Yesterday I ordered the A-Spec suspension, steering wheel and brakes from Falconi Acura in Las Vegas...should have it by this Friday. Just out of curiosity I wanted to get an idea of installation cost, their parts department said 7 hours at $90 an hour. My dealer "Tim Smith Acura" here in the panhandle of Florida said it will take 10 hours at $75 an hour...WTF why the disparity in time?

 

the a-spec parts should come with instructions if not you can download them off the web. its not that hard of an install and should not take 10 hours. if you read on TOV they did an entire a-spec tsx in 6 hours i think it was(could have been less time than that). this included the body kit that had to be installed as well as wheels mounted and balanced. from my experience with my last car the suspension install should be about 1.5 hours give or take 1/2 hour. while they are performing the suspension install they can install the pads as well. i would say around 2+ hours for suspension and pads. i don't know how long a steering wheel install takes but i cannot imagine it to be over 4+ hours. since this is a dealer you are going to they are almost always going to overcharge and overbill for time. it might actually take 4 hours for the entire job but the worksheet says it takes 7 and that's what they charge. i would go ask around reputable shops and see what they charge.

 

I'd guess that it would take no more than 4 hours for the suspension, 1 for the steering wheel, and maybe 1-2 hours for the front brakes

I think 10 hrs is a little bit of a stretch.

 

whats the diff in the steering wheel?

 

Here is the reason for the disparity... Most dealerships quote labor using their service manuals. The manual says that the install of the suspension is 6 hours. This is what they want to charge. They know that if they put a good mechanic on it, it will only take him 2-3 hours (this is what I have heard that an experience Acura mechanic can do it in). This is how service departments make there money all over the country. They charge you for the labor stated in their manuals, but it actually takes them less time to do the work. YOU NEED TO NEGOTIATE!!!!!!!!!!! Not all dealerships will negotiate on labor, but some will, so keep calling until you find one that will.

 

exactly, this is what they do to try to squeeze every last cent out of you. suspension is not that hard. a trained mechanic(doesn't even have to be acura) can do it in 2+ hours.

 

My dealer charged $250 for the install of the A-Spec suspension alone. Either 7 hours or 10 hours is PURE BS.

 

$83 per hour (the rate in Atlanta) times 3 hours=$249... this is a fair charge and in line with what one should expect to pay.

 

I too would like to know this.

 

it is for the installation of the wheel + alignment.

 

The diff is that the A-Spec wheel have blue stitching where spokes meet wheel.

 

Sweet. Does anyone have a pic of one installed I wonder???

 

also try to negotiate a set price for the install like neuronbob said he got the suspension installed for 250 which seems like a reasonable price given that this is a dealer that is performing the install.

 

I think the ASPEC steering wheel is thicker, too

 

 

Sweet.