Estimates for time to complete....

[raghtal]

Hi there party people.

Just wondering what the educated guesses are on the time it should take someone, with moderate mechanical ability and the right tools and access to shop manuals, instructions, etc. to complete the following tasks:

Full brake service on the items in the wheel well (only the front):

replace brake lines with stainless steel lines
replace brake fluid (flush lines as well)
replace rotors
replace calipers
replace padsFull suspension service (all 4 corners):

replace struts and springs with new
replace endlinks with new (rear only)
replace rear subframe with new
replace sway bars front and back
swap winter tires with summers and perform alignment check and tire balancingMiscellaneous:

replace muffler (axle back)
replace side mirrors with ones that include LED turn signals, and sync up with turn signal light control/responseObviously, this is above and beyond just "service" type maintenance, and gets in to the tougher stuff of taking off parts and replacing them with something else and the usual issues that can come with that. :cool:

[Scooter]

the side mirrors wiring will be a PITA. As far as I know, anyone that has tried it (including actual shops that do this type of thing) haven't been able to get things to work properly. Most that I know have ended up with an end product that you push up for it to go down, right for it to go left, etc.

[raghtal]

the side mirrors wiring will be a PITA. As far as I know, anyone that has tried it (including actual shops that do this type of thing) haven't been able to get things to work properly. Most that I know have ended up with an end product that you push up for it to go down, right for it to go left, etc.
I've been told the wiring pattern difference isn't that far off.

old mirror : new mirror
----------------------------Black - Black
Blue - Blue
Red - Red
Borrow - Yellow/ Green
Grey - Borrow
Orange - Orange
You would think that you would just have to link up a line to the signal repeater wire and you would be set.

[Scooter]

^ dunno...I don't know the 1st thing about wiring. I'm only going on what I've seen / heard from the past.

[CrazyCaker]

8-10 hrs to complete everything if you don't ***k around while doing it.

[tiwing]

8-10 hrs to complete everything if you don't ***k around while doing it.
you're ambitious! :) I would guess double that if I were going to try it on my own.

[CrazyCaker]

^ Well, I've done my entire brakes including ss lines (and clutch line as well), changed the fluid, AND reflared a brake line because I had to cut it due to being seized, and that only took about 5 hrs. Add to that the time to do all the suspension (4-5 hrs) and an hr (being generous here) for the axle back.

[Logan]

a day to do everything if you don't do the front swaybar or the mirrors.
two days if you add the front swaybar into the mix...

[evil_y2k_twin]

If you need help Phil i'm close by.

[Action Jackson]

3 to 4 hours for the front brake system including the full system bleed.
The SS lines would take the longest.

[burlingtonprotege]

youll need to change ur front endlinks if you are changing ur front springs/struts.. the front r the most likly to go (if you have oem ones)

[raghtal]

See, that was my thought on the rear ones. If the ones (stock OEM) that are on there now are going to be problematic getting off and on again, might as well just replace them outright with the new ones I have. That would mean swapping out the rear sway bar and putting in the new rear subframe because they both match the new rear end links ;)

Different story on the front, cause I don't have another set of front end links in case they are problematic during the front spring/strut work. Perhaps I should get a pair just in case? Might be a good idea seeing as I have that new front sway bar as well (but it matches OEM end links fine).

[burlingtonprotege]

when i got my front springs done the front endlinks were shot and the backs were fine.. drove without endlinks for about a month and then got some awr's and then replaced the rubber bushing inside with thicker peices so there isnt any clunking

[kc mazda]

for a shop to do it you'll be looking at about 2 days.....will cost big $$$$, you may want do it youself or find someone that knows how to do it...."I wonder who???"

[evil_y2k_twin]

^^^ lmao yeah! Myself, Burlington_Protege and You (Kc_mazda) Could most likely come over and help you out. Bling town baby.

[kc mazda]

I would like to help you guy but not now I recently had a car accident, totaled my car and f^*& my back up.. so no at home work for a while for me.

[raghtal]

Thanks very much for the offers of help guys. Perhaps when its something less complicated and more than one pair of hands is needed, then I'll buy the beer and we'll do something. :-)

I went with breaking down the work in to front and rear sections, focusing on what needed to be done first. The front rotors and pads and struts/springs/end links in this go round; the rear struts/springs/endlinks sway bar and subframe the next. The front sway bar will be done then as well.

[Mike_Moss]

So you're ridin' low up front right now? Sweet! :)

[viper_707]

the front sway bar is a pita, just a heads up. i've done it and it takes awhile lol.

[raghtal]

Thanks for the heads up. You wouldn't think it would be, but considering that its got to mount at 2 end points and then the alignment has to be adjusted properly, I can see it taking longer than one would expect.

[raghtal]

So you're ridin' low up front right now? Sweet! :)

I don't see any noticeable drop, honestly. Still enough room in there though for some tasty 18" rims/tires. But we're talking 2 years from now ;)

[midnitehour]

I've been told the wiring pattern difference isn't that far off.

old mirror : new mirror

----------------------------Black - Black

Blue - Blue

Red - Red

Borrow - Yellow/ Green

Grey - Borrow

Orange - Orange

You would think that you would just have to link up a line to the signal repeater wire and you would be set.

a couple problems with this.
borrow is not a color that i know of. or mazda_rida or cooker of rice

the stock mirror only has 3 wires. brown blue and yellow i forget..
the m3 mirrors have 4 wires with a different plug. it also has white, yellow, blue and black.

installed andrew's m3 mirrors in today. they worked for a second but then just died. is there a fuse somewhere?

orange blinkers worked tho! no blue lights... too illegal...