Another mechanic question....

One-Off

Tom Curren status
Jul 28, 2005
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My wife drives a Prius. It's been a great car- ten years, zero problems. We used to get 50mpg. Now it's more like 46. We've always had the maintenance done at the dealer. Minor stuff.

This time they said the strut boot was torn and the strut was leaking. Repair estimate- over $2000. I had to look it up because I couldn't understand what a strut could be leaking. I found the "strut" is what I used to call the "shock absorber" (maybe it's all the dirt/washboard roads we've taken it on :monkey:?). I've replaced shocks on my van, but for me, with a minimal mechanic's tool kit, it was a hassle. I hated using those (rented) spring compressors...it felt like handling live munitions.

Anybody know a good independent Toyota/Prius mechanic in the South Bay of LA?
 
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ULUSURFER

Gerry Lopez status
Jan 2, 2007
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My dirves a Prius. It's been a great car- ten years, zero problems. We used to get 50mpg. Now it's more like 46. We've always had the maintenance done at the dealer. Minor stuff.

This time they said the strut boot was torn and the strut was leaking. Repair estimate- over $2000. I had to look it up because I couldn't understand what a strut could be leaking. I found the "strut" is what I used to call the "shock absorber" (maybe it's all the dirt/washboard roads we've taken it on :monkey:?). I've replaced shocks on my van, but for me, with a minimal mechanic's tool kit, it was a hassle. I hated using those (rented) spring compressors...it felt like handling live munitions.

Anybody know a good independent Toyota/Prius mechanic in the South Bay of LA?
I would purchase the full strut/spring assembly and then you can install yourself:

 

mundus

Duke status
Feb 26, 2018
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I have to dump 2 grand in an older Subaru, used cars are way overpriced right now and not into payments on a new Vehicle.
 

crustBrother

Kelly Slater status
Apr 23, 2001
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Pretty sure you need a special machine to compress the coil on those things, and it's quite dangerous if you don't know what you're doing, no?
yes, its a potentially dangerous job for sure

i've done it several times but don't recommend it as a DIY to others
 
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crustBrother

Kelly Slater status
Apr 23, 2001
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My dirves a Prius. It's been a great car- ten years, zero problems. We used to get 50mpg. Now it's more like 46. We've always had the maintenance done at the dealer. Minor stuff.

This time they said the strut boot was torn and the strut was leaking. Repair estimate- over $2000. I had to look it up because I couldn't understand what a strut could be leaking. I found the "strut" is what I used to call the "shock absorber" (maybe it's all the dirt/washboard roads we've taken it on :monkey:?). I've replaced shocks on my van, but for me, with a minimal mechanic's tool kit, it was a hassle. I hated using those (rented) spring compressors...it felt like handling live munitions.

Anybody know a good independent Toyota/Prius mechanic in the South Bay of LA?
2K sounds more than twice what i'd expect to pay to have a couple new struts put in but that's just a gut check

:shrug:

second opinion sounds smart
 

crustBrother

Kelly Slater status
Apr 23, 2001
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you can buy them precompressed in the link i sent above for next to nothing. You could even buy them abd find someone to install for less than $2K. Its a very very simple process.
simple yes, but consequences of mistakes are potentially huge
 

sdsrfr

Phil Edwards status
Jul 13, 2020
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If you don’t regularly wrench on things, pay to have the work done.

if you’re capable of mechanical assembly and Ikea furniture doesn’t give your fits, you may be able to remove and replace a set of prebuilt struts like mentioned above.

if you’re capable of renting tools, using lifts in a ways other than the warning label suggests, or have a friend who does, buy the parts and do the whole thing yourself. some shops will charge to build up the struts for you so you dont need to mess with the spring compressor. Others won’t.

havibg done all three before, most recently I paid to have them installed on my truck and im mixed if i will ever do it myself again.

chasing cheap parts for self install vs negotiating a good price from a shop for parts, labor, alignment at once is what makes the difference in $$$ saved. Some shops will make the parts cheaper if they’re gonna get the labor.

Conversely they’ll pop up the labor if you don’t use them for parts if you fug up on your install and need help.
 

One-Off

Tom Curren status
Jul 28, 2005
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33.8N - 118.4W
LIke I said in the OP, I have changed shock absorbers (struts) but it took me a whole weekend, and handling the springs while compressed was nerve wracking (for me). That was on a low tech 1985 VW Vanagon. I am not planning on doing it on a Prius, which is a high tech vehicle. Also I have no lift, just bottle jacks and jack stands. The Vanagon has 11" of clearance ( that's 2" more than most Jeeps:nana:), so it's easy to crawl around under the vehicle even before you jack it up. The Prius is very low slung.

