Quoted $706 To Install Daystar Budget Boost

[Red]

Just posting on here to see what you guys think an install of a Daystar budget boost should cost, I was curious and asked the shop that I would be buying the kit from to quote me on the install and they came up with 4 hours labor at $110/hour + alignment + cost of part. Total came to $706 which is WAY over what I thought. I may do the install myself because $706 for something as simple as 2" lift in the front for cosmetic reasons is crazy.

If anyone has a link to some good write ups I'd appreciate it, I'm going to start searching in the mean time.

 

[Doozi]

Yeah... that seems like a lot!! I did the FJ coil spring swap front and rear plus front spacers while maintaining the factory XREAS system in about 6 hours by myself. After doing that, I'd guess that I could do a front spacer install in about a hour... hour and a half, tops. Do you have XREAS?

 

[Red]

Yeah I have Xreas, I was thinking 1-2 hours labor as well, I'm actually waiting for the Toyota dealership to return my call, going to see what they quote, I'm also getting a block heater installed so might as well get a leveling kit done there too. If Toyota quotes me too much then I'll invest in some spring compressors, read up on T4R.org and get my hands dirty.

This leveling kit seems odd though, I've looked at some pictures and on some peoples 4Runners it does a good job leveling but on others it brings the nose up too high, is this a V8 vs. V6 thing? will V6's gain too much lift from this kit?

 

[TRDCal]

My V8 seemed to level out pretty well, and $706 does seem alittle high since the kits is only like $50. I didn't follow or make write-ups but if you want to tackle it yourself I'm sure we could talk you thru it. THe only really pain in the ass for you is disconnecting XREAS, its not impossible it's just a pain.

Heres mine after

 

[empty403]

Yeah... that seems like a lot!! I did the FJ coil spring swap front and rear plus front spacers while maintaining the factory XREAS system in about 6 hours by myself. After doing that, I'd guess that I could do a front spacer install in about a hour... hour and a half, tops. Do you have XREAS?

You will still need to remove the spring to install the spacer. So it should take the same amount of time.

 

[empty403]

Yeah I have Xreas, I was thinking 1-2 hours labor as well, I'm actually waiting for the Toyota dealership to return my call, going to see what they quote, I'm also getting a block heater installed so might as well get a leveling kit done there too. If Toyota quotes me too much then I'll invest in some spring compressors, read up on T4R.org and get my hands dirty.

This leveling kit seems odd though, I've looked at some pictures and on some peoples 4Runners it does a good job leveling but on others it brings the nose up too high, is this a V8 vs. V6 thing? will V6's gain too much lift from this kit?

It's $706 because you're going to a dealership. If you don't work on your vehicle you may a difficult time installing the spacers as you will non-basic tools - spring compressor, prybar, jack stands, impact gun will make things easier, etc. Try getting a quote from an aftermarket place. Since your in Calgary, remember some of the bolts may be rusty.

Also, if you perfectly level out the wheel gap spacing the running boards on Limiteds will be higher on the front side - strange but that's what happens. You can see what I mean if you use a jack to lift the front end to match the rear.

Too bad. If I still lived in Calgary, I'd help you out with the installation.

 

[Doozi]

You will still need to remove the spring to install the spacer. So it should take the same amount of time.

Yes, but that was the first time and the second front side took about 1/4 of the time of the first. The rear was actually more awkward. My installation time has gone way down! : I just replaced all four struts on my wife's Subaru in about 2.5 hours and realized while cleaning up that I had to redo the fronts because I forgot to transfer the rubber isolators. If you think working on 4Runners with XREAS is bad, my wife's Subaru has the hard brake lines running through a bracket on the strut body so I had to disconnect the lines at all four corners... pleasant!

 

[Doozi]

Red: I'd consider buying the part yourself online, finding a small, reputable shop, and finding a decent alignment shop... usually a tire shop can recommend one they use. Or... if you have the tools and space to do it, I'd go for it! It's a great learning experience and as long as you take your time, you should be fine!

 

[ARK_SWAMP_RIDER]

That's insane, no way I'd EVER pay that, or even half that, for a simple spacer install. I was thinking that they changed the design and used extensions in place of new bolts, looking at their web site I can't confirm that. If you have some metric socket/wrenches, jack, and a place to work, you can easily do it yourself. I know most auto parts stores here allow you to rent a spring compressor for free. If you don't have air tools this will be a pain. However, if you remove the strut, you should be able to take it and the new bolts for it to a shop and have them swap them. It shouldn't cost more then $50 to have that done (I think that's even expensive). Even with xreas, install is very easy and should be able to be done in 3-4 hours.

