Oldblue

I’m in a road salt rust belt , PB Blaster , 24 inch breaker bar and a length of pipe for leverage have always loosened fasteners for me.
I’m 6,5” and 285 lbs. now someone on the lighter shorter side might need more leverage .

Skribble93

Just replaced both struts and rear shocks and coils in my 2010 lt air tools help but I loosened everything by hand with a breaker bar or a few good smacks on the ratchet with my hand. I'm in upstate NY salt and rust are the norm used a hand torch on one shock bolt. All in all took bit over 4 hours by myself to do now I'm mechanically inclined and been turning wrenches for 13 years but like said youtube can be very helpful and if short cash wise ebay has good pricing I usually don't go cheap on suspension parts but in a bind with trashed suspension I did what was needed under $200 for all of it including front sway bar links and no complaints or problems yet. Shop wise I was quoted $675 to have them do it

Doc brown

Yes, these things can be done by someone who is semi-handy. The trouble is when things don't go as planned. I've been wrenching on my own cars for 40 years. My dad had a service station when I was in HS. I was helping pull engines when I was 5. Things that appear easy sometimes don't go well at all.

I'm in the process of changing struts and sway link ends. Ran into two things. I did the right side first. Sway link end was factory and would not come off. No wrench hold in the back. Had to cut it off. Had I not had a compressor and air cutting tool I would not have been able to get it off. Not something someone who is semi-handy has on hand.

The second issue I ran into was one of the strut studs on the left side. Hammered on it for over two hours, and heated it with an acetylene torch. Yes these should pop right out with a whack of a hammer. It's corroded so bad it will not come out. Never seen this before, neither has my dad. It goes into a trusted shop tomorrow. I'm really getting too old for some of this crap. The whole thing should have been done in an hour. I can't begin to tell you how much this aggravates me.

To the OP, ask why the rear springs need to be replaced. Unless one is broken they don't need replacement. A few years I had a broken spring, so yes they do break but it's rare.

A lot of shops, especially chains, are concerned about liability. For them it's safer to replace everything than replace some things and have the customer complain later about something not right.

Cat Man HHR

Oh boy did I stir a pot.
As Doc states " someone who is semi-handy."
Could it possibly be this person isn't ?
Could it be this be person doesn't have all the tools needed ? Or friends to help ?
Could this person live in a condo with a parking spot outside of it ?
OK let's move on.

donbrew

Well, it was you that thought I was being stupid assuming that "if you own a basic set of tools" you might be able to use them.

It is closed now.

Charvel1975

Hey guys, back in November of 2015, my Chevy dealer where i got my HHR from did an estimate below for new shocks and struts:


Rear shock absorbers/struts, r&r DELCO 06/11 (NOTES: WORN, LEAKING) $269.15

Front shock absorbers/struts (ADD Alignment) LS/LT 10/11 Complete Assy (NOTES: LEAKING. WORN, NOISE) $919.83

Front Stabilizer Bar Links, r&r ADVANTAGE LS/LT 09/10 300mm Both (NOTES: MAY BREAK ON REMOVAL OF FRONT STRUTS) $182.15


I also got a recent verbal quote from Conrad's Tire for over $1,200 for Moog shocks and Struts. What's you guy's thoughts on good, smooth riding and handling shocks and struts?

Oldblue

If you can turn a wrench, are comfortable working on a car .
go to RockAuto and order up your choice of struts and shocks , even Moog end links .
you could also have a look at EBay.
We get a discount at RockAuto

firemangeorge

Same question you ask back in July. Honestly Charvel1975, if you'd check some of the threads you started before, we wouldn't have to rehash the same old things for you.
Half the stuff you ask for help about, you don't come back to those threads. Plus you have ask the same questions over and over.
I'm done.

PulpFriction

I know this is an old subject, but here's some recent price experience.

I used Monroe, their better black-paint "EOSpectum" line, not the blue cheaper ones, for my LS w/ FE1 cushy suspension, satisfied enough.

I just did a quick price comparison, "Ships from and sold by Amazon.com"
Monroe 172179L $98.24
Monroe 172179R $87.79
Monroe 5779 $22.64x2=$45.28

The same items at Rock Auto were cheaper, even with (their cheapest) shipping for my location, compared to Amazon w/ Prime free shipping.

Charvel1975

Thank you! :)