Yay car parts! Do I tackle myself?

"Life and Times of Magoo: The People's Champ" (magooslaststand)
09/22/2015 at 21:22 • Filed to: None

Shocks arrived for the Speed3. Thinking I’m in the state of mind to just let the shop take this one though.

DISCUSSION (15)

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Life and Times of Magoo: The People's Champ
09/22/2015 at 21:25

Its actually not that hard TBH... it took me an hour to change both of my rear shocks (and I had almost no idea what I was doing!). Just make sure to LocTite EVERYTHING and torque it down.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Life and Times of Magoo: The People's Champ
09/22/2015 at 21:32

I just got some new springs today and will be ordering new shocks and struts. I’m not even going to try. Honestly suspension is pretty important and I wouldn’t trust myself unless I was 100% sure I knew what I was doing...

Life and Times of Magoo: The People's Champ > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
09/22/2015 at 21:34

My neighbor did offer to help and has more tools then autozone. Free time is real problem

Also just noticed your name name lol goes well with my pic

Life and Times of Magoo: The People's Champ > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/22/2015 at 21:36

Taking her low?

I def wouldn’t tackle that whole job myself but been told shocks aren’t terrible

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Life and Times of Magoo: The People's Champ
09/22/2015 at 21:49

Yeah! Got some H&R Sports and will probably be getting the Koni STR.Ts..

From everything I read, the rear on my car is easy. The fronts (struts) just become a nightmare if you lack proper tools and have no idea what you are doing.

Also, you’ll need an alignment for the whole thing afterwards regardless.

I was quoted around $500 or so for all the work and an alignment from a reputable shop (about 4.5 hours labor and the alignment)

itranthelasttimeiparkedit > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/22/2015 at 21:50

research thoroughly beforehand and suspension is easy (at least on my various BMWs.)

I love the boxes bilsteins come in

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Life and Times of Magoo: The People's Champ
09/22/2015 at 22:03

Plot twist: I too have Bilsteins on (the rear of) my car!

Life and Times of Magoo: The People's Champ > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
09/22/2015 at 22:10

These are also just the rear....cause Mazda put some really shitty, known to fail parts on this car lol

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Life and Times of Magoo: The People's Champ
09/22/2015 at 22:24

If you can find the time, take him up on the offer. Shocks are pretty easy if you have two people. Getting the old ones out isn’t bad, but getting everything lined up going back in can be tricky of you don’t have an extra set of hands. If I didn’t have help, is just pay a shop to do it.

Also love the Bilsteins too. I used to have them on my Chevy truck where they were actually OEM so I used them as replacements as well.

DasWauto > Life and Times of Magoo: The People's Champ
09/22/2015 at 22:36

If it’s just the rear shocks they’re really easy on the Mazda3. Jack up the back, take off the wheel, one bolt on the bottom of the shock attaching it to the knuckle, two holding the top mount to the car and it’ll be out. Take the mount off the top of the shock (1 nut) and transfer to the new one. The rest is the reverse of removal. All in all you can probably do it in 20 or 30 minutes per side with basic sockets and wrenches.

The struts on the front are more involves and you would need spring compressors to take those apart to change the shock absorber inserts inside.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Life and Times of Magoo: The People's Champ
09/22/2015 at 22:36

LOL I put Bilsteins on the rear because I only had 1 Koni rear shock (UPS lost the other one) and the guy who sold me the coilovers had a set of Bilstein Sport Shocks for sale for $120 shipped... best decision ever!

whatisthatsound > Life and Times of Magoo: The People's Champ
09/22/2015 at 22:43

Kinja'd!!!

If I can figure it out and continue to drive and not crash then anyone can. Also, let the car settle for a few days I waited a week then get an alignment. Easy job!

Gigantor, the most awesome robot of Europe > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
09/23/2015 at 06:46

LocTite Zexel...mmmmmm....(im just going through some ‘old’ posts because Ive missed a couple of things on here)....(also, it’s so boring at work that I’m just posting weird automotive company names and drooling..)

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Gigantor, the most awesome robot of Europe
09/23/2015 at 10:11

LOL I say that because I learned the hard way... I had some shock bolts come loose :(

Going over a bump: *ker CLUNK*

MonkeePuzzle > Life and Times of Magoo: The People's Champ
09/23/2015 at 11:37

I have actually done shocks on a Mazda 3. Only pain was releasing the top nut to separate spring from shock, which we borrowed a powertool for.

and of course spring compressors which auto parts stores loan out