2003 MDX Front Suspension DIY
11-03-2014, 12:44 PM
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2003 MDX Front Suspension DIY
My wife's MDX (2003 Touring, 170K miles, we bought it new) is at the dealer for routine maintenance, and she was just told the front struts are leaking, front sway bar links are "leaking", and the front sway bar bushings are split.
I'm pretty experienced on European cars, have a mid-rise lift and air. Are there any secrets to replacing these parts on the MDX (e.g. partial lowering of a sub-frame as on the TL)?
Does anybody have a link to tightening torques for the front suspension parts?
Any while-you're-in-there maintenance? We don't expect to have the car for more than another year or two but are driving it until it needs a really major repair because we love it.
Thanks in advance.
Peter
I'm pretty experienced on European cars, have a mid-rise lift and air. Are there any secrets to replacing these parts on the MDX (e.g. partial lowering of a sub-frame as on the TL)?
Does anybody have a link to tightening torques for the front suspension parts?
Any while-you're-in-there maintenance? We don't expect to have the car for more than another year or two but are driving it until it needs a really major repair because we love it.
Thanks in advance.
Peter
11-05-2014, 12:31 PM
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So, no help from the board, but here are some solutions for the next guy:
Sway bar bushings: You conceivably could replace the driver's side bushing without lowering the subframe, but it would be much more difficult than lowering the subframe. Here's what you do to lower the subframe
Get the car up
Put a jack-stand (or jack) under the engine - if necessary, lower the car a bit to have pressure on the engine, but not much.
The lower the 4 bolts on the subframe toward the rear of the car (19mm). One of mine was resistant to loosening, so I encourage it (and the remaining 2) with Kroil (PB Blaster should work, too) and a fair amount of heat.
Came right off, but I switched from very long breaker bar to impact wrench.
Loosen the bolts only enough to lower the subframe but not take the bolt all the way out - perhaps 3/4" each. That gives PLENTY of room.
You will need a very short extension on the rearward bolts to give enough room for your ratchet wrench to move, but I also used a swivel-head breaker bar when I needed more force.
These are old cars now, clean the races of those bolts and they'll go in easier.
Once the brackets are off, remove the old bushings and place the new ones over the sway bar. The slot in the rubber should go towards the rear of the car.
Replace the bolts.
I think the torque spec is 58 N-M.
More later (other parts done except the passenger-side strut still needs to be put back in the car).
Don't forget to schedule an alignment for when you're done, unless you have tools to do it yourself.
Sway bar bushings: You conceivably could replace the driver's side bushing without lowering the subframe, but it would be much more difficult than lowering the subframe. Here's what you do to lower the subframe
Get the car up
Put a jack-stand (or jack) under the engine - if necessary, lower the car a bit to have pressure on the engine, but not much.
The lower the 4 bolts on the subframe toward the rear of the car (19mm). One of mine was resistant to loosening, so I encourage it (and the remaining 2) with Kroil (PB Blaster should work, too) and a fair amount of heat.
Came right off, but I switched from very long breaker bar to impact wrench.
Loosen the bolts only enough to lower the subframe but not take the bolt all the way out - perhaps 3/4" each. That gives PLENTY of room.
You will need a very short extension on the rearward bolts to give enough room for your ratchet wrench to move, but I also used a swivel-head breaker bar when I needed more force.
These are old cars now, clean the races of those bolts and they'll go in easier.
Once the brackets are off, remove the old bushings and place the new ones over the sway bar. The slot in the rubber should go towards the rear of the car.
Replace the bolts.
I think the torque spec is 58 N-M.
More later (other parts done except the passenger-side strut still needs to be put back in the car).
Don't forget to schedule an alignment for when you're done, unless you have tools to do it yourself.
11-12-2014, 07:36 PM
#3
So, no help from the board, but here are some solutions for the next guy:
Sway bar bushings: You conceivably could replace the driver's side bushing without lowering the subframe, but it would be much more difficult than lowering the subframe. Here's what you do to lower the subframe
Get the car up
Put a jack-stand (or jack) under the engine - if necessary, lower the car a bit to have pressure on the engine, but not much.
The lower the 4 bolts on the subframe toward the rear of the car (19mm). One of mine was resistant to loosening, so I encourage it (and the remaining 2) with Kroil (PB Blaster should work, too) and a fair amount of heat.
Came right off, but I switched from very long breaker bar to impact wrench.
Loosen the bolts only enough to lower the subframe but not take the bolt all the way out - perhaps 3/4" each. That gives PLENTY of room.
You will need a very short extension on the rearward bolts to give enough room for your ratchet wrench to move, but I also used a swivel-head breaker bar when I needed more force.
These are old cars now, clean the races of those bolts and they'll go in easier.
Once the brackets are off, remove the old bushings and place the new ones over the sway bar. The slot in the rubber should go towards the rear of the car.
Replace the bolts.
I think the torque spec is 58 N-M.
More later (other parts done except the passenger-side strut still needs to be put back in the car).
Don't forget to schedule an alignment for when you're done, unless you have tools to do it yourself.
Sway bar bushings: You conceivably could replace the driver's side bushing without lowering the subframe, but it would be much more difficult than lowering the subframe. Here's what you do to lower the subframe
Get the car up
Put a jack-stand (or jack) under the engine - if necessary, lower the car a bit to have pressure on the engine, but not much.
The lower the 4 bolts on the subframe toward the rear of the car (19mm). One of mine was resistant to loosening, so I encourage it (and the remaining 2) with Kroil (PB Blaster should work, too) and a fair amount of heat.
Came right off, but I switched from very long breaker bar to impact wrench.
Loosen the bolts only enough to lower the subframe but not take the bolt all the way out - perhaps 3/4" each. That gives PLENTY of room.
You will need a very short extension on the rearward bolts to give enough room for your ratchet wrench to move, but I also used a swivel-head breaker bar when I needed more force.
These are old cars now, clean the races of those bolts and they'll go in easier.
Once the brackets are off, remove the old bushings and place the new ones over the sway bar. The slot in the rubber should go towards the rear of the car.
Replace the bolts.
I think the torque spec is 58 N-M.
More later (other parts done except the passenger-side strut still needs to be put back in the car).
Don't forget to schedule an alignment for when you're done, unless you have tools to do it yourself.
Thanks Dr K!
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