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Stock 04 auto--When Do I Need to Replace Suspension Parts
Okay, so here is the deal. I have a 2004 TSX Auto/Nav. I bought the car brand new and have taken care of it. I have been good to the car and the car has been great to me. I now have 173,000 miles on the car now and it is just feeling old. There are no terrible noises, but the front end just feels clunky. It isn't even anything that you would really notice except when you get into a new car and remember how smooth things used to be.
I live outside of Providence, RI. So this car sees tons of snow, ice, salt, and potholes. It has been garage kept for only the last four years.
There has been almost nothing wrong with this car.... ever. I have done the tires and brakes, fluid changes.... and that's about it.
The suspension indeed feels old, but nothing is really broken. I am thinking that the car is due though. I would like to get a few more years out of the old girl.... hitting 200,000 miles would be kind of fun. But honestly, there just aren't any other cars out there that interest me right now.
The only issues is that the front end feels clunky and the rear end just started making a squeak noise when going over bumps. My guess is a sway bar link nearing the end of its life out back.
To get the front end going again, I am thinking about replacing the compliance bushings.... but the ball joints have to be tired. Once I do all of that, maybe I should do the shocks and struts.... maybe an A-Spec setup finally.
What does everybody think? What's the best way to refresh things? I would like to do everything at once to save on labor (no sense taking it all apart to just do it again in a few months) but I am not sure whether the car really needs new shocks and struts or even ball joints. When pressing the fenders down, the car bounced right back up without any hopping....
You are at a decision point related to the suspension. If it is time to replace the struts, do you want to stay stock? There is a middle ground between stock and a bottom dragger that in my opinion will remove the sloppiness of the stock suspension, give a good stance, without introducing an overly harsh ride. I went with Eibach Prokit springs (lowering f 1.6", r 1.4") with KYB struts to control the new springs. These changes removed the sloppiness from the suspension while remaining streetable, and gave the car the look I wanted. If it is time to change the struts and you think you will want to go with lowering springs in the future, now is the time to do it all as you will save on labor (basically the same process for both). In my case, the car needed tires so I went with Black Motegi Racing MR118 18x8s with 225/45r18 tires. Long story short, if needed maintenance overlaps with planned mods, go for it. It will save you in the long run while personalizing your car. Good luck and Enjoy!
I am in a similar situation, where my car has ~147k 2005 TSX and started making a weird soft rubbing noise on the left, and found out it was a wheel bearing. then the mechanic said i would need to switch out my struts because I should just do it all at the same time (hes say cuz the mileage is so high, its gonna have to be done). and he saying this should be $2000. does this seem reasonable?
I am in a similar situation, where my car has ~147k 2005 TSX and started making a weird soft rubbing noise on the left, and found out it was a wheel bearing. then the mechanic said i would need to switch out my struts because I should just do it all at the same time (hes say cuz the mileage is so high, its gonna have to be done). and he saying this should be $2000. does this seem reasonable?
No, it doesn't seem reasonable. It seems outrageous as hell. And why does he think the shocks need changing? What is he planning on replacing them with?
Okay, so here is the deal. I have a 2004 TSX Auto/Nav. I bought the car brand new and have taken care of it. I have been good to the car and the car has been great to me. I now have 173,000 miles on the car now and it is just feeling old. There are no terrible noises, but the front end just feels clunky. It isn't even anything that you would really notice except when you get into a new car and remember how smooth things used to be.
I live outside of Providence, RI. So this car sees tons of snow, ice, salt, and potholes. It has been garage kept for only the last four years.
There has been almost nothing wrong with this car.... ever. I have done the tires and brakes, fluid changes.... and that's about it.
The suspension indeed feels old, but nothing is really broken. I am thinking that the car is due though. I would like to get a few more years out of the old girl.... hitting 200,000 miles would be kind of fun. But honestly, there just aren't any other cars out there that interest me right now.
The only issues is that the front end feels clunky and the rear end just started making a squeak noise when going over bumps. My guess is a sway bar link nearing the end of its life out back.
To get the front end going again, I am thinking about replacing the compliance bushings.... but the ball joints have to be tired. Once I do all of that, maybe I should do the shocks and struts.... maybe an A-Spec setup finally.
What does everybody think? What's the best way to refresh things? I would like to do everything at once to save on labor (no sense taking it all apart to just do it again in a few months) but I am not sure whether the car really needs new shocks and struts or even ball joints. When pressing the fenders down, the car bounced right back up without any hopping....
Any thoughts are appreciated!
Inspect it. What needs to be replaced?
From my experience:
Shocks: eh...probably.
Sway bar links: definitely.
Compliance bushings: definitely.
Ball joints/tie rods : maybe. Accords (TSX's) are incredibly durable. If you looked at the size of the ball joints, you'd be surprised. If they are loose, replace them.
There is no quality like genuine Honda quality for ball joints/tie rods/bushings, FYI.
If your shocks need replacing, forget the A-spec setup. Bilstein makes B6/HD's for the TSX and they're only like $130-140/shock. Pair those with either your stock springs or eibach pro kits if you want to go a little lower. Bilstein's damping curves will definitely make it ride better than stock while increasing handling and driving experience. Don't lower it more than about 1.5" on those shocks, though.
Tein street Advance is another great consideration for suspension replacement that rides better than stock, but is still cost effective. Recommended height for the Teins is about 2" or so lower than stock. I'm sure they'd work fine at 1.5" lower than stock also.
09-17-2014, 11:32 AM
