[tsk1979]

MY Indica has done around 81000kms now. Around 75K kms or so the front suspension seemed to be giving away. Just before the Potenza's were replaced I noticed that the front left shocker had given away. In the indica the damper and the coil spring come as a unit.

Scary site it was. So I started looking for places to get the job done.
First step was the spare parts list sign board at TASS. It quoted the price as 2500rs. This meant the front suspension job was going to cost minimum 5000rs not to mention labor, and also TASS guys have a knack of declaring perfectly working parts as faulty.

This led me to searching for independent workshop and I was suggested Reyaz in Khan market by Bhupinder in another thread. So on friday I called him up, and he asked me to get the car at 10am in the morning as it tends to get crowded.

Anways it was a saturday, which meant by the time I reached his shop(Behind Ambassador hotel, Khan Market M block) it was noon.
There was no shop, just a sort of stall by the roadside. I saw a mercedes(1980s vintage) getting front shockers replaced along with a 800 and an accent getting some more complex work done.
I stop the car and tell the dude that we had spoken a day before. He tells me that I should have come by 10am, since his guys are working on 3 cars and there are 2 more cars waiting.
However I do have another option, I can go to his brother who does suspension only work 50mts down the lane. I am a bit skeptical, but he assures me that he will check the suspension himself and get them started on the work before leaving that spot.
So we go to his brothers shop and they start to work.
The front left shocker is a goner, broken, and the right one is also at end of life. He says the rear suspension also looks like gone.
I ask him to check the tie rods too etc., He checks those and the chimta(Strut?) too, and declares them okay after lot of heaving and pushing and moving around. I tell him that when I got alignment done they guys said that the tie rods are also gone, but he tells me not to worry as the problem is not the tie rod, but the broken shocker.
After inspection he tells me that the rear suspension is gone with left rear one bent and the right one end of life.
So the job would be to replace all 4.
I say go ahead and then I am given the option to get gabriel shocks in front and Monroe at the back. Monroe is the OEM part which came with the car.
Soon the front left shocker is dismantled to check the extent of damage.
Its pretty severe. Its leaked and bent.

After inspection I am told since the springs are reusable, the cost would be 1400 for the front pair. He then shows me some recycled shockers too which cost only 500-1000rs a pair! A hit with Taxi's he says. Looks like Delhi has a cottage industry.
Anyways in come the new Gabriels


Next step is the rear shockers. As he had said earlier the LHS was bent!


The cost for these 2 will be 1000rs, and I said go ahead.

So 1 hour later I have 4 new shockers and they cost me 2400rs including everything. Moreover he says if they leak or go bad within one year I can come to his shop for a free replacement too. But in most cases these will last me atleast 35-45K kms according to this guy.

So now 2400rs lighter I have a new suspension. Come to think of it, if I had gone to TASS I would have spent 10,000rs for the same job!

The difference is immediately noticeable. Gone are those bone jarring jerks. Moreover the rear is planted and the front does not wander all over the road at the hint of the slightest bump. The car feels surefooted, and I can now throw it into corners without wondering whether I will hit the guardrail or not!

This guy gets a thumbs up for me.

[lohithrao]

Great! that worked out pretty cheap and if it lasts till 40-50k kms then its really worth.
but hope that it doesnt give way at hi speeds?

btw changing all the 4 dampers costed you 2400? excluding 4 springs?

i recently got my 4 suspensions hardend(dampers only) it costed me 5k. wish i could find some one like riyaz in bangalore. who could do the job for around 3k

[tsk1979]

If you look at the MRP for the indica shockers(Damper+Spring) its 2500 a pair at big shops. Hunt around and you will find OEM for 2200rs and most small shops sell at this price. This guy shaved off 800rs in exchange for the old parts which will go into making a "cottage industry" shocker which costs 1400 a pair without exchange.
Since I am not putting in any "cottage industry" suspension, but the OEM brand, I doubt there are any high speed issues.
Besides I saw many cars waiting in line and a mercedes getting suspension changed, so this guy must be good.
There is a guy called spark (Bhupinder) on our forum who gets his city done from that guy and says he is pretty happy.

[rishibravo]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

If you look at the MRP for the indica shockers(Damper+Spring) its 2500 a pair at big shops. Hunt around and you will find OEM for 2200rs and most small shops sell at this price. This guy shaved off 800rs in exchange for the old parts which will go into making a "cottage industry" shocker which costs 1400 a pair without exchange.
Since I am not putting in any "cottage industry" suspension, but the OEM brand, I doubt there are any high speed issues.
Besides I saw many cars waiting in line and a mercedes getting suspension changed, so this guy must be good.
There is a guy called spark (Bhupinder) on our forum who gets his city done from that guy and says he is pretty happy.

