God I hate having to ask....struts/shocks??

12968 Views 12 Replies 8 Participants Last post by ActiveAgent, Jan 24, 2013

ActiveAgent

Discussion Starter · Jan 17, 2013

Listen, I've used the search function and it's just made me more confused. I just need someone to clear things up a bit for me and help me figure out exactly what I need to buy and do to get where I need to go.

My 03 EX L V6 four door, has just under 200k on it. My right front strut/shock is leaking and I'm now hearing the rattle noise when going over bumps and such. I'm not a racer nor do I have the desire to lower my car. I sell real estate and tend to have to drive down roads that are not conducive to lowering.

okay, so, I called Honda and they want $200 per corner for OEM. I see all the threads about Tokico, or whatever, the red ones. Do I really need those?? I also looked up at Advanced Auto website, monroes for ~$100 per corner, with bad feedback left about them, and KYB for ~110 per corner. These seem to have a better review about them.

Along with which brand, what the heck else do I need?? Springs, mount kits, bushings et...??

It's enough to make my head spin. I am not a mechanic. I can change oil and drive them. That's it. I don't have time to do it myself, nor do I want to. I have someone to take it to, but I like to bring my own parts as he wants to upcharge me on the parts, and doesn't always recommend what I think is best for me.

So, basically, I need someone to tell me what's needed to keep my ride as close to stock as possible, without going anything less than what I currently have OEM. With nearly 200k on the car, I've been fine with the ride and still am. I apologize for starting another strut/shock thread, but it seems most of the threads on the topic are for the lowering and racing guys. That's not me. Just a dude that doesn't know enough to make an informed purchase to keep my beloved Accord on the road safely.

Thanks in advance for the help. Hopefully some good responses will help others like me in their future search for just replacement of OEM set up.

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sodaks2k

· #2 · Jan 17, 2013

If you like OEM so much, stick with OEM

http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com...&catcgry4=KA5AT&catcgry5=FRONT+SHOCK+ABSORBER

You can replace the bushing (illustration #6 )if you want, and for the price you might as well.

Most suggest aftermarket (especially the tokiko HTS) because they are on sale now and cheaper than OEM if you buy them in pairs or all four.

*edit* the HTS's are no longer on sale.

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ActiveAgent

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 17, 2013

Thanks for the quick reply. One thing I didn't ask the dealer about the OEM, was what was included. Do I need all of the parts shown in the diagram? The springs as well?

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DreaminAccord

· #4 · Jan 17, 2013

Your springs and top hats are reusable. Remember, to always replace them in pairs (if you do the driver front, do the passenger front at the same time). If your rear struts aren't bad, and money is a concern, I'd leave them alone for now. The front struts can be swapped out in a matter of say, 30 minutes?, they are the easiest ones (so be it that nothing is seized and gives your mechanic a hard time). This would also cut your labor costs in half since you aren't DIY

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D-JET

· #5 · Jan 17, 2013

oem or kybs. kybs are a tad stiffer.

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rszappa1

· #6 · Jan 17, 2013

You can also go with Quik Strut from Monroe. It has the strut and spring already to go.
They have it for the front and the rear..

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jfuredy

· #7 · Jan 17, 2013

ActiveAgent said:
Thanks for the quick reply. One thing I didn't ask the dealer about the OEM, was what was included. Do I need all of the parts shown in the diagram? The springs as well?

In the drawing that sodaks2k linked to you can see that items 2 and 3 point to the box surrounding all parts in the drawing. That's Honda's way of showing that buying items 2 and 3 will give you complete assemblies including all of the individual parts included in that box (that could alternatively be bought separately).

If you're not doing the job yourself, getting a completely assembled spring/shock assembly may actually be cheaper than buying the shock separately and having the shop remove your old springs, install them on the new shock, and install it on your car. Compressing those springs is kind of a pain in the butt. Good luck!

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ActiveAgent

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jan 19, 2013

thanks guys. I appreciate the feedback. Looking into the OEM rite now.

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ricerocket

· #9 · Jan 19, 2013

You can just buy the shocks alone and reuse every single part from your old suspension. This includes spring, top hats, nuts and bolts, rubber bushings, dust boot, etc. I might advise you to replace the rubber bushings on the top hats at a minimum (they're like a few bucks a pop, but you need 8).

If you want to basically buy all the components brand new I can possibly PM you all the parts you would need. Just expect the price to be up there. Maybe looking at anywhere from $600-800 + shipping for brand new everything.

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ActiveAgent

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jan 19, 2013

ricerocket said:
You can just buy the shocks alone and reuse every single part from your old suspension. This includes spring, top hats, nuts and bolts, rubber bushings, dust boot, etc. I might advise you to replace the rubber bushings on the top hats at a minimum (they're like a few bucks a pop, but you need 8).

If you want to basically buy all the components brand new I can possibly PM you all the parts you would need. Just expect the price to be up there. Maybe looking at anywhere from $600-800 + shipping for brand new everything.

you think when the dealer quoted me ~$200 per corner, that was everything?? At that time, I wasn't informed enough to know what to ask.

If this is the case then, I think I'll follow your advice and order all 4. I was going to just do the fronts for right now and rears in another month or two.

Thanks so much for the clarification. I really appreciate it.

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sodaks2k

· #11 · Jan 19, 2013

ActiveAgent said:
If this is the case then, I think I'll follow your advice and order all 4. I was going to just do the fronts for right now and rears in another month or two.

The good thing about ordering it all at once is you only have to pay the S & H fee once. There are a few other OEM suppliers and S&H could be less than I site I posted. You can find them under the FAQ here in the 7th gen section.

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WDMaccord

· #12 · Jan 24, 2013

If anyone is looking to do struts, I put Monroe OESpectrum struts on all 4 corners of my 2003 EXL V6. I would say slightly stiffer than the OEM, which I am fine with. OEM prices went way up in the last 6 months so I decided to try the Monroes. Been happy with them so far.

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ActiveAgent

Discussion Starter · #13 · Jan 24, 2013

As an update, I went with the kby's as I have read they were a bit stiffer than OEM and they were about 1/3 less in price.

I just placed the order this morning from an auto parts online store and got both front struts, along with mounting kits for $210, shipped. Based on the link above, I would have paid ~$300 for the struts alone.

I read about the Monroe's as well and they were rated to be a bit more loose than OEM and I didn't want that.

Wish I knew more about this before the Tokicos went back up in price.

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