2021 Shocks Install Labor Hours?

[Je1279]

Air hammer on the studs makes this an absolute breeze, as long as the new coilover uses bolts instead of studs.

I really wish I had thought of that at the time...

Sponsored

 

[zx6roclet]

Front 2 hours max with a friend in a garage and jacks. Rears 10 mins max for both.

Should be 2-3 hour max for install and additional time for alignment. 6 hours if they have their tire guy doing it….

 

[Redd4099]

From my research I’ve seen some high quotes for powerboost front ends. Is yours a PB?

No Powerboost.

 

[adyaro77]

I see people doing far more work than is required. To get the strut out, unbolt the LCA from the truck. That's pretty much it. No ball joints need removed, the half shaft stays in place, etc.

My buddy's shop removes the lower control arm as well. That's how they taught me. When I did my spacers the only requirement is you're going to need 2 Jack's. If I had a ball joint remover I would have removed it completely. They also taught me to use spray paint to mark the bolts. It's a lot easier if somebody's helping you because of all the weight, but yeah I can tell you I was extremely intimidated by taking everything else apart. This way looks much easier as well. I just wanted to add. The only thing I was told later is I was supposed to replace the nut and bolt that per Ford they're not reusable. I know some people install the SPC camber / caster nuts and bolts.
Luckily I'll be installing 6112s and upper control arms soon so I'll replace all the nuts and bolts then.

 

[Saturnfire]

My local mechanic charged me $450 plus tax to install new owner-furnished Ford Performance Bilstein 6112/5160 on all four corners a couple of weeks ago on my F-150. Alignment not included.

Sir, would you mind sharing the name of your Shop? I am looking for the same setup on a 2024 F150 5.0.

 

[Abraham5G]

Sir, would you mind sharing the name of your Shop? I am looking for the same setup on a 2024 F150 5.0.

A 1 American Transmission & Automotive in Houston, TX

 

[TexasTruck]

I see people doing far more work than is required. To get the strut out, unbolt the LCA from the truck. That's pretty much it. No ball joints need removed, the half shaft stays in place, etc.

This how I did my FP/Bilstein in my driveway. It made the most sense to my simple brain. Not that it was easier, just less invasive. Frankly dealing with that little 13mm hub/axle bolt scared me ? While I had the LCA off I also installed SPC Performance Cam adjusters.

All in all, it took me 4 hours in my driveway including a poor man’s alignment to get to the alignment store.

 

[Buyer2021]

Dropped my 2021 XLT off this morning to have Bilstein 4600 installed front/rear. Called the shop 8 hours later to find out if truck was ready, and the mechanic told me he was almost done and that it was a 6 hour job.

No Powerboost.

FWIW I'm a reasonably experienced lifelong 'DIY home mechanic' with a well-equipped home workshop (4 floor jacks, jackstands, spring-compressor, pneumatic tools, etc, etc). I work slow, careful, and safe. I refer to the Ford Workshop Manual on CDROM for procedure hints, torque specs, etc.

I DIY installed 5100's on all four corners of my 2022 Lariat 3.5EB 4WD. About 5 hours total time which included transferring coils from the OE shocks to the Billsteins (at age 70 I spread the physical effort out over 2 days ).

I did not remove the LCAs. I retained stock ride-height, took it for alignment check after, it was still spot-on. Been loving the improved damping, handling composure, and overall ride for 10k miles since.

YMMV.

 

[NiftyF150]

The first front corner took me 3 hours going very slow trying to figure it out because there were really no instructions for working on a 14th gen with the new IEWE's when I did it back in February 2021. I bought a vacuum pump assuming I would need it but figured out it wasn't necessary for these new style.

The other corner took me maybe 45 minutes max. I did not remove the LCA's. Rears were maybe an hour including time to jack up the truck. I had an alignment done the next day by my local alignment guru and he barely had to adjust anything. He said the alignment was pretty good the way I installed it.

I'd say a good shop should be able to to all four corners in 3-4 hours max. Maybe another hour for an alignment. So depending on your shop's labor rate it could easily creep up into that $700+ mark if you're paying $175-$200 per hour. If they charged you 7 1/2 hours of labor I'd say they either don't know what they're doing or think you're gullible.

Sponsored