 

[SLC 4RUNNER]

Hey RED,
I just had my Daystar 2.5/1.5 installed at the Toyota dealer for $300 which included alignment. It pays to shop around. 4 wheel parts wanted $700, as well as a local shop. Get to know a service advisor, schmooze etc, and it could pay off.
The advisor said a lot of dealers are hurting for service business, so they want to make deals in the service department as well.

 

[Red]

I do have access to pretty much all tools required, except maybe a spring compressor but I could always buy or rent one of those. My dad, has large compressor with pretty much every air tool you could need, left overs from his previous oil patch mechanic career.

Hey Empty403, are you from Calgary living in San Jose? or were you just working up here?

 

[ARK_SWAMP_RIDER]

You should do it yourself. I have very little experience, about the most involved thing I had done on any vehicle was change the oil. I had no trouble getting it done. I've installed a spacer lift and also OME coils. The spacer lift install was a pain, but I found a much easier way to do it, thanks to galactic_04. I followed his write-up when I did my OME's, very easy and straight forward. Check out his thread, it should have all the info you need on doing the install yourself.

 

[honda_nos]

Weird Doozi. Are you sure there wasn't a C clip that you can undo on the struct to slide the line off?

Yes, but that was the first time and the second front

side took about 1/4 of the time of the first. The rear was actually more awkward. My installation time has gone way down! : I just replaced all four struts on my wife's Subaru in about 2.5 hours and realized while cleaning up that I had to redo the fronts because I forgot to transfer the rubber isolators. If you think working on 4Runners with XREAS is bad, my wife's Subaru has the hard brake lines running through a bracket on the strut body so I had to disconnect the lines at all four corners... pleasant!

 

[Dougtoms01]

You can search on youtube and find some pretty good video's of billet or top out spacer lifts.

Velocity Off-Road Tacoma 4Runner / Tacoma / FJ Install - YouTube

Best regards, Doug

 

[snowbrdr033]

If I can install a spacer kit, anyone can.....haha, no but really! As many people above me have said, if you take your time and have the tools, it really isn't that bad. The front end is always the worst (IMO), but once you get the first side done, it's a breeze! Screw the place trying to charge you a ridiculous amount to install it.....at 706, I'd laugh at them!!

:gun5:

 

[Doozi]

Weird Doozi. Are you sure there wasn't a C clip that you can undo on the struct to slide the line off?

Yes... I'm quite sure! I was floored when I realized that I had to do that! I had to pull a clip out, disconnect the rubber line from the hard line, and pull it through a bracket on the strut body. My first thought was that I could cut the bracket off of the factory strut, so I checked the replacement strut thinking it would be slotted so the line would slide in... not the case! Maybe it's Subaru's way of saying that it's time to bleed the brakes?!

 

[kai920]

That sounds WAY too high for just a spacer install. I did mine myself, never did anything with suspension before. Although it took me some time to figure out what the heck I was doing on the first side, the second side flew by, and then I re-did the first side because I realized it was lined up right. There are some good write ups on the forum.

XREAS is a pain to deal with. It would have been much easier if the strut could be worked on outside of the wheel well, but like ARK said, I also think the new kit has stud extenders, so it should be much easier to deal with, but haven't confirmed that.

About the spacer, some like it, some think it puts the nose too high, and it did on mine. It looked like it was sagging in the rear. I didn't like it, but I wasn't about to uninstall it, so I put a 1.5 spacer in the rear, so I now still have a little rake again. It wasn't the rake that I didn't like, it was just the fact that the space in the front wheel well to the tire was so small, and overall it the 4Runner looked squashed to me. It didn't look right to me.

Here a pic with 1" Budget Boost and 1.5" in rear.

 

[Red]

A couple months ago I tackled changing out the CV Shafts in my 95 4Runner so I'm thinking relative to that job this one should be a piece of cake. That's if I bother with it at this time, I may wait until after I recover from buying new tires.

 

[empty403]

I do have access to pretty much all tools required, except maybe a spring compressor but I could always buy or rent one of those. My dad, has large compressor with pretty much every air tool you could need, left overs from his previous oil patch mechanic career.

Hey Empty403, are you from Calgary living in San Jose? or were you just working up here?

I grew up in Winnipeg and move to Calgary in 1996 and lived there for about 5 years before moving to San Jose.

 

[TRDCal]

Red, since you have a Limited you can adjust the rear air suspension heigth to level it out if you find it lifts the nose to high. Somewhere on here ARK posted a link which shows you how to adjust the RAS which by the sounds of it is pretty easy.