arokcrwlr

I am sitting at the dealer waiting to have Bilstein 5100 leveling shocks installed. The service adviser just came in to tell me that since they were "coilovers" that it would cost $700 to install. Huh??? He took me back to the shop and I spoke with the tech doing the work and he was making out to be a lot more difficult than it needs to be. After discussing they are going to do it for the original price quoted ($230).

Have any of you heard of such nonsense? I have been using this dealer/service dept. for 12 years and they have always done excellent work for me, but now I'm worried. I have always done this type of work myself, but the older I get it seems my time is worth more than $230.

jscramlin

If your sitting at the dealer waiting while they install the shocks, aren't you going to be out the $230 plus the time it takes them? I fail to see how you are saving time that way... Maybe it's just me.

arokcrwlr

Two things 1) It would take me double the time - it always does. Either because I don't have the proper tool and would need to McGyver it (i.e. no spring compressor and having to deal with the cheap *****ed loaner from Autozone). 2) I'm sitting here working (and monitoring this board ) on their wireless network just as if I were in the office or at home.

Let me put it a better way - the older I get, the more I'd rather pay someone else vs. the frustration of doing it myself.

pearsonrb

Amen, brother.

Hobbes80

Don't let them change the price. they committed to do it for a price. If they do not honor the quote because "they didn't realize it would be so hard" then that is their issue, not yours.

Blue_76

I had 5100s installed on a Tacoma for 100 bucks at the dealer... they installed the rear for 50.

Just curious on why you went with the 5100s over the other leveling kits?

I bought mine because I thought it would be better than the spacers but then I realized they did the same thing as the spacers... just preloaded the sping. They may be safer though... and they do look more cool.

However I wont be doing that on my f150. If I do use a level kit.... it will just be the cheapest option so I can remove it if I dont like the fuel mileage drop caused by the lift. Or... I will go with adjustable coilovers so I can hopefully keep the same spring rate as stock.

Greg

Hobbes80

I lost less than .5 mpg with my 2" spacers and 3" block in the back... IF that.

I've debated going back and swapping the shocks for 5100s... may still do it... but will wait a while...

And the spacers/shocks do NOT pre-load the springs. The spacer lowers the top mount of the spring by 2" (effectively giving the 2" lift) and the Bilstien gives you 2" by stretching the spring.

"Pre-Load" means to put a load on the spring before the truck... to do that would lower the truck as you are ADDING additional load to the spring...

zx14_rider

I wonder how many people just pay these dealers when they pull this crap ??

As stated above if they under estimated the job not your problem, find someone else..

arokcrwlr

They are doing it for the original quoted price. When I went back to the shop and educated the tech, I told the service adviser to take it off the rack and I would take to another dealer who routinely installs level kits. He quickly said that they would do it for the quoted price.

I just felt it odd that the tech was trying to make the job harder than it should be.

As I am typing this, I was just told that he is done with the install and the alignment is being done - 2.5 hrs, not bad.

Hobbes80

yeah. 2.5 hours is pretty quick... I did mine (not 5100s, but 2" kit and blocks) in my driveway in 4.5 hours... and there was a lot of drinking and standing around going on