strip down without compressors too, you just need the right tools for the job.
Just take the strut out on the front using a hub spreader, no need to remove the hub. The strut will strip down without compressors too, you just need the right tools for the job.
Yeah that's fine. My mechanic happens to be one of my best friends, but I can't see how someone can justify anything over about £100 at a huge push. I mean the rear springs are so easy to change a 5 year old could do it, so it's just the front ones. Even then with the right tools it isn't hard.
London prices?? I wouldn't pay over £100 regardless of where I was. Even at £50 per hour for labour it doesn't take 3 hours to do...
A case of beer and a litre of spirits each, you supply the mixers, when the job is done, sit back, get pished and admire your new lowered car.
Job done, Simples
JG
Job done, Simples
JG
Mujnu
Registered User
Birmingham prices! I've been putting off lowering my car because I been looking at a bill of close to £200 with alignment :/
Allow that bro, go to The Rock and get someone to do it for you! Those prices are silly. It comes to about £150 including alignment :/
Mujnu
Registered User
The Rock! Hahah! Is changing springs something anyone can do? or should you only get it done by garages you trust?
Should be a garage you trust but the garage you trust shouldn't be quoting you £150 in Labour.
Its a two hour job, let it settle fo a few weeks, then get it aligned and make sure its a hunter alignment on all four wheels, the hunter is the best for this job to get the wheels completely straight to the body, the cheaper ones just hang on the wheels.
Ill give them £20 each and a 6 pack of beer each then. should keep them happy for any future work
Mujnu
Registered User
Damn, ill keep looking around for prices then, seeing as though I was getting mugged off. Thanks lads
You guys don't take into consideration that bolts might be rusty and/or nuts will need persuasion to remove ! When you go to a garage there are business rates to pay, rent and bills so where I work 150 is a favour !
Thats why its £45 hour.
I'm a spark and run a van, fully stocked, need to buy tools and I do a lot of work in the evenings, paperwork, specifying find parts, I dont have a pension, I charge £25 an hour, If I charge 3 and a half hours work for 2 hours work they will will ask why. £150 is not a favour its a hidden charge for extra profit.
You work from a van, I work from a garage ! My overheads are much higher than yours, if a spring breaks and you have to replace it under warranty then the customer knows where to call ! I pay £1760 a month for my garage before I add my wages, bills, liability insurance and mortgage ! You pay f**k all and moan ! £150 is cheap for London rates... You want mates rates them go to halfords and buy a tool kit, spring compressors, spaners do it yourself over a weekend ! Drink plenty tea to keep hydrated !
Mujnu
Registered User
I understand London rates, but why the hell is Birmingham rates the same as London lmao Birmingham surely should be cheaper, unless Birmingham is slowly becoming the main city? 
I understand London rates, but why the hell is Birmingham rates the same as London lmao Birmingham surely should be cheaper, unless Birmingham is slowly becoming the main city?
There has to be a garage that can do it for about £80-100 in bham. Did you take that drive down Alum Rock lol?
Lol. if you charge £45 an hour then charge £90 not £150, it takes two hours max for an unskilled DIY, your skilled allegedly.
You think I dont offer a warranty, think again all work I guarantee for a year plus parts, I dont charge for travel time and I charge for an hours work, or I charge a price for a job, what ever the customer is happy with, thats why Im always busy and not sitting around waiting to mug some punter off the first chance I get.
Why are you charging 3 and a half hours labour to do a 2 hours job, as for london rates, they charge £45 hour in suffolk.
If your £75 hour, say so and the punter knows what to do. No I didnt thinks so, they would run a mile.
If I asked you to fit a set of springs and you said it will take two hours at £45 hour you would get £90 full stop mate.
Mujnu
Registered User
See the problem with Alum Rock Sayam, is that there's a garage on every corner, you don't know who is an actual mechanic and who just woke up and decided to be one lool
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Mujnu
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- Joined
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Give him a hand too, might work out cheaper, but always clear the price beforehand, to save any disappointment or falling out. Especially with mates. Sometimes, the problem with mates rates is, each 'mate' has a different price in their head, due to the awkwardness of the 'asking how much'
phil miller
Registered User
auto data book time for front and rear shocks and springs is actually 3.7 hours (done properly) anyone can buy widow makers from the factors, spend all day f**king around doing it, oh, and a proper hunter alignment is £45 plus VAT down this way, which gets done on every car that we touch the subframe/shocks, and thats billed to the customer
As for costs my three ramps stand me at 9K, rates rent and insurance means hourly rate is £40 per hr, cant be less otherwise you wouldnt cover the running costs..... i earnt more money when i was mobile and driving around in a van
phil miller
Registered User
thats the thing, no one should ever lower a car and leave the alignment (plenty do though) the main thing ive learnt in 3 years of running my own garage is sometimes, regardless of what the book time says, or how long it actually takes you, pricing the job correctly so the customer doesnt feel stitched up is the main thing, being to cheap will mean you have to much on, getting it right means you get plenty of repeat custom, which is what its all about
Donny_DJ
Registered User
Take it alignment is not being done at the time? I think they deserve £50 each (minimum) to complete a job like that. It will cost ya £50-£75 to get alignment, remember.
Come on lads it's deffo not nearly 4 hours labour to do that job. I guess if you've done more than one A3 you get into the groove which you can't if it's the first time you're doing something.
@Mujnu haha I know what you mean! But I'm sure through family/friends you can find a reputable garage that will charge less than £150. Unless of course they've included the Hunter alignment in that price?
can't agree more. Although you need a week or so for the springs to settle or it'll need aligning again.
@Mujnu haha I know what you mean! But I'm sure through family/friends you can find a reputable garage that will charge less than £150. Unless of course they've included the Hunter alignment in that price?
can't agree more. Although you need a week or so for the springs to settle or it'll need aligning again.
phil miller
Registered User
any garage worth there salt will have it properly aligned after, which makes the price look to be the norm
Mujnu
Registered User
If they included alignment in that price id happily agree but that's just price for labour! I'm going to have a proper look in to finding a garage that charges up to £100 for the job, if not, my car will have to remain a beach buggy lol
Absolutely agree, £150 would be with alignment, which is what the book time says, 3.7 hours with alignment, but some mechanics cut things out hoping you wont know and charge you the book time. And they wonder why they get ripped apart all the time and no one trusts them.
Get yours done by your mates, sort them out and find somewhere with a hunter 4 wheel alignment at around the £50 mark, job done.
Thats what I'm doing, but my mate is using a mates garage with spring compression machine and air tools, so should be done quick time with his experience, I think they have a hunter alignment machine too, you would hope so when they drag 1100 bhp skylines down a strip.
It can't be that difficult to find a decent mechanic in Bham, it's huge! If you can't though do let me know, I'm opening a garage down there lol!
Mujnu
Registered User
I was none the wiser so I thought those prices were fine considering a few places quoted me those, but it's defo an eye opener, thanks
Trust me Sayam, because there's so many dodgy mechanics in Bham, that you'll even look at the good ones in a funny way haha
