[nadox]

so i have decided to lift my fj, and went to garage and quoted me 1698.00 for lift with installation, and does it really take 12 hours to install bumper and lift or im i getting ripped off.

 

[WaJohnZ]

I would say 5-6 hours seems reasonable, depending on how old or miles and dirt you have on your FJ, if new then I think the number is high.. Think about they have to disassemble pretty much your full front end including the sway bar links, assemble the new shocks, and it's the kind of work you cannot use air tools on everything. The three tower bolts are a bit of a PIA themselves... The only thing I think is rich is the time allotted for the UCA's, the removal of them will make the front shock install go easier and If the shop is experienced I would say maybe 4-5 hours for the lift plus maybe 1 for the UCA's as thus all happens at the same time, but again if you have corrosion the rear shocks may need extra work to get out etc. How free are your lower control arm bolts, they should be removed and have anti-sieze put on them. They will not quote to the minute, every shop will have a labour cushion and you don't want a rush hack job. So I would say your not being "ripped off", if they do a good Thorough install but they are getting their money fore sure. The only for sure cheaper way is to do it yourself but then you see there is a good amount of work involved. The bumper labour looks high as well but there is a lot of messing around and unknowns there as well.... It's custom work or modifying. Much depends on where you are located too get at least one more quote to get the average for your area.
Curious to see what others say.

 

[sigtrovert]

Most shops work from a standard "book" to charge for various kinds of work. Could be considered a "cushion" if a job proves to be unusually difficult: but most try to "beat" the book, so they and dealer/owner can do more jobs in a day. Absolutely no guarantee they will be careful and take the time to do it right, as it usually "all about the money"! Search around for references and you will find shops that take pride in a job well done and depend heavily on referrals as a low cost way of growing their business!

 

[bowa41sm]

I ordered my OME from Toytec with front spacer all assembled to my door for the same as your paying just for the lift. The install took 2 of us 4 hours with food and the usual breaks for chit chat. It's an easy install. I hate to see people pay for labor when it's not necessary. When you add up all the labor from your list, that's money for another big mod!


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[Wikid]

If you include building the coil overs it could take 3-4 hours. I always hate doing OME lifts, because I don't have a spring compressor. Without having to do the spring build, we do them in the garage without a lift,
in about 2-3 hours

Bumper can be a little tricky, but if you do them all the time it should only take 2-3
hours, MAX.

 

[nadox]

umm is it worth it to have the lift installed in that shop ( 4x4 specialist) and the rest ( bumpers) in a regular auto shop ?

 

[big green egg]

If you have to pay someone to install it for you, it's worth however many hours they quote you.
EDIT: By looking around, there's good labor $ in the vanity offroad JKU segment.

 

[jimmy-buffett]

so i have decided to lift my fj, and went to garage and quoted me 1698.00 for lift with installation, and does it really take 12 hours to install bumper and lift or im i getting ripped off.

A shop that does a lot of lifts can have it done in 3-4 hours. Bumper and winch wiring would take about the same time. Their time quotes are not too far out of line though, if they don't do this work frequently or they give it to the new guy. The price on the Camburg UCA's is MSRP straight off the website.

Do you need the front bumper/winch right now, or can they wait?

If you want to save money but you can't do the work yourself, watch the forums for free shipping / discounts, buy the parts yourself then take them to these guys for installation. If you come to FJ Summit this year, you can even work out deals with the vendors to deliver products and you can save on shipping.

Some advice about the parts you picked:

1. Suspension -- you'll want an adjustable front suspension, the OME's aren't (I have them). The Toytec Ultimate or Toytec Boss suspensions are the baseline for price/quality for this. The Camburg UCA's are a good idea for the lift, either those or the Light Racing ones will work. With an adjustable front suspension, you can add mods over time and still adjust your ride height. You can also adjust to fix the FJ's natural tendency to lean toward the driver side, due to weight (driver + gas tank).

2. Skip the rear bumper unless you're getting one with a swingout. There just isn't much point to having a non-swingout metal bumper back there unless you plan on backing into stuff a bunch.

3. The ARB front bumper is the most metal for the money, and it's the best battering ram of the bunch, but it's not the best looking bumper out there. Is that the one they suggested, or did you pick it?

Long story short ^^^ before you drop a bunch of money on your truck and possibly end up with mods you regret, you might want to do a bit more research on which parts to buy, how to get them the cheapest, how to save on shipping, where to have the work done etc.

 

[FJ Cruiser Matt]

I agree with taking time to look at the mods. This weekend I have had my OME suspension removed and a Toytec lift installed. I hated the ride and rake of the OME after a while. If I had taken more time in the beginning this may not be the case.

Just the give you am idea, the dealership that is installing my suspension quoted about 5-6 hours. They do it all the time and have great techs...

Cheers!




