Hello everyone. I have had a knocking sound from my suspension for a while and I’ve pretty much narrowed it down to the struts. Now, I am a college student so money is always tight. I would like to plan to re-do my struts myself and throughout my research, I have found the “Monroe Quick Strut” which looks to me essentially everything I need. Just a drop in replacement of my old ones. I drive a 2002 accord 4-cyl. According to sources, I have a double wishbone suspension (which looks to complicate things a bit). I’m looking for a near top of the line replacement that will either match or improve what’s in my car now. Does anyone have experience with these struts? Are they a “diy” job? I do have a lot of experience working in my car (brake jobs, belts, oil changes, etc…) Although these stuts are more expensive than the standard type, I’m willing to dish out more money for an easier installation.
Thanks everyone!
--Max
Those are they way to go for DIY strut replacement. I’m sure the ride will improve from the current (likely worn out) struts. To improve handling concentrate on the tires the next time they need replacement.
Sounds good! I have recently replaced my tires with a pretty good replacement (I do a lot of research before a major purchases) so tires won’t be in the bill for a while. Struts are all I’m looking at, for now. Thanks!
One thing to check - while struts can ‘clunk’, it’s often a bushing or the mounting point instead. Make sure you check them, too. Are these the original struts?
I’ve replaced Quick Struts on a few Honda’s not because they were easier to to replace, but because upon inspection not only were the struts worn out but also the strut springs were broken. So it was more cost effective to replace the entire assemblies.
The one difficult thing you’re going to run into is, getting old strut assemblies out of the lower strut mounting brackets. These have pinch bolts that clamp the struts into the brackets and the struts can be be totally rusted into the brackets making removing the struts very difficult to remove. So you may want to spray these areas now with a penetrating lubricant to assist in the removal of the struts. Once past this point the struts are easily replaced.
Tester
Yes, I’m replacing the original struts. The clunking has been progressively getting more frequent. Regardless, I would like to replace the struts anyway, but if it were to be a bushing or mounting point, will the new strut assembly cure the sound?
Thanks for the advice. This is the first time I have ever attempted any type of suspension work, so I have never heard of pinch bolts. Are they removed in the same manner as standard bolts?
I’ll second (or I think third by now) going with the QuikStruts. The extra expense for the full, preassembled unit well makes up for whatever labor you would either put in or have to buy. (Not to mention the danger).
And I will second Tester’s note about the penetrating lubricant. Use something good like SeaFoam’s Deep Creep or PB Blaster and start spraying it all down now so its working over time & while you’re driving. Then - if you can - get your hands on an impact wrench. Doing this with hand tools vs. with air power is two completely different things. I did one set of these without air and one set with. No comparison. I’d go so far as to say that if you don’t own or can’t borrow then you might even look into renting. That might get crazy on costs but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.
Jack up right and left sides to help change the struts. Do it on the rear if you have a sway bar on the rear. If you don’t, you might have to use a pry bar to lower the wishbone. Quick struts are faster if you don’t have an air compressor, spring compressor, and air ratchet.
The other alternate that you might want to price is to buy the parts, take the struts off and take it to a shop. The usually will assemble it for 10-20 Dollars if you find the right shop. Depending on the parts that you will change this might or might not be much cheaper.
Also I think in either case you will need an alignment after you are done.
Good luck and post the results for us.
Thanks for everyones help, I really appreciate it. It might be a while until I get them put in. We’re looking at yet another wonderful snowstorm around here this weekend… I do own pneumatic power tools (or rather, my dad does) so I will be using those. I’ll let you guys know how it works out when I’m finished. Thanks again!
Just make sure you don’t take apart your old strut without a spring compressor. It may have been stated already but it’s worth repeating - if only to save you severe personal injury.
If you go with Quick Struts, you won’t need to disassemble the old one.
Yes, they save some work, you will still need an alignment done after.
Quick struts are the way to go, but they do cost a bit more. Either way, be sure you get a good procedure and follow it. It’s easy to make a mistake even with a seemingly simple job, and having the correct torque specs is a good idea also.
Keep the old assemblies. At some point in the future you may want to pick up some spring compressors and change the shock bodies out. to make some new “quick struts” of your own.
The oduble wishbone shouldn;t complicate things…it’s actually a benefit. With a true “strut”, the strut itself is above the hub and controls the gemetry of the suspension. With a double wishbone setup you actually have a “coil-over shock”. The “coil over” sits behind the hub and the wishbones control the suspension geometry. The OEM coil over shock once removed from the vehicle is the same process as a strut, but when you go to buy parts you may find them referred to as “shock absorbers” rather than “struts”. Don’t let this confuse you.
If you really want to upgrade, you can buy adjustable “coil overs”…but they’ll cost you. A pair will typically run upwards of $1000. My strong recommendation would be to get OEM replacement shocks and upgrade the antisway car while you’re under there. That’ll substantially improve handling with minimal effect on your ride. And the’re much less costly than high-end coil-overs. Check the Hotchkiss website.