wifipad

Hi guys, I have a 2006 tsx with around 70,000 miles. Car rides really well. I have never replaced the struts. Talked to a mechanic who told me he would install new struts including a wheel alingnment for 300 dollars.

Does this sound like a good deal? This does not include the struts themselves, only the labor.

I've been researching around the Internet and the new struts seem to be in between 55 and 65 dollars for each one.

Do you have any recommendations on what brand struts may be better than others? Have any of you replaced your struts with new ones and does the car ride better after putting new ones on?

Thanks.

ExcelerateRep

Labor wise that's a crazy good deal. In terms of buying new struts, I recommend going with an OEM replacement at the very least. Koni and Tokiko make excellent products. I wouldn't recommend any unreputable brands from ebay. I find it hard to believe you will find a quality shock replacement for $55-$65.

We have the Koni Yellows and Tokiko HP's available on our website:
Suspension - Excelerate Performance - Japanese and European Performance Specialists!!

wifipad

Thank you for your response. I was thinking to myself it is a decent deal as well, considering that they told me a wheel alignment would be included.

Will ride quality improve after putting in 4 brand new struts? As I was saying, my car is a 2006 with around 70,000 miles and I've never replaced the struts up to this point. The handling does not seem as good as it did when the car was new almost 9 years ago.

How about the KYB excel-g struts?

KYB Americas | Excel-G

ExcelerateRep

I think you'll notice a big improvement in ride quality since the suspension is all oem. KYB is a great brand, those seem to be a more oem type shock too. I would personally go with something a little more sporty like the Koni yellows, but ultimately it depends on your budget and what you are looking to achieve.

wifipad

Well, honestly, I am just looking for my car to feel better when driving it. The handling is quite poor, at the moment.

Are the Koni yellows better struts than the KYB excel-g's? If they are better, what exactly makes them better. Would the car feel better when driving it if I used the Koni yellows instead of the KYB's?

Thanks.

ExcelerateRep

If by feel better, you mean handle better and be more stable, the Koni Yellow shocks are definitely the way to go. They also have an adjustable damping knob so you can make them a little softer or stiffer depending on your preference. They obviously aren't as adjustable as a full coilover, but it's still nice to have if your sticking with a spring/strut combo. The other nice thing about the Koni Yellow shocks is that you can put lowering springs on them and they will handle them just fine.

If you're looking for a more oem/comfort oriented ride than the KYB's would probably be better for you. I'm not sure about the excel-g's, but I know the GR-2's are all comfort oriented, and can't handle lowering springs too well.

My advice is to stick with the Koni Yellows.

gdcwatt

I'm no expert, but I'm on my 3rd set of dampers, most recently koni yellows on rebuilt a-spec springs (so lowered a bit); 180,000 miles now.

I recall at 70,000 miles my 06's ride was getting floaty, and there was a lot of unwanted weight transfer when cornering, stopping, starting; new struts fixed everything. And most recently, I also had both front compliance bushing replaced (the second time for one of them, so that's 3 in total), because, even with the rebuilt struts, I was having trouble putting power down, and turn-in wasn't like it used to be...just something to look for.

And don't forget your new endlinks.

mrgold35

I'm at +118,000 miles on my 06 5AT TSX with about 88,000 miles on A-spec suspension+Progress RSB. I like A-spec because the ride still feels stock in normal driving, about 1-inch drop all around for a more aggressive look, and it levels out the TSX in the curves (Progress RSB helps in that area also). I think they are running about $600 for front/rear strut/shocks, if you can find them. I also did the lifetime warranty for alignments from Firestone. I always do an alignment twice a year and there is always a little adjustment they have to make to stay in specs. A thicker rear sway bar would run you about $140 and wouldn't cost that much more in labor if you are installing the KYB, koni or A-spec suspension at the same time.

ACURA TSX A-SPEC SUSPENSION ASSY. (AT) 08W60-SEC-200C @ AcuraOEMparts.com - Acura Parts from Delray Acura

08W60-SEC-200C - SUSPENSION ASSY., A-SPEC (AT) - Bernardi Parts