Rear drop link - how much?

[preecy]

Just been told one of the rear drop links needs replacing on my 57reg vec-c. This garage just quoted me £87 which seems a bit much. What's the going rate for a small garage?

[Ben50n]

Hourly rates vary from £30-40, so they are probably charging you an hours labour plus parts, plus VAT?

[Rebellion]

The parts are available to the garage for not much more than a fiver, and with a ramp and air tools, it should be half an hour's work. Have a read of my How2 if you need proof. I had mine changed under warranty 4 years ago when I bought the car, and the mechanic was keen to show me all the levers and crowbars he'd had to use in his struggle to remove the droplink from the ARB. It turns out he must have been doing it the wrong way - using the methods in my How2, it took me 4 or 5 minutes to separate the droplink from the ARB (that's the bit people struggle with) and, literally, 30 seconds to attach the new part to the ARB (which is the other bit people struggle with). Print off the How2, show it to the garage, and ask how it can possibly cost £87.

http://www.vectra-c.com/forum/showth...ar-s-Droplinks

[lee gsi]

Hourly rates vary from £30-40, so they are probably charging you an hours labour plus parts, plus VAT?

Down this way its more like £50 upwards an hour.

My boss charges £60 an hour