Uh-oh. Koni install turning into $$$$ nightmare

[ericshmerick]

Well, I've been talking about getting Koni's, etc. for some time now. They arrived yesterday, and I brought them and my M3 to my mechanic this morning (along with instructions from that druidhill website).

My mechanic was like sure, no problem, won't take long at all...maybe an hour or two.

5 hours later, I drive up to the shop to check on the progress. When I walk into the office, he looks at me and says "Wow I didin't know we had to take your entire car apart."

I cautiously laugh and ask what the problem is. He basically said it was taking about 2.5 hrs per side, and they still had about an hour left.

Um, this is going to end up costing me like $600-700 in labor...I knew I should have got the Bilsteins or the GC kit. Damnit. :

Oh yeah, did I predict this, or what?

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...86&postcount=5

Attached is a pic of the driver side under the knife (taken like 10 minutes ago).

I need a beer...

[Scotth]

Wow, go easy on that brake line!!!!

[ericshmerick]

Wow, go easy on that brake line!!!!

Lovely. Guess I'll be replacing this soon as well.
EDIT: One more thing. I've read about some factory struts being 2mm smaller than the Koni inserts...well, guess what? Mine were smaller. The mechanic had to scrape the yellow paint off of each insert in order for them to fit. He said he would have sent them back, but since my car was taken apart already, he improvised.

I hold nothing against my shop...they are very trustworthy (worked at BMW dealerships for over 15 years). I am just angry becuase I didn't budget this amount of $$ for this install. It's an unpleasant surprise. :

On top of this, I have to install the rears today, and get an alignment tomorrow. Over $1K already, and I dont' even have coilovers or new springs. :

[bimmer95]

Your mechanic is a freaking moron, tell him to secure that caliper NOW! You don't need to take the car any futher apart to install Konis than you do to install Bilsteins. Your guy just doesn't know WTF he's doing and would've botched any strut install as witnessed by the stretched out brake line.

[Nimble]

Your mechanic is a freaking moron, tell him to secure that caliper NOW! You don't need to take the car any futher apart to install Konis than you do to install Bilsteins. Your guy just doesn't know WTF he's doing and would've botched any strut install as witnessed by the stretched out brake line.

yeah, your tie rod rubber boot is being stretched to the max! have him put a lug bolt in and tie some rope or a bungy to the top strut tower area.

[jvit27]

Your mechanic is a freaking moron, tell him to secure that caliper NOW! You don't need to take the car any futher apart to install Konis than you do to install Bilsteins. Your guy just doesn't know WTF he's doing and would've botched any strut install as witnessed by the stretched out brake line.

What he said.

I'm not a mechanic and I managed to figure it out. Where I come from, we call that "getting @#$"

[m3fuz]

My mechanic did the Bilsteins in about two hours, front and rear. Sorry to hear things are going that great on your end. The ride is amazing though very stiff. I had the Koni's on there before, but I notice the Bilsteins as more stiff and somewhat more "responsive."

[////\/\ark]

My mechanic did the Bilsteins in about two hours, front and rear. Sorry to hear things are going that great on your end. The ride is amazing though very stiff. I had the Koni's on there before, but I notice the Bilsteins as more stiff and somewhat more "responsive."

You got the newer, "revised" Bilsteins?

[SM3]

your mechanic doesn't know what hes doing if it took him that long.

hes ripping you off.

[m3fuz]

You got the newer, "revised" Bilsteins?

I got them from Turner Motorsports last week. I was not aware of any revisions or changes in the Bilstein design. He also replaced the RSMs and front strut mounts in the two hour time block. Does that seem to fast or too slow?

[Drifto]

It should take no more than 3hrs period. That's if you've never done it before.

[ericshmerick]

Well, maybe I over-reacted. I just called my mechanic and asked him how much I can expect to pay. He said it took over 5 hrs, but he would only charge me for 3 hrs, $213. I am a regular customer of his, and he really did give me a break. They are swamped today, and my car occupied the bay all morning.

