After sway bar replacement

[DekCan]

Hi all, new to the modding scene and have a quick question. After replacing stock sway bars with aftermarket ones do I need to take my car in for a wheel alignment or other things that need to be done?

 

[ChaneRZ]

2 hours or less for sway bar work. He definitely milked it.

 

[StingertimeNC]

No clue how long it really took. He said the rear was tough. I just left the car with him At 8 am and picked it up at 5 pm. He also replaced a clutch in my son’s GTI. Honestly that was like a 6 hour job. Or at least that’s what I paid for. Lol

 

[Ric 'Ochet]

Are you guys only doing front and rear seats or including the springs in that price? $180/hr sounds really expensive for that and 5.5 hours. I would confirm what the book time is on that as it sounds high af.
If you are including springs in the replacement then alignment is necessary imo bc you’re changing height which impacts camber if I believe.

 

[Snowwhite]

the tech is quoting all those hours because if you follow the service manual, they drop the rear subframe to get to the swaybar brackets. That's also why he would need an alignment afterwards. I did it myself in my garage without dropping the subframe using a rube-goldberg style combination of wrench, extensions, and sockets. That one bolt took almost an hour by itself, but the rest is cake.

If you don't drop the subframe, you won't need an alignment.

 

[Ric 'Ochet]

the tech is quoting all those hours because if you follow the service manual, they drop the rear subframe to get to the swaybar brackets. That's also why he would need an alignment afterwards. I did it myself in my garage without dropping the subframe using a rube-goldberg style combination of wrench, extensions, and sockets. That one bolt took almost an hour by itself, but the rest is cake.

I saw Vivid Visual do the replacement and it took them about 4 hours in the garage. That bolt you’re talking about alone makes me not want to mess with it.

 

[Snowwhite]

I saw Vivid Visual do the replacement and it took them about 4 hours in the garage. That bolt you’re talking about alone makes me not want to mess with it.

I would not consider myself to be a master tech by any means, and while it wasn't the easiest job i've done on my cars, it wasn't the hardest, either. I draw the line at brakes and easy bolt-off and bolt-on repairs. Anything else goes to a shop. My springs, for example, I had a shop do, because I didn't want to deal with the fronts. Same for the exhaust, just due to the size, the use of a lift, and the expertise of the tech to line up the tips with the bumper nicely.

The swaybar results were well worth the 2-3hrs I spent total. I split it into two sessions, rear first, then the front a week later. The front is super easy, and that let me compare results with just the rear vs front and rear.

 

[GT2Goods]

Hope you're ready to wait a few months to get them.

 

[Ric 'Ochet]

Hope you're ready to wait a few months to get them.

So I just got quoted for the labor to install front and rear sway bars and springs at $1500.. this was from a referral of one of another forum members.
Calling my regular mechanic to see what he will charge.. fingers crossed..

 

[OneIota]

Wowza. If it's any reference, I paid $225 for my sways only.

 

[Ric 'Ochet]

Wowza. If it's any reference, I paid $225 for my sways only.

He said the springs were a big job. I’m bringing it to my regular mechanic tomorrow and crossing fingers.

 

[Snowwhite]

The rear springs are easy. The fronts are a pain if it’s AWD. I paid $360 for install but I have rwd.

 

[Ric 'Ochet]

The rear springs are easy. The fronts are a pain if it’s AWD. I paid $360 for install but I have rwd.

AWD.. yep.. I’m thinking I may have to forgo the springs and just do sways if that’s the case. I can find a better place to spend $1200 than a spring install

 

[NS_Stinger]

Wow $1500usd for sways and springs install!?! That guy is making bank haha

 

[turboAWD]

I did it all myself in my driveway on jack stands. The drivers side rear is a pain because of the fuel filler tube, but if you have a decent set of box wrenches and socket wrenches, you can get it done.

Just curious - did you re-assemble with everything on the ground? How "unloaded" is the rear when flat on the ground? I had my mechanic do it (he just charged me $90/hr * hours done, which is pretty good here), and I had him do stiffer setting on the front, looser on the back. If I want to try the stiffer setting on the back, is it relatively unloaded when the car is just sitting there? I.e. maybe if I drove the back up on ramps?

 

[GT2Goods]

Just curious - did you re-assemble with everything on the ground? How "unloaded" is the rear when flat on the ground? I had my mechanic do it (he just charged me $90/hr * hours done, which is pretty good here), and I had him do stiffer setting on the front, looser on the back. If I want to try the stiffer setting on the back, is it relatively unloaded when the car is just sitting there? I.e. maybe if I drove the back up on ramps?

Let us know how it drives. I haven't seen, myself, any posts of anyone doing stiff front loose back.

 

[turboAWD]

Let us know how it drives. I haven't seen, myself, any posts of anyone doing stiff front loose back.

I've had it this way for some time, was just reminded when I did a rear tire rotation.. It drives fine, although I haven't pushed it excessively.. I'm thinking maybe I asked them to do it the other way around (loose front, stiff back) and they got it mixed up? I know back when I had it done (~1.5 years ago?) that the consensus for best overall handling was one stiff, one loose, but I can't remember which.

 

[Buzzrush]

So I just got quoted for the labor to install front and rear sway bars and springs at $1500.. this was from a referral of one of another forum members.
Calling my regular mechanic to see what he will charge.. fingers crossed.

Was that from Komet Motorsports in St.Charles? They charged me 180 to do the front and rear sways. 1320 for the springs sounds very high. I've seen members on here who had them done for 700.

 

[djerickd]

Is everyone with adjustable sways front and rear running the front sway at maximum stiffness? And the rear at minimum setting?

 

[Snowwhite]

Is everyone with adjustable sways front and rear running the front sway at maximum stiffness? And the rear at minimum setting?

You want loose front stiff rear for the least understeer. I take the tire off to adjust them while the car is on a jack stand and I use the jack to compress the suspension enough to get the link out of the bar easily.

 

[Ric 'Ochet]

Was that from Komet Motorsports in St.Charles? They charged me 180 to do the front and rear sways. 1320 for the springs sounds very high. I've seen members on here who had them done for 700.

Yeah. Quote was $1500 with some “possible” overlap, but not much. My car is AWD so there is more time involved I guess. I will find out today what my regular mechanic says. He’s built many drag cars and I trust him to shoot me straight.