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Some years back while used car shopping Linda fell in live with a Lincoln. Good deal, so we bought it. In the next 7 years we put the purchase price into the car in repairs. The air bag suspension, I remember, was the biggest shock. Around $1,500 per axle.
My dad had a Lincoln with those shocks. I think it was about the time he paid for a set of four of them he decided he was done with Lincolns. He's driving a Mercury Grand Marquis (Lincoln Lite) now and he's happy with it.
Stu, I have lower back issues (bulging disk that has caused sciatica before) and I ride a bike all the time. My physio said it was fine as long as I rode a hybrid/MTB style which has a more upright sitting posture than the bent over road bike style.
And of course there are always recumbent bikes...
My biggest issue with bicycles these days is the potential for a fall. Due to the nature and location of my break (and subsequent repairs), even a relatively mild landing could put me in a wheelchair for life.
About the same as hauling a truck load of garbage away in Tokyo ...
Stu came the closest. The dealer wanted something north of $700 to replace the single shock and rubber boot. A bit of Internet shopping tells me I can buy the shocks for about $100 each. I didn't get a chance yet to talk to my tire shop buddies to see what they are gonna charge me, but I'm betting they'll replace both rear shocks for not a whole lot more than half the price the dealer wanted for one. I've replaced shocks a few times on other vehicles, and I would on this one to save some money, but my back isn't up to the task anymore. Just crawling around under a car anymore is painful. Plus, these are the strut style with the outer spring, and I'm not really wanting to mess with those.
I agree with Allen's points about the training and expertise needed to be an auto mechanic these days, and don't mind paying a fair price for the work they do. It's the price gouging that gets tacked on because of the nameplate on the car that bugs me. I suspect a Toyota dealer charges less that $700+ to replace a single rear shock on a 2001 Toyota Highlander or Camry...and they have the same chassis as my RX300.