i am having a B**** of a time getting my springs and shocks installed. I went to one shop, and they tried. they said that I needed to find a place with a strut compressor, not a spring compressor. Problem is, I am having a hard time finding a 'professional' shop.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to find a good shop?

 

The front shock is a "coil-over" setup, not a "strut", and you should be able to remove the spring with either a spring compressor or a strut compressor. I did mine at home with no problems. The spring compressor needs to be "external".... not requiring that the bolt be run through the center of the spring, since the shock is in the way.

Why not try it yourself. I have an online writeup on changing out the springs and shocks.

http://members.aol.com/InjuneerZZ/Tech.htm

 

I brought mine to a shop with the strut compressor. Their biggest problem was that the top mounting bolt was rusted solid. So they ended up cutting right through the old shock just to be able to get it apart.

Now, if I can disassemble and reassemble everything except that, you can too! It will save you a bundle on labor. They only charged me $30 each for a total of $60. Somehow, I was able to do all the rest myself. Sure, it took way longer than it would take somebody knowledgeable and talented. But I did it myself and I'm proud of myself for doing it! It went just like the Haynes Manual told me it would go.

 

As much as I would love to do this myself, I do not posses the proper tools.

 

About anyplace should be able to do this. Sears charges 160+60 for alignment for 240 totall. IMHO which is high. There should be local shops in your area that can do this...its not a full 383 rebuild.

 

the 98+ suspension is different than the 93-97.

 

Not that much different.

 

no, but it is more time consuming for a 98+. the Chiltons rates the 98+ at around 5.5 hours for the full job, where as the 93-97 is more like 4.

 

I did this twice myself on my 00 with hand tools and having to run back and forth up to a 3rd floor apartment for crap I needed. 2nd time I spent the $60 for an electric impact and sockets.

Spring compressor you can get a loaner from autozone. The rest you can do with simple had tools.

98+ is not that different from the earlier 4th gens.

I've heard that Pepboys will do the spring switch for a fee if you take the shock/spirng assembly to them.

 

I've done the springs on 93-97 cars and on 98+ cars, and the setup shown above has worked just fine on all of them. I really didn't notice any differences.

 

i still dont have the proper tools. i dont even have a good floor jack capable of getting the wheels that far off the ground.

 

So take half the cash you'd blow paying someone else to do it, buy the tools, DIY, then spend the other half on something else.

 

ive thought about that. what tools would i need to do it properly?

 

jack, stands, and wrenches.
To make it easier an impact and sockets.
The compressor you can get loaned from autozone.