TNTransplant

rosen39,

Thanks for posting your detailed install. I took mine to a local shop and they totally made a mess of things. Suspension felt/sounded much worse after their install job - I ended up having them change everything back to stock. I am going to just buy some tools and do it myself; it sounds simple enough thanks to your instructions...

KeithL

I actually think I have 2 of 2. I do not think the right rear was bad first time, I think they replaced the wrong damper. I do think the left was the culprit all along and the one they put in is where I think the noise is coming from again.

rosen39

TNTransplant, There is only one bolt, and one nut on the install. As was said before, the top nut has to be tightened so that both washers are tight against the steel sleeve that goes over the top threaded shaft. This really compresses the rubber bumpers, but it works. These shocks are a little firmer than stock, but I think the stock's were so soft, they were bottoming out on the rebound stroke. Maybe the shock fluid they used was a very thin weight. Some motorcycle front forks can be rebuilt with 5 weight, 7 1/2 weight, to 10 weight oil. This dramatically changes the way the shock works.

KeithL

Dumb question for those that have done the KYB shocks, there is a DIY thread with pics for a 2007 RDX, is the procedure basically the same for the 2G RDX:

https://acurazine.com/forums/1g-rdx-diy-faq-161/diy-replace-leaking-rear-damper-shock-absorber-794969/

rosen39

Yes.

mindanalyzer

I have not experienced this type of noise that you refer; What bothers me is a sort of hollow drum-like noise (in potholes, etc) that i think is louder than in other vehicles that I have owned

hand-filer

The noise some of us experience(d) and mostly in cold weather is more of a loose load of lumber sound. The automotive term for it is shock chuckle. The sound you are describing is a characteristic of the Sachs shock design and it is an annoying one to say the least.
The KYB will eliminate the majority of the low frequency drumming sound.

KeithL

That is the noise. Some call it a clunk, but it does sound like a hollow bang, if you ever had a loose shock that is similar to the sound.

hand-filer

I might be wrong but I believe he's describing the low frequency drumming sound that you can here going over expansion joints and such. Its a low frequency resonance, not a mechanical sound. There are 2 issues at play with these shocks.

KeithL

My noise was hollow sounding and happened going over just uneven pavement. These shocks suck big time. How hard is in to design a damn shock in 201x.

mindanalyzer

That's exactly what I am referring to. If this is the case, I assume that i will need to replace both front and rear shocks, not only the rear ones. Am I right?

hand-filer

Replacing the rear shocks will take care of it. The front suspension doesn't transfer the sound into the cabin area near as bad as the rear does.

Dr Cheeseburger

Hand filer, can you post the part numbers for the Monroe shocks and installation kit for the Odyssey minivan that you originally used? I like the idea of a more plush ride. Thanks.

hand-filer

Dr Cheeseburger:
I can no longer recommend using them and primarily because of safety concerns. While they did prove to me that the issue was shock related, the compression and rebound valving is to soft to be considered safe to use.

I believe I had mentioned in a previous post that I had bottoming out issues on a couple of occasions while I had them on the car. That was with one occupant in the vehicle without cargo and in cold weather conditions.

The 2012 KYB shocks are a very good match for this vehicle and provide a good balance of ride and handling.
Remember this is an Acura and they are not known for having a plush ride.

KeithL

Evidently my latest letter made it through a few levels of management at Honda, but still same BS answer when they called. And actually the rep that called indicated he was being told "functions as designed over rough roads" and I told him BS, these are not rough roads that cause the noise. He also seemed to say there is no fix coming. Of course who knows what he really knows, but really just shows how ignorant Acura is over this. As much as the TLX is appealing to me as my next car, I may just pass and go back to Infiniti Q70 or maybe a 15 Genesis Sedan.

I did email KYB today to see if they were planning on releasing a 2G RDX tuned version of their damper. I figure if they offer a drop in specific part more people would jump on using the KYB parts and I think some dealers would eventually catch on and suggest it as an alternative to keep their customers happy.

KeithL

Response from KYB:


Unfortunately KYB has not researched the 2013 model. However our aftermarket division will take in consideration every aspect of the OEM records.