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[nadox]

mainly i was planning on getting Icon stage 1 with light racing UCA's. however, i read they stopped offering the IVD coating which some members said its a must for cold areas. would The Toytec Ultimate suspension perform well in cold areas ( no squeaking, immune to salt. etc) ?

As for the front bumper, do you have any recommendation in mind ?

the winch, i might go with Engo Winch Model E10000S ( good reviews, cheaper, and Synthetic) rope, i wouldn't mind waiting before getting winch but it would be cheaper to get it done with the bumper.

 

[PUBA08]

Wouldn't an abundance of road salt make adjustable coil-overs "fun" to adjust over time?


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[Michigander]

Wouldn't an abundance of road salt make adjustable coil-overs "fun" to adjust over time?


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Salt certainly makes it more difficult. After 2 years I adjusted mine this fall and it was a pain but not impossible. They bodies of the adjustable coil-oovers are aluminum so they don't get nearly as bad as mild steel.

 

[jimmy-buffett]

As for the front bumper, do you have any recommendation in mind ?

Here's the full front bumper comparison list:

http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/foru...ad-tech/161181-new-complete-front-bumper-listing-comparison-thread-updated.html

There's basically three reasons to buy a front bumper:

1. Lots of animals in your area, and you need a battering ram.
2. You want a better looking front-end than stock, and the extra protection is nice.
3. You need a winch, and to mount a winch you need a bumper.

How you prioritize these 3 will narrow the field. #1 requires a grill guard, #2 doesn't, just #3 can be done very cheaply.

Here's my suggestions, depending on how you prioritize them:

1/3/2 = ARB
2/3/1 = Fab Fours
3/x/x = cheap, or any Demello will do

Cosmetically I like the Fab Fours the best, but the ARB is made in Australia for running over Kangaroos so it's solid.

 

[nadox]

i think im sticking with ARB, my main concern are the lift kit. not sure what to pick, im looking for something that will last at least 4 years without any issue in winter

 

[FJ Cruiser Matt]

i think im sticking with ARB, my main concern are the lift kit. not sure what to pick, im looking for something that will last at least 4 years without any issue in winter

If you can wait for at least a few days, I will be using my Toytec in below freezing. I can give you an update then.


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[PUBA08]

Up in the northeast where we get tons of snow and ample amounts of road salt, I have opted away from adjustable coilovers.
I had/have no need to adjust the height because I've been completely level after installing both OME and Pro Comp lifts. I've had ARB bumpers on both my FJ's and both lifts handled the weight perfectly and were level. Both lifts lasted just fine in NY winters especially from all the crap Mother Nature threw at them.
Now that being said, if I lived in a warmer climate without snow and salt I may consider buying adjustable coilovers. Though I would have to justify shelling out over $1k for a lift when I only go off road a few times a year when work permits.
Basically It's all up to you on what to buy and what your needs are in a lift. Just cause a lift is $1k+ or adjustable doesn't mean it's the best. Def take a ride in some people's trucks to see how the different lifts feel.


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[lqdchkn]

took me 4 hours to do 5100s on the front the second time I did it (using hand tools, driveway install) and that was after I already knew what was going on. im assuming they are doing front and rear for you so yeah 6 hours seems legit

 

[maccve]

I installed my Expedition One front bumper all by myself with crappy tools in my garage in about 6 hours...I would think a professional shop with excellent power tools and such would be able to do it in about 3 hours. I also had a friend who owns a tire shop install my OME lift...I think they charged me about 3 hours of labor...that included installation and alignment after installation...

 

[WaJohnZ]

^^^^ A full front and rear lift, including alignment in 3 hrs.... I'm sorry but that's not even close to realistic, it takes a good 30-40 min to do a good alignment, that means they installed a complete lift, which includes assembly of the new shocks and springs in approx 2 hours and 15 minutes.... Nope. I think you should check your invoice becuase if that is close to possible what they did you should go outside and check your FJ for what they left off.. It takes 5- 10 minutes just to get your FJ up on the lift and all the wheels off, parts out of the boxes, then at the end clean up and wheels on, you pay for that 15-20 minutes time and they haven't touched your suspension yet..... At least an hour per corner and an hour for alignment and that woud be a Very fair deal. Like I said before the 5-6 is not a rip off the 1.5 for the UCA's is a little much because they will all happen at the same time and make the shock change go easier.
Nadox...regardless of what shock system you choose if you live in a winter region with salted roads you should be preventive and wash the underside and suspension areas once every week or two max, it take three minutes at a indoor "you do" wash facility.... Regarding shocks choices have you looked at the new Iron Man shocks... Worth a look.

 

[nadox]

update !

thank you guys for your advices, i have changed my build a bit and managed to lower the labor cost. 4-5 hours for lift, 1 hour UCA, 4 hours ARB bumper. and also bought Baja Rack All Flat Utility Rack with SPY Light System which i will be installing by my self