Broken spring-would you replace shocks as well?

Orionaut

Orionaut

Orionaut

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Simple question.

You are changing the springs on a 60,000 mile car. There is nothing "obviously" wrong with the shocks.

Would you change both springs and shocks, or just the springs?

If you were having the work carried out by a Garage and the Garage recommended changing both, would you see the logic in doing so (Shocks age, everything nice and new is good, doing whole lot in one go incurs little additional labour, just additional parts cost), or would you feel that the garage was trying to pad the job out a bit?
 
It depends how much extra it will cost and also how long you intend to keep the car for. If was an extra £150 or something I'd go for it.
 
Replacing the springs would probably only be an hour or two, to do the shocks as well wouldn't be that much longer as it means they could put the shocks n springs together off the car and then simply swap them easier.

Whats the car? In some instances upgrading to non oem shocks and springs may actually be cheaper than oem replacements
 
Some cars (mine for example) the shocks have to come off to change the springs.
So it makes sense to replace them too.

I wish i had when i did my springs... because when i do the shocks soon i will have to do the same job again and it was not fun.
 
HooooKayy, I will come clean. :D

"I" am the workshop.

I like to do the whole lot in one go (Especially with struts)

I have no problem with regular customers, They know me, trust me, and know that, as "Which" would say, I am "Good but Pricey" because I am inclined to be a perfectionist.

(Funnily enough, Like most people who are perfectionist in their chosen calling, I am an utter slob in every other aspect of my life! (How does that work?? It confuses the Hell out of my lady friends, really it does! and it actually confuses me too really! :confused:))

It is the new customers that I am wondering about, even though I have been doing this for decades, I still find myself wondering how hard to push it when I am talking to somebody who is comparing a quote between a workshop that is happy to just quote for replacing a single broken spring and Me who wants to do both, and shocks, and top strut mountings (And, you know, those wishbone bushes are beginning to delaminate, they probably wont get through the next MOT, those brake hoses have cracks in them, those disks are badly corroded and that off side brake caliper doesn't retract smoothly and is binding slightly...... Aaaand so on! :p)

Ho Hummn, Life's a Game! :p
 
Nah if it's for a customer just be honest with them.

Say you can replace the springs if they want, but that if it was your own car you be looking a either all 4 springs or shocks as well.

Give them advice and let them choose
 
~Divine~Wind~ said:
Nah if it's for a customer just be honest with them.

Say you can replace the springs if they want, but that if it was your own car you be looking a either all 4 springs or shocks as well.

Give them advice and let them choose
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That is my default,

But I do feel uncomfortable If I feel I have been pushed into doing a half-arsed job, I really do!

As I said, I have been doing this for nearly 40 years, There have been occasions where people have come back to me and i have said "Yes I told you so!"

My own feeling is that the customer is NOT always right and part of ones role as a professional is to tell them so when it is necessary to do so!
 
Unless the car is a real budget model the dampers should be fine but you can judge that obviously and I'd (as in me) never swap one spring and always change both on the same axle. Of course average Joe just wants the cheapest quickest fix and has no mechanical knowledge about the machine they driver every day!

So long as you explain that to the customer they should be OK with it. I'm not a mechanic but one of my friends has also owned a garage for 40 years and I've seen how he handles a lot of his customers. He certainly has no qualms in turning people away if they have unrealistic expectations.

I was that clueless customer that wanted to fit a set of 2nd hand corroded twin Weber carbs to a Corolla and after several attempts to get them running cleanly. I just shut up and listened to the advice and then stuck with them ever since.
 
Orionaut said:
My own feeling is that the customer is NOT always right and part of ones role as a professional is to tell them so when it is necessary to do so!
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Yup :)

But if they go against your advice and are then back a couple of months later after new shocks, suppose there's a few hours work for ya haha :p

As above tho average jo just seems to ask whats cheapest

I was getting tyres and some wife came in with some fancy looking little mini, atold then she wanted one tyre only.... £55, anything cheaper? £40, anything cheaper? she actually got something for £25 fitted. :eek:
 
she actually got something for £25 fitted. :eek:
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I really hope you are kidding,

Really!

£25!

WTF were they? QC failed ones that were fit only for agricultural use?? (I have actually seen this, though not recently)

Sad to say, nothing would surprise me these days though! :(
 
A broken spring and you're recommending they have both both shocks and top mounts done at the same time, tripling the amount the job is going to cost?

No. I would inspect the shocks and top mounts and if there was nothing wrong with them, I would only replace the springs across the axle.
 
It depends on your customers as well, if I drop my bike into the garage for something then it's because I can't be arsed/don't have the time or don't want to spend on specialised tools for one job so I know exactly what I want and that's it I don't want to have a half an hour discussion over what may or may not also be needed.
 
Hi there

Give your customer options, if I was running your shop I would quote the customer 4 possible solutions:

- Change just one spring, cheapest option but inform the customer why this is a bad idea and how you advice against it.

- Change both springs on that axles, tell them this is the recommended cheapest option and if there use of the car is just day to day driving, essentially just a city car or a motorway cruiser that this will be fine.

- Change both springs and dampers, again explain the benefits, but you should also find out from customer the cars usage, if its just a run to the shops car I really think is over the top.

- If it is a sports car and the driver loves to drive it hard, then maybe advise them a complete suspension kit all round for the car, so springs and dampers at all four corners.


Just be honest and try to find out their use of the car to advise them best. :)
 
Bump time folks.
My car hit a small lump of concrete lying in the road earlier at speed & now the offside drivers spring is broken. Said spring took out the tyre as well which only a few weeks old so not happy. Mileage is 28K so assuming the shock on that side isn't too damaged, would it be advisable to get both shocks & springs on the front axle done at the same time? bulk of my driving is to & from work in a 30 limit
 
I took the wheel off & I think its OK. Bent control arms? The garage I take it to are pretty good when it comes to servicing & repairs so they'll tell me if they are damaged too.
 
Orionaut said:
That is my default,

But I do feel uncomfortable If I feel I have been pushed into doing a half-arsed job, I really do!

As I said, I have been doing this for nearly 40 years, There have been occasions where people have come back to me and i have said "Yes I told you so!"

My own feeling is that the customer is NOT always right and part of ones role as a professional is to tell them so when it is necessary to do so!
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But as long as you advise them and maybe put it on the invoice to cover your own back in future i.e. worst case a part fails they didn't renew and they try blaming you, you have it in writing etc.

99% of people are not like that but I've seen it where people twist the truth to suit and use lack of evidence as an excuse to cover themselves.
 
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