We recommend checking our catalog by the 1st quarter of 2015.

hand-filer

I received a response from Acura on Monday to my 3rd letter of complaint in which I informed them I took matters into my own hands and replaced the shocks myself. According to the rep. my complaints have made it to both the engineering and product improvement levels at Honda.
I wont get into the specifics but they seemed quite taken aback that someone would go to such lengths to deal with an issue . They also requested a copy of the invoice for the shocks as they are interested in the Brand and part number of the shocks I purchased.
I was again told that they are still working on a fix. I said I won't hold my breath waiting for it to happen and that this was the first would be the last Acura for me. That comment was followed by: " have you considered a new Acura TLX" which was followed by: "no but I'm seriously considering a 2015 Kia Sorrento SX. That pretty much put an end to the conversation.
I am rather impressed with the Kia. My brother test drove it as well an RDX. On my recommendation he is currently negotiating on one.

mindanalyzer

I just ordered a pair of KYB shocks from amazon. $97 shipped (prime membership). A good mechanic I know will do the installation for another $75

I hope this helps with the noises in potholes and uneven pavement, but ... Now if I knew how to fix the VCM noise (shuddering, subtle vibration, whatever you wanna call it) when traveling at 25-45 mph (~1000-1500 rpm)? note: I drive a FWD RDX so the issued TSB does not apply [according to the dealer service dept]


PS: Another thing that is curious about my vehicle: In the 17 months (and less than 12k mostly city miles) that I have owned this vehicle the wheels have been balanced (road balanced according to the dealer service dept) 3 times [I have never been charged for this] because of complains of vibrations (feel it in steering wheel, gear lever and gas pedal) at 80 mph (they disappear after 90 mph). I normally drive quite aggressively but [as far as I know] I have never hit a curb so I dont understand why the need for this constant balancing. My vehicle is vibrating again at 80 mph and I will have to take it to the dealership service (will also address a noise coming from the door speaker w/ certain songs).

I really like my RDX and I am doing all in my power to keep it but if in December my problems are not solved I believe I will trade it

rosen39

" According to the rep. my complaints have made it to both the engineering and product improvement levels at Honda."
Who are they??? The Three Stooges?? What is there to engineer.......it is a shock absorber!!
All I know is every rough road I go over the car sounds solid......no banging ever since I put the KYB's on. These people have the answer sitting on their shelf.......use the 2012 shocks instead of the 2013 shocks.

hand-filer

LOL those guys are dead but they may be direct descendants.

weather

*LMAO* Good for you.....I wish their vehicles were as silent as their rep after you gave him this answer!

It's hard to feel excited about the TLX given the delays, VCM issues reported in the RDX, reactive damper's noise etc.

What is happening to the brand I love so much!

rosen39

"What is happening to the brand I love so much! "

They are turning into General Motors. No pride in their product.

weather

^^ I hate to admit it, but I feel you are correct.

hand-filer

LOL I'm on a role, I cracked up the 3 girls in our accounts receivable department this afternoon and now you.
Coincidentally, my brother bought a 2015 Sorento SX today. I am impressed with the feature content, build quality and the ride and handling of this vehicle. If I were in the market, this vehicle would be a consideration; they've come a long way in the last few years. Look out Acura, they're coming for your customers.

ottoman101

Agreed!!

But I do have a theory about why this could be. I think the problems in quality we are all seeing might be a result of the Great Recession. The 2nd generation RDX was released in 2012 which means it was being designed probably around 2009 or 2010, in the heart of the recession. My theory is they cut corners, used cheaper materials, cheaper labor, or less labor, etc., and basically put this car together from scraps because of the economic uncertainty at the time.

So note to self.... never buy a car that was designed during an economic recession.

KeithL

I do not know how much the recession impacted the designs, but I see it in a lot of cars. They are getting more expensive all the time and to remain competitive the makers must add features or something to give them a marketing advantage. Many times they cut in quality or in materials that we either do not see or will not impact a purchase decision. Sometimes those "hidden" cuts come back to haunt them. Some times it is not even the makers fault as they squeeze their suppliers and they need to remain competitive they cut corners they figure will not impact the overall quality.