Besides, that precompressed spring is "Not Available."

Performance Plus Tire looks like a chain. My experience with chains is that it totally depends who the mechanic is at that particular branch.

I've decided that, until the car starts bouncing like a lowrider, I'm going to defer the work,
 
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Subway

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Dec 31, 2008
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You just gonna kick the can down the road now that you’ve got us all hangin off the edge of our struts?
 

sdsrfr

Phil Edwards status
Jul 13, 2020
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Besides, that precompressed spring is "Not Available."
pretty sure Napa sells universal bolt in struts that would work fine on a Prius.

none the less, if you don’t mind the current bouncing - it’s not like you’re riding on bump stops - leave it be until it becomes a safety issue.
 

trifish

Gerry Lopez status
Sep 23, 2009
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Shred City
Dealer rates will always be high. They are probably also factoring in an alignment since pulling most strut assemblies will change the alignment specs to some degree. The bolt holes are usually slotted for it.

Full strut assemblies don't need compressing like ulusurfer mentioned which makes it easier. Easy to do with a buddy who has the know how, but if you don't have the proper tools to torque stuff down correctly, time, or experience yourself better to pay a place. Replacing a strut on a Prius isn't anything special that needs the dealers attention. Any decent mechanic shop should be able to handle it for a much better price than the dealer can give you.

Side story thats kinda funny......I know a guy that loaded 50lb bags of cement into his prius trunk at home depot while working on his housing project. Blew both his rear struts from it. He asked me if I could believe that. My reaction "well yeh... just cause it fits doesn't mean it belongs there" :ROFLMAO:
 

One-Off

Tom Curren status
Jul 28, 2005
14,128
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33.8N - 118.4W
pretty sure Napa sells universal bolt in struts that would work fine on a Prius.

none the less, if you don’t mind the current bouncing - it’s not like you’re riding on bump stops - leave it be until it becomes a safety issue.
I haven't noticed any bouncing at all.. If it ain't broke, don't fix it....
 
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PJ

Gerry Lopez status
Jan 27, 2002
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Front wheels used to have an upper and lower control arm to support the top and bottom of the spindle that the wheel was mounted on then a spring to keep the body up in the air and a shock absorber (which is a bad name - it's really a dampener) to dampen the wheel's motion. On a McPherson Strut car they kept the lower control arm but replaced the upper control arm, spring and shock with the strut which does all three things so the strut is a structural member. The magical new car shock absorber dampening quality of the strut probably degrades by 60 - 80 K miles but it happens slowly so you don't notice it. They may not leak but just like a worn out shock the dampening may not be so tasty. At 150K I'm seeing them leak or they can't align the front end properly because of play in the structural sliding part of the strut which usually coincides with a leak. So with a leak there may be play and you may see strange tire wear - I do with the 20 cars and light trucks I manage so since I'm trying to get at least 200K out of them and the strut may go at 150 I'm thinking of doing struts at 100K.

I used my Sears strut compressor for the first time in over 30 years last year when putting Bilsteins on my on my 2008 Bullitt Mustang and I realized that I used to compress the springs too much which was always a little scary. I realized that the top nut on the strut has about an inch of threads there that can serve to decompress the spring probably half of what it needs. So if you tighten up on the compressor a bit then start to let off on the nut to the point that it still has thread meat but is almost fully loosened then maybe a bit more strut compressor until that top plate gets loose on the spring you may find that you don't have the get the spring really compressed and crooked. This last time the springs stayed straight and it wasn't scary at all. If the strut mount is adjustable you can spray paint over it before disassembly then get it close on re-assembly before getting it aligned.

And of course the whole assembly with spring from Moog or someone is really good.
 

sdsrfr

Phil Edwards status
Jul 13, 2020
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My Tundra needs new struts, etc. They want right at $2k.
What chu gonna put on it?

i think I paid $2500 for 6150 fronts and 5100 rears, used takeoff leafs from another customer and upper control arms.

this included the alignment labor and re-setting the height a few times after settling and shimming the drive shaft(?) 8months later to address a low speed vibration caused by the small change in stock geometry.

sometines having a relationship with the shop is well worth it.
 
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