Newbie suspension question

[Si Jonz]

Hi guys,
Im new to the forum and stumbled across this site when trying to diagnose my car problem. Its got to be one of the most useful sites i have come across.
My car handles poorly on bumpy roads and in particular can make me feel a bit car sick. Its a 54 Vectra 1800 life with 40000miles.
From trolling the forums im quite sure that my shocks have had it and was planning a full set of Bilstein b4's but keeping the standard springs.
I have printed off the tutorial on the fitting of the rear shocks, but cant seem to find a How2 for the front ones.
Is it an easy job for a non mechanically minded Newbie like me? Or should I be taking it to the local Stealers?

Thanks in advance
Si

[bgm46]

Hi Mate,
Buy a haynes manual, it should be easy enough providing you get the correct tools.

[ditchp]

go to a local indipendant garage if i were you mate, vx will charge the earth for front shock's and if you are not mech minded then deffo leave it to the pro's

[_ZS_]

Fronts are easy if you can use a socket set. You will need spring compressors, though, and they can be dnagerous if you don't know what you're doing.

Every town has a back street mechanic that'll fit shocks in an hour for quarter the price of the dealers.

Also, Euro Car Parts distribute Bilstein in the UK, so that's the cheapest place to get them.

I'm by no means a mechanic, but I changed all 4 shocks in my Astra (same setup as the Vectra) using only my cheap Halfords socket set and a hired set of spring compressors in a little over 2 hours, and I wasn't rushing myself. I got the compressors off the local car parts place who rent a good set out for a tenner a day.