I have right at 200,000 miles on my f150 5.4 lariat. I want another 50,000. I am retired and only use it locally. I am hearing a squeak (sqwawk) sometimes with a bump. The ride is rough. So I am thinking I need front struts (originals) and shocks about 100,000 miles on them. I don't want NAPA parts and I really rather buy the parts myself. My first question is about what would be my labor costs here in North Florida.

IT is a good chance I need upper control arms. How many hours extra would that be. I may need tie rod ends and sway bar links. About what would be my labor for that.

Am I being reasonable expecting to provide parts. I have had local mechanics charge at least 25 more on parts at list price. I would imagine they would adjust the hours to make up for this loss. I don't know how that works. I certainly expect to pay a reasonable rate for labor.

Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

Sway bar busking and links are easy . I find that struts with springs are on them are not difficult . It depends if you have some tools and floor jack . Most of the the special stuff you need are available from auto zone rent free . The upper and lower control are not bad at all . I usually use moog parts and monroe quick struts , no sense fooling with a spring compressor . . If you were near me I could put you on a guy who would do it real reasonable as he is disabled and needs the side work . Everything is on you tube so its no mystery .
Some of these shops are ridiculous and not trust worthy .
Big value torques are not a problem you tube will show you a work around .
One of the most common problems is the front wheel bearings on the 2wd trucks They come on new rotors , they are weak . It can be converted to centric 4wd drive rotors -which I did ,they are more robust and dont require special rotors and are easier to deal with .

 

You are retired. Do you want to do the work yourself? Are you physically able to do the work?


All of your questions can only be answered by visiting your local shops. You need to actually speak to the shopkeepers to see what your truck needs, and how much it will cost. Then you can compare what the different shops tell you about parts and labor. Look for the shop that actually wants to take a test drive, and to put your truck up on a lift for an inspection. That's the mechanic who is actually trying to help you figure out exactly what you need. Anyone who just rattles off an estimate without actually looking - well - you're taking your chances. Either the guy is just trying to make a quick buck - or he actually doesn't know what he's doing.

Think about it. How is anyone supposed to diagnose your truck over the internet without actually seeing it? Who, on the internet, is going to know what the prevailing labor rates are for your area? Then there's no way a competent mechanic would be able to fix your truck without test driving and inspecting it. A good mechanic will also show you what they found during the inspection, so that you will know that he's not lying. At that point, you have to decide on who to use. The more competent mechanic. Or the cheapest mechanic.

 

^^Exceptionally wise words!

 

Funny tire wear is your first indication of bad Ball Joints / Tie rod ends. Straight ahead driving difficulty / Death wobbles.
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If you have never replaced the front wheel bearings, test the 1st thing.
Jack up, remove right front tire, and Brake Caliper off Rotor. You will easily feel a rough wheel bearing then.
The Wheel bearings are really strange critters when compared to the old Timken's. Noisy wheel turned slightly left, quiet wheel turned slightly right. Say around a bend in the highway.
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If you have a rough bearing might as well replace both. Inspect your ball joint rubber Boots / moisture seals for cracks and unusual look to them.
You need a Coil Spring Compressor to do the shocks & that type of work. Getting the wheel bearing unfastened & out of the stuck to spindle is not an easy task.
It and the spindle literally like-weld to each other with corrosion. The Rotors tend to freeze to the bearing also.
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The tire wear, cupping or inner heavy wear of the tread are worn alignment problems.
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The Job may be much easier if your vehicle has never driven thru winters of Calcium Chlorides / Salt roads. Penetrant and Torch is a must have to do the work.
All your fasteners may be Loctite & Froze tight. Impact can't loosen them? You must heat them first to free the Loctite. It will bubble out then.
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Once you have figured out the stuff, you can complete order the Kit from Rock Auto or other online sources. It's sort of easy to think that you need the Kits.
Has the truck been lifted a couple of inches. Most are. Looking at the side does your truck front look low or level.
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Order the Kits you will need for what you want to end up with. Stock or Lifted front to level. Places to research.
Rock Auto Lifted front suspension kits for 2008 F150 - Search (bing.com)
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I just replaced every part you mentioned. Amazon sells Moog stab links, balljoints and inner and outer tie rods. I bought Billstein front struts and they came compressed so after install you just release them. I bought the upper control arms with the ball joint in place because it really wasn't that much more. If your able to do the work yourself it really.isnt that hard. I got it all done in a long afternoon. I llived in central florida and they were asking around 1200 just for the labor that included a front end alignment. Like the other guy mentioned check the front bearings because no matter what kind or who from I never get more than 2 years out of them. The rotors are to small for the trucks so they either warp or the strain from the weight mess up the bearings. Im in Atlanta now otherwise I would offer my services. Best. Od luck.

 

My main fault are Potholes a foot Deep, DOT sit in trucks all day while traffic on the interstates and Sodium Chlorides / winter salts on the Ice / heavy snows. So much corrosion. And the Flying retreads, sometimes up to 10 per couple of miles laying there.