I just got an estimate from a shop to install shocks, springs and an adjustable panhard bar. They told me from the Mitchell's guide the front is 1.5 hours per side (3 hours total) and the rear is about 3.6 hours (more because of the panhard bar).

Does this seem right? It seem high to me. I thought the rear is a lot easier and therefore should require less time. Are they doubling up the labor on the shocks and springs?

Any thoughts from others on what "official" times they've been given?

 

Well, I'm just an amateur, but the last time I took both my front struts out, disassembled them, reassembled them and reinstalled them it took me 55 minutes to do both sides. Of course, I only have a cheap spring compressor, so it slowed me down a bit. Oh, and I have ducted brakes so I had to remove the calipers and rotors to unbolt the brake backing plates so I could reach the lower knuckle bolt that's hidden behind the brake duct, and that slowed me down a bit, too.

So, yeah, three hours for a pro to do it sounds reasonable.

 

The front quote is well within standards. That is roughly how long it takes me to do in my driveway using jacks. I've done it on my car and my old F-150. 3-4 hours is a decent quote.

The rear is not. The panhard can be removed with the car sitting on the ground and using only 2 wrenches...same with the shocks. You have to move the carpet in the trunk out of the way slightly, but the rear end is so simple that realistically an amateur could expect about 1 hour for the shocks and panhard doing the workin their driveway.