For the RDX Acura clearly went the value route as they left off features that you could get on other brands (some less expensive, some more). My guess is Acura does not feel people shopping a RDX are cross shopping a Santa Fe or Sorrento so they do not feel they need to compete there. They want to provide a very cost attractive "luxury" brand CUV/SUV that will sell well against Lexus, Infiniti, and even those looking for reliable alternative to the Germans.

I also think the RDX and MDX are huge successes for Acura even with some of us not picking why some features are missing. One would hope Acura sees the success and is willing to add some features into an Advance model to help boost some more sales as the RDX ages. The concern would be Acura rarely makes huge head unit changes at MMC so i suspect we may see the rear power jack, maybe vented seats and maybe lane watch. It would be nice, but I doubt it will happen, to see the new engines and trannies show up at MMC,

mindanalyzer

I got my kyb shocks today; will do the installation soon. does Anybody know where I can buy some plastic clips for the plastic panel below the engine?

rosen39

The plastic clips are available at the dealer, probably larger part stores like Pep Boys, or go to a body shop. Body sips carry a large variety of those panel clips.
On the shock install, the included instructions are poor. The flat washer goes on the bottom, the two rubber bushings have the "tapered" ends facing away from each other (the flat ends face each other and sandwich the upper body mount), and the cupped washer is on top with the cup facing down. The best part of the install is..........no more banging!!

BobBass

hand-filer,

How is the STEERING on the Kia? MANY people complain that it's difficult and a major annoyance to keep it tracking the way you want it to go.

hand-filer

According to my bro. it's decent. I haven't read about complaints with the Sorrento steering. The Santa Fe apparently is not so good in steering feedback and tracking.

weather

I know you guys are talking SUVs but I can attest that my little Accent is having teh same issue.....I spend much time do correcting the foward direction and can be tiring on a long trip. Its great around town or short haul though

blueorchid12

Just had new struts put on the back. Sweet.......no more swaying, no more clunking. Noticed improvement in handling immediately. All under warranty. So, my advice is get it fixed before your warranty runs out.

kareshi

is it the OEM one or the 3rd-party one mentioned in this thread?

mdfree

Just thought I would add my recent experience. I've got about 13k miles on my 2014 FWD Tech and it just started to "clunk" in the left rear at very low speeds going over cracks, manhole covers etc. dealer was great about replacing both rear shocks, driving home that afternoon everything seemed much better. The next morning, temperature in the 60s it sounded awful! But after about 15 to 20 minutes it seemed to be a bit quieter. Don't know if it's because the gas/fluids in the shock heat up with use or what. I guess I will make another visit to the dealer and see what they think, although I realize their hands are pretty much tied. Does anyone know if the Sachs shocks have a manufacture date code? It's scary to think that Acura may still be using this same part in the 2015 model

Thanks for listening

rosen39

mdfree:

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." (not a quote by Albert Einstein, but it makes sense). They can replace with stock units till the cows come home. It is a faulty design. You never heard of this complaint with the 1st generation RDX shock. Go with the KYB's and regain your sanity.

mdfree

I hear ya I'm kinda past the point of wanting to do this install myself, can I assume a place like discount tire could do the install? Reading through all of the pages of this post I recall that some of the parts from the existing shocks need to be used with the kyb shocks?

rosen39

The only part that get re-used is the large bolt at bottom on the suspension arm. If you pull the rear tire off, and the small access panel in the back, you can see the bolt at the bottom, and the nut at the top. You will need an allen wrench to put in the to of the shock rod, and an open end wrench to turn the nut.

Rocket_man

Now that cold weather is coming back so will the clunking. I hope Acura would have fixed this by now. Really poor Acura.... really poor.

Comfy

Yes we all are watching and waiting ...... to hear the "CLUNK"..... Lol.

larryradev

No clunking from rear for 10,000 + miles on
my 2014 RDX AWD Base (manufactured Dec, 2013)