Still, it appears from your posts that the person doing the work (not the head mechanic) should have taken better care of the brake line, etc. I'll keep this in mind next time I have something major done (I usually watch them work on my car when I have time--chance to learn things).

Thanks for the responses. Time to put the rears on before it gets dark. BTW, my mechanic recommended 3/4 turn for the rears, and 1/2 for the front (street driving). Agree?

[///MZG]

It should take no more than 3hrs period. That's if you've never done it before.

Yeah, and it only takes that long because you need to cut the strut housings.

[ArcticFox]

I have mine set to 1/4 turn back from full stiff on front and rear and am happy with that for combo street/track.

[Texas M3/4]

If you wanted to save some $ do the rears yourself. Hardest part about the rears is pulling the trunk lining. Sooo easy. Glad he isn't charging you the full time. Koni's you have to cut and gut but w/o a full shop of tools and a lift I can pull the fronts and replace in about 45min to a hour a side.

I would certainly keep an eye on that connection - make sure they know you know if you know what I am saying. Length of wire through the top strut through mount up to the strut tower works too.

[Sinned]

whoever did your car is really a moron, because you dont need to scrap anything off the koni struts...just lay down some 2X4's on the ground and spray some WD-40 inside the gutted struts, and place the koni's as far as they will go into the housing, and once it starts resisting, then tap the whole assembly down on the wooden 2X4's and it will slide really nice all the way in...he might be generous and trustworthy, but that doesn't make him smart...a smart mechanic is what you need...

[m3ster]

Are Koni's the only shock that make you cut your car up to fit?

[Balthazarr]

Are Koni's the only shock that make you cut your car up to fit?

I think so, but not sure why Koni doesn't make a full strut for M3's.

Cutting and gutting old one's was fairly easy. I guess I got lucky bc I bought used struts from Clubsport332ti as I didn't want to take a chance of running into problems and have my suspension all balled up so I couldn't use my car.
Just a matter of finding time to do the swap now.

I'd watch out for that brake line. Shouldn't be stretched.

[Van1]

whoever did your car is really a moron, because you dont need to scrap anything off the koni struts...just lay down some 2X4's on the ground and spray some WD-40 inside the gutted struts, and place the koni's as far as they will go into the housing, and once it starts resisting, then tap the whole assembly down on the wooden 2X4's and it will slide really nice all the way in...he might be generous and trustworthy, but that doesn't make him smart...a smart mechanic is what you need...

This is all I had to do. I just did a pile driver sort or thing holding onto the strut housing and the weight of the Koni drove itself in. Although, I did have to file a high spot in one of my strut housings.

The guy that did this install needs to invest in some cheap coat hangers. They work great for tying up calipers.

[mrclam]

As everyone else said in the thread, that mechanic is insane. Any mechanic worth his salt is would NOT leave your brake line stretched like that.

[hozehead4]

I think so, but not sure why Koni doesn't make a full strut for M3's.

Cutting and gutting old one's was fairly easy. I guess I got lucky bc I bought used struts from Clubsport332ti as I didn't want to take a chance of running into problems and have my suspension all balled up so I couldn't use my car.
Just a matter of finding time to do the swap now.

I'd watch out for that brake line. Shouldn't be stretched.

The reason Koni only makes the insert is some legal mumbo-jumbo or a patent issue. I believe Bilstein is the only non OEM manufacturer that makes a complete E36 strut.

The inserts were a tight fit when I did them on my M, but a 2x4 and sledgehammer was all it took to tap them in there. Sounds like your mechanic hasn't done this process before? It is a bit more monkey work, but not terribly difficult.

I agree with Texas M3/4...do the rear's yourself. Hardest part was removing the CD changer and getting all the trunk lining out of the way.

[///Mpmp1025]

all the mechanics i went to said the same thing. once they actually took the car apart they where like we cant do this. that pissed me off the most bc my car is in peices and they r telling me this now.

im taking my car to AA and theyve done this before and there charging me $480 aligned. that is there flat rate and they change all 4 shocks n stuff.