Infact I have heard these guys at khan market are well equipped for most of the jobs and that too for big brand cars. I go there for small denting painting jobs and return happily and not so poor in comparison to the FIAT/TATA service station.

[Zappo]

Not only Delhi, the whole of the north has many such cottage industries. I had seen similar radiator shops, shock absorber shops and even chassis shops. Come to think of it all these are supposed to be use-and-throw things. As they say, nothing goes waste in this country.

[carlove]

Dear TSK

I am new member of Team BHP and would like to know riyaaz's contact number. also i have heard shockers are easy to get in the aftermarket but its the local mounts(rubber parts) which create problem later. I own an accent 2004-front shocks change required. does riyaas get the new shocks or did he ask you to get it?please guide.

carlove

[71Convertible]

what exactly was wrong with your shocks? They looked ok in the pics. Just wondering. How exactly did you test them?
B

[avasthy]

Reading this thread, I went to Reyaz (sits on road by the side of M Block, Sujan Singh Park, Near Khan Market & behind Ambassador Hotel) for my 2005 model Tata Indigo that has done 117,000 Kms for suspension and shockers. My experience was BAD. Nothing special about Reyaz - he had trouble in dismantling the system - some old bush did not come out because he did some silly mistake and then had tpo struggle for an hour. Then, he committed another blunder in opening the steering column and finally, it had to be sent to a lathe mechanic (another Rs 2500 on me) as he accidentally torn the sealed assembly. He had to go 3-4 times in between to offer Namaaz and his guys didn't know what to do so I had no option but to keep waiting. WORST: he has an arrangement with a "Sardar ji" in Lajpat nagar to get spares and these spares were very expensive (one front shock absorber plus shocker assembly - WITHOUT SPRING - with MRP of Rs 2590 printed on box was given to me for Rs 2450 whereas in my local market from an authorized Gabriel dealer the same is available for Rs 1870). So, this guy makes decent margin on all spares. Not only this, he tried to change many more components which he wasn't really able to prove that they were malfunctioning. I was told in one of the brakes by his chotu that they sell these parts to taxi guys. Worst part - I found his workmanship to be poor - examples - he tried to fit steering column which appeared to have an issue with one bolt by putting extra thread in the groves. Not only this, as he had taken one axle out (resulting in gearbox oil being drained), he kept the gear box oil lie in an open tub for 4-5 hours by side of the road AND PUT THE SAME OIL BACK! I later got it changed. My bill: Rs 12,900/- for 2 front shockers, shocker assemblies (WITHOUT SPRING IN BOTH), full suspension including all ball joints/ bush kits/ one end joint and steering lathe job (for which he was responsible). he took 13 hours in all and he worked ONLY ON MY CAR - there were no other customers at all throughout the day.

MY ADVICE: for suspension type of jobs, buy spares from Kashmere gate auto market, buy all spares from an authorised shop, and get it done from a local mechanic close to your place. Had I done so, inclusive of lathe job, I would have got it all done ONLY for Rs 9500 or so (without lathe job for steering - around 8000 or so). Also, workmanship and professionalism of this guy was very bad.

[rkw]

My Indica DLS 2001 has done 1 lac km. Takes to TASS for regular service. Suspension change is due now. Had replace front struts at 55k. Front damper has started to leak. Also can hear hitting sound on uneven roads.
Is there some good mechanic / garage in Navi Mumbai / Pune who can do the suspension job nicely?

[Guna]

Originally Posted by rkw

My Indica DLS 2001 has done 1 lac km. Takes to TASS for regular service. Suspension change is due now. Had replace front struts at 55k. Front damper has started to leak. Also can hear hitting sound on uneven roads.
Is there some good mechanic / garage in Navi Mumbai / Pune who can do the suspension job nicely?

55k just for a pair of Indica struts? I thought the quotation of 70k for my Forester struts (imported, self leveling type and all that) was way too high.

[rkw]

Originally Posted by Guna

55k just for a pair of Indica struts? I thought the quotation of 70k for my Forester struts (imported, self leveling type and all that) was way too high.

What I meant was that the front struts were replaced at 55000 km. A pair of Indica front struts costs about Rs.6000/-

[DRIV3R]

Originally Posted by Guna

55k just for a pair of Indica struts? I thought the quotation of 70k for my Forester struts (imported, self leveling type and all that) was way too high.

Well, he probably meant he changed the front struts when the ODO was at 55k.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by Guna

55k just for a pair of Indica struts? I thought the quotation of 70k for my Forester struts (imported, self leveling type and all that) was way too high.

I think he meant 55k kms and not Rs 55k.