[KISS]

Noticed that on my mom's car the stabilzer bar is broken in two pieces at the end link. I guess it makes sense to replace the two bushings and the end links as well as the bar.

Car is a 2000 Impala LS

I just have to figure out what suspension it has. I have a choice of:

Sport, ride and handeling and soft ride suspensions.

I hope I can figure it out from the VIN and the GM service manuals which I have.

Any hints doing it in the driveway? Does the car need a realignment after replacement?

I've replaced a rack an pinion before so my skill level is high.

Looks like ~$200 in parts and 2 hrs labor.

[TxGreaseMonkey]

Replace stabilizer bar, bushings, and both stabilizer bar links--realignment is not needed. Shouldn't be difficult. Likely use an 8 mm box-end wrench to hold the stabilizer bar link stud and an 18 mm box-end wrench to tighten. Torque stabilizer bar link-to-strut nut to around 62 lb.-ft. using a deep 18 mm socket. Tighten stabilizer bar link nut, going to the stabilizer bar, to around 42 lb.-ft. If you don't tighten these nuts enough, it will sound like the front end of the car is about to fall off, as the stabilizer bar link pounds away on the strut.

[KISS]

Thanks. I hope I have enough clearance to use a torque wrench.

Thanks for the heads up for the torque required. Makes sense.

[KISS]

Based on some trickery, mom and I managed the cost to be for about $100 labor. She took the car to the dealer for an oil change and had a coupon for an "inspection and tire rotation". This supposedly included the suspension.

I told her not to tell the service department about the broken stabilizer bar. Guess what? They didn't find it. It sticks out like a sore thumb with the wheel off.

Next problem: After she got the car back, but hadn't left the dealer, she told them about the broken stabilizer. They told her the car woulld not be driveable that way and the stabilizer wasn't broken, but they didn't even take it back to check.

I went in the next day armed with a picture and talked to the service manager. He difinately was a little angry with his employees, both the person doing the work and the person doing the write up.

Mom brought the car in and did her magic. She got the price down to $410 with a 4 wheel alignment. So that's about $200 parts, $100 alignment and about $100 labor.

Another shop that deals with wrecks came up with a price of $510.

Pep boys didn't know what they were doing.

Seems like GM recommends replacing the frame to body bolts. They are torqued at 120 ft-lbs. The other shop only replaces them in wrecks and if they are stretched.

So that's the plan. The dealer may have lost a customer, because of the inspection report and missing something so obvious.

The service manager still wondered why I would not tell them about a problem. I think we know why now.

The next time, I'm going to engrave the wheels with a 1,2,3,4 and see if the tires get rotated.

I'm half tempted to get some UV paint and mark the fluid caps and see if they were moved.

So, that's the plan.

[kitch428]

It's a tough business, kiss. These guys are under a lot of pressure to "get these cars done and out the door".
(everyone waits, and no one drops off anymore)
I'm a cross all the 'T's' and dot the 'I's kind of guy. But it's so rush rush nowadays. You feel like you have to walk on egg shells, because if you the customer so much as barks just a little, heads will roll in a heart beat.
That takes all moral in a shop down the tubes and sooner or later someone just doesn't care.
Most are dead honest, and I really think you should have told them what's up.
Just .02

[KISS]

Well, the "coupon" expressly said "check the suspension" and "rotate tires" among other things.

The broken part sticks out like a sore thumb when the wheel is off. It was rusted and separated by a few inches.

I'm not even sure they rotated the tires and that's precisely what another shop said.

Before my mom left the dealership she told them. They did not take it back to look, but rather said "The car would not be driveable".

This cuts the confidence level to near zero.

They say they check the fluids, but they missed the battery. Toyota misses it too.

I'm half tempted to "do it again" with some UV paint on the fluid fillers. (transmission, oil etc.) and see if the alignment marks move.

I will engrave numbers on the wheels to make sure they get rotated like they are supposed to.

They may just miss repeat business. Pep Boys forgot to add water to one of the battery cells when they replaced it.

In fact they gave her hassles when she said the spare has a leak. They just said, spares are not fixable. The didn't even look for a leak in the side wall or valve stem. Both of these areas are repairable even on a compact spare.

The dealer said they tightened the valve core. I haven't checked the pressure since. It's been a couple of days.

I should not have to "pull teeth" to get a job done.