Kinda bittersweet that my wheel search is over. haha

It's a Physical Vapor Deposition coating. It's actually very durable, I only know about it because I'm a huge watch freak, and high-end watches that come in black are PVD coated and the finish doesn't wear off very easily.

 

Perforated leather? Yes, and I think that would look nice, but it is a lot of material. Right now I am trying to figure out if I want to replace the perforated leather in the front seats with suede or alcantara just so it is not so damn cold in the winter and hot in the summer. I had that in my last two cars and it was really nice. I'm honestly not a huge fan of leather.

 

Who here has had their aftermarket sway bars installed by a shop? Mind sharing how much you spent to get it done?

I was quoted $242 by a local shop, but the other shops around here won't even touch them since the bars are customer-supplied.

A guy who works at a local Infiniti dealership said he could do it at his dad's shop for $150 cash, which seems a little high anyway.

 

$97 in April 2013.

For a shop with a lift and tools, it shouldn't take more than an hour front & back.

 

That's the ballpark I was guessing. I think it'd be wise to look around more.

 

It doesn't take great automotive expertise to install sway bars. $50-75 is what I'd pay.

Really, if you have any mechanical ability, invest the money into a floor jack, jack stands and some tools so you can do other maintenance yourself.

 

Front and back Hotchkis for $125 July 2015.

Sean

 

I've got a jack and ramps. I've tried on two separate occasions to get the 17mm bolts out and they would not budge from the breaker bar or when I added a little leverage with a PVC pipe. Just kinda tired of it and trying to do the install in an non-insulated garage in negative temperatures is further curbing my enthusiasm.

 

I hear you. I did trans fluid last january because shifting to 2nd what a nightmare when the car was cold.

Maybe some liquid wrench would help or an impact. I did mine with basic hand tools. The car was relatively new at the time and bolts were not seized. How long of a ratchet you using? I have several here including a 30" breaker bar. The only time I needed something more was when removing the front chain sprocket on a motorcycle. I used a 5' lead pipe over the ratchet.

 

You feel my pain as a fellow midwesterner lol. The breaker bar is 18" and the PVC pipe made it maybe 22" - not a whole lot of room to operate under the car, though.

I drenched the bolts in liquid wrench and let it sit for about an hour and came back to it, no luck. I may have to bite the bullet and get an impact wrench. I'll at least be able to do more things on my own in the future.

 

Have you tried to TIGHTEN the nuts a bit first? Then use the breaker bar to loosen? That often breaks the tension and gets you going. It's worth a try.

And I hear ya: if you're not using a lift, it's tight under there.

Sean

 

I've got an ancient 2-ton floor jack. It ain't pretty, but it's more than up to the task.

Hate my ramps, though. They're too narrow for my summer tires. Love to get a set of 2-piece Race Ramps. I've been pining after that for a couple of years now, and still haven't done it. Mostly all I do under the car as a DIY is change the oil. Grumble.

 

Why not jack up the car first then place the ramps under (for tasks that don't require wheel removal). That's what I do. Sure I can drive up the ramp too (stock suspension), but doing so involves clutch slipping.

 

I have not, but I'll have to put it off until next week, though. The high for this weekend will be 7...

I'm getting another estimate tomorrow from a shop right around the corner. If it's less than $150 I'm going to definitely consider it.

Orrrrr I just wait until spring. I'll have saved some cash for coilovers by then. Installing both at the same time will let me ride on cloud 9 for months (weeks) lol.

 

Yeah I spoke to Jack, on their facebook page, he even added me on his person FB page, but the funny part is he's only 2h away from my hometown in Poland.

Rochester, Mike is the founder and owner and Jack is his friend that has been with him for 4 years, they said they do come here once a year for SEMA.