Vehicle repair: DIY or pay?

[dlminehart]

I have an '87 Toyota Corolla sedan with 250K miles. Rear suspension on one side is really squeaking when car bounces at all, and the entire rear suspension is probably overdue for an overhaul. I've not done any of my own car work for a couple decades, and didn't do much then. Any of you know whether it's worth my while to try a DIY on this? Or is it something that a pro can do quickly enough that their labor charge wouldn't be worth wasting my time on?

[cgallery]

Or is it something that a pro can do quickly enough that their labor charge wouldn't be worth wasting my time on?

Do you know specifically what needs doing? Perhaps you could call around for estimates?

Once they have you in their shop they'll quote #'s that will take your breath away. Call on the phone and the estimates can be much more reasonable. I've also had good luck w/ independents and even dealerships totally honoring their phone estimates.

Some mechanics/dealerships will try to make-up for a low price quoted over the phone by fishing for other work they can offer to do. That doesn't bother me at all, as I've often agreed that it needs doing and sometimes the rates at the time are even very fair. And if I asked them for an inspection they would have charged for it, but when they're fishing for work they do a pretty good inspection and I get it for free.

[dbhost]

Usually suspension squeaks and creaks are caused by worn bushings, shocks, and struts. IF you have the tools to DIY, it is always better if you know what you are doing, so you can quality check yourself... A lot of the guys in shops drawing a paycheck these days aren't exactly interested in a quality job, a lot are. Which ones are which? If you do it yourself you know...

[Ed62]

It seems to be my luck that if I try doing a job I haven't done before, I'll find out right in the middle of the job that it requires a tool only available at a shop or on a nearby planet. If it is available locally, it will cost more than the job would cost having someone else do it. Sometimes it's not only easier to pay, but it's the smart thing to do. I'd get an estimate because you'll only want to put so much in a 1987 vehicle.

Ed

[Black wallnut]

Buy a copy of a Haynes or Chiltons repair manual for your model and year. Read the section covering the rear suspension. If you have a big local library they might even have a copy that you could read for free. These manuals are written for the DIYers. Plenty of pictures and list of any special tools. Once you read what it takes you might be able to guess how much work it would be. If it takes special tools you'll likely spend too much money on those for a one time job. BTW my tool box is full of special tools that I'll likely never need to use again!

[rfisher7381]

I've occasionally needed special tools for a project and Autozone has a free tool usage program. You buy the tool but then get 100% refunded when you return it. I've had times when it didn't make sense to buy a special tool for a one time use and this is a great way to still be able to do it yourself without the high cost of special tools. I had a 1982 Toyota Corolla station wagon. We kept that for 15 years and it was still running good when we sold it to get a mini van to haul kids around in.

[cgallery]

But dbhost has a good point in the quality of the work. If you do it yourself you'll at least know it is done right. If special tools are required that you can't rent/borrow, you can sell them on eBay when you're done. You usually don't take that much of a hit doing it that way (had to purchase a toe-kit saw for a kitchen project and got almost all my money back when I sold it used on flebay).

[Uncle Cracker]

If you do it yourself you'll at least know it is done right.

Not if you don't know what you're doing...

There are certain things, like coil-over struts for instance, that can be extremely dangerous to work on. Heck, even jacking up your car in your driveway and going under it can be dangerous enough, not to mention that you are often working on your back with altogether too little room to work. AutoZone is helpful, but there are many specialized tools that only dealerships have. If you do get a factory service manual (most of them are digital now), there is much info that is cryptic, and they all assume you are a fully-trained factory tech, that you use the manual all the time, that you know what all the abbreviations mean, and that you have a dealership full of tools at your disposal.

Bottom line is that there are some repairs, despite how most of us would rather not admit it, that are better left to the pros, rather than to the "jackstand and Chilton" set. Do the ones you can handle safely and confidently, and send out the rest.

[9johnny5]

I have found Haynes manuals work well for the shadetree machanic like myself. Our library had them when we lived in Virginia, so it's worth a check. On the positive note, if you have coil-over struts, if you take them out, and bring to a shop, you're only paying shop rate for them to compress the spring and replace the strut, vs. the entire replacement. Shop rates are like $80/hr., so like Uncle Cracker said, if you know your limitations on the job, handle what you can, and let the pros do the tough (read also dangerous or expensive to repair if you don't do it right) part, you'll be fine.

