Recommended Repair Shop in Northern Virginia for suspension work

I need to have some work done to the suspension on VW (install new shocks and various suspension bushings). Does anyone have a recommended shop in the Northern Virginia area?

I can't give you much of a recommendation for N Virginia.

What I can say is that suspension labor is EXPENSIVE, so don't be cheap, replace everything, all struts and mounts, use new bolts etc etc.

Expect to pay 350$ labor at any shop, if it's lower I would be surprised.

Also dont forget with a mk4 the springs must come out to change the shocks so you might as well put new ones in (ie the labor will be the same), so make sure you like everything you are getting.

If you want to come to Baltimore you can get it done at Induktion, they were the only folks I could trust, and being a top tuner shop that does suspensions on VW's every day helped out too.

My only beef with them was they charged me 150 to do the TT Control Arm Bushings. Its a great upgrade, but not worth 150 in labor.

Also out of curiousity what are you putting in?

I got Koni FSD and Shine VR6 rated springs, with all new bushings and bolts via TDIPARTS.Com. It really helped that the owner had almost the same setup and let me drive his car.

Some coilover owning friends of mine comment how it drives like a lowered car but without the pain.

I plan on going with Koni FSDs and using the stock springs (I don't want the car lowered and I've heard mixed reviews on the shine springs). I also plan on replacing all the suspension bushings (control arm, anti-roll bar, subframe, rear axle, etc).

All right, first let me appologize with great fervor that I forgot to recommend to you a great trusted mechanic in your area ninedee_golf_tdi who has worked on my car.

He fixed a major problem that no mechanics in Baltimore were able to figure out on my fuel pump, had I gone with what some of the folks here were saying I woulda been out 1000$, ninedee_golf_tdi fixed it in under ten minutes and refused payment, of course I hooked him up.

And before even getting there, he was more than happy to chat with me on IM for an hour discussing all the troubleshooting we had done so far (with no guarantee I would tow my car 1.5 hours to his house to get the job done).
Not only is he a great mechanic, but totally rocks the TDIclub spirit that is so hard to find.

Now although he could have done my suspension I had it done at Induktion as I was able to receive a discount (family member was employed at the time). And in reality is 1 hour closer to my house.

ninedee_golf_tdi is an expert on VW's and TDI's, he local and independent and could use the work, where as Induktion is slammed with work every day.

I hope you consider him for this job and any other jobs.

I will respond to your suspension question in another comment.

O0_Ia said:

I need to have some work done to the suspension on VW (install new shocks and various suspension bushings). Does anyone have a recommended shop in the Northern Virginia area?

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You know, I had just written a long response, typical for me I know.

Look, you can go by whatever people say on the internet, or you can drive to Impex this saturday for the GTG
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=4313716

and drive my car.

We have plenty of twisty back roads in rural cockeysville as well as 83 north that has 65mph and no police.
And PLENTY of potholes, man holes, and what we call the "baltimore bump" (random bumps that plague our roads for no reason)

I will just say that I owned my car since new in 2002, and my car rides more comfortable now, so I don't understand how people without Shine springs with FSD's can say anything.

TDIclub always cracks me up for years, I got gassers saying my suspension upgrade is too mild (which is dead wrong) and TDIers who like the gassers have never driven it saying its too extreme

Anyways if your gonna come to Impex let me know, if not you can always come by another weekend, but this will be a great show so why not.......

FSD's, shine springs, shine sway bar......

I replaced all bushings and mounts, lower control arm bushings with TT's ones.

remember stretch bolts.

Way worth it.

O0_Ia said:

I need to have some work done to the suspension on VW (install new shocks and various suspension bushings). Does anyone have a recommended shop in the Northern Virginia area?

Click to expand...

Depending upon what you are after. As posted previously, Tom (ninedee_golf_tdi) an excellent mechanic. If you are looking to hot rod is up, you may want to consider Oliver (TDIRacing).

diesel-dave said:

FSD's, shine springs, shine sway bar......

I replaced all bushings and mounts, lower control arm bushings with TT's ones.

remember stretch bolts.

Way worth it.

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Hey did you do it all at the same time?

Just curious as I wanna do the Shine bar but with labor is BIG bucks.

Plus I want to stiffen the rear, I still feel the roll.

Also PLEASE back me up in the ridiculous notion that Shine Springs, even the eeeevil VR6 ones paired with FSD are not stiff, uncomfortable etc etc?

alex97jazzblue said:

Hey did you do it all at the same time?

Just curious as I wanna do the Shine bar but with labor is BIG bucks.

Plus I want to stiffen the rear, I still feel the roll.

Also PLEASE back me up in the ridiculous notion that Shine Springs, even the eeeevil VR6 ones paired with FSD are not stiff, uncomfortable etc etc?

Click to expand...

yes i did it all in one weekend, then the swaybar the next weekend.

wow it rides nice... not rough at all, not like its slammed, no bounce, nothing.

handles like its on rails.