[LinuxRandal]

Coil over struts, anti sway bar bushings, really rusty stuff, or stuff that you have to jack higher then you can (with a home jack), send to the pro's. (the safe tool for coil over struts isn't the model sold to homeowners/diy'ers. It is in the $600 range)
Shocks, probably (see the rust issue), some bushings, OK.

I am a more capable diyer, as I turned a wrench for three years. But since I still have access to a lift, there are LOTS of things I could do at home, I don't even try.

Bad part, I can't pay them to do things for me (won't let me be a customer), I would have to go elsewhere for that (and deal with people I don't know in most cases).

[footprintsinconc]

if you have the time and space, i would do it myself. the repair is big, so i'd invest in a Haynes manual and they are really good. would be fun, maybe more than ww

[jgrobler]

I also have the Haynes manuals for my cars, and like to do some fixes myself, but at least the manual helps me talk to a mechanic when I need to.

Also, I have found a very reliable mechanic close to where I live, and build a good relationship with him. He even came and picked me up when my Suburban stranded me. And better yet, he tells me what needs fixing, and what we can delay for later, and gives me advice for things I want to do myself. And he charges me $50/hr.

[Thalermade]

This is certainly a big "It Depends" question. I grew doing alot of work on my cars as my Dad taught me alot, and unfortunately through inheritance I have a wide variety of tools to work on cars.

I do compare the cost of parts and time to how much a shop will charge. But you certainly must figure in some other things.
1. Know your limits - are you comfortable doing this type of work.
2. Do you have the correct tools, including a safe place to work.
3. Budgeting the time- including what if something breaks and additional time is needed to get additional parts.

As for the Haynes and Chiltons, please compare them as I have found that they don't always have the information for all repairs. some times you have to buy both.

Do some research on the web, I have been lucky to find good info using Yahoo and Google, I found automotiveforums.com and wiki.answers.com Though I do make sure I find several responses that closely match.

Be safe, value your time as well as your knowledge and skills
Russ

[dbhost]

If you don't know how to properly lift, and secure a vehicle to begin with, you should NOT attempt your own auto repair.

And I have to admit, I spun wrenches as my first career throughout my teens and 20s, and I have only minor scars from the task (because of an idiot boss, a leaky engine crane, and a Benz 5 cyl diesel)...

Auto repair IS physically and mentally demanding, you have to be able to figure out how to fix broken things, follow directions in manuals, and find work arounds when the manuals are wrong or incomplete.

What one guy things is easy as pie due to his training, and experience, might simply be out of reach for the ability, training, and experience of another.

The only person that can judge if you are the right person to do your own auto repair is you.

As far as Chilton vs. Haines thing goes. NEITHER of the DIYer oriented manuals are worth a tinker's hoot if you aren't already proficient, and even then, they lack a lot... Chilton used to offer a professonal product called "Chilton On Demand". I think they offer it to DIYers as well. That manual included a LOT more information on rude surprises they found when doing the write up than the print copies get...

As far as cost goes...
A shop will charge you for.
#1. Diagnostic time.
#2. Actual removal and replacement (R&R) time.
#3. Misc Shop and Environmental fees. These are usually government mandated fees.
#4. Wholesale cost of parts + whatever % they chose to mark them up. Typically parts purchased through a shop cost more than if you buy yourself and DIY.
#5. Sales Tax.

What is your time worth, and do you have the skills, location, and equipment to do this properly, and safely.

As far as the separation between the "Professionals, and the jackstand crowd" goes... Every professional shop I worked in had a sizable collection of jack stands, and more than a few jobs were done in the lot because shop bay space was not available to work on a client's car...

[ironhat]

Story: I've done a lot of the non-technical repairs myself over the years. When my truck needed shocks last fall my back was pretty unhappy so I went to a shop thinking that this is a simple swap out repair. NOT!! One of the front shock bolts had become so frozen that he needed a torch and a lot of hammering to get it out. Lesson: You just don't know when you will run into something that you're not equipped to do. I'll spare you the story of replacing the front axle universals in a '73. 4x4, F-100, in a gravel driveway, while it was raining... hard!