New Struts Installed
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,043
Likes: 210
I'm at just over 100k on my '06. I put on A-Spec struts about 50,000 miles ago. The ride is stiffer than I like, but then it always was. So it's hard to tell whether it's stiffened further because of any sort of deterioration -- I know gradual change can sneak up on you -- or if I just have a posterior that's easily bruised.
When my car had the OEM's on it, once or twice I made stupid maneuvers at highway speed that produced alarming moments of wallowing where the car felt completely disconnected from its wheels. That frankly scared me into stiffening it up, but this car's suspension isn't quite sophisticated enough to deliver both a soft ride and excellent body control in those situations, so I chose the latter in order to not get myself killed. But I've always felt a certain amount of buyer's remorse ever since at ruining the luxurious level of isolation that's so much a central attraction of the car.
I never hear anybody else say a bad word about the A-Spec suspension on this board, so I know somebody may feel these comments aren't valid, but that's what I've observed.
I'm interested to hear from anybody who's put the KYB's on an '09 or newer: How do they compare with stock? I've always heard the '09s and newer OEM's are stiffer than the '05-08's, and I've heard the same about the KYB's. But I've never heard them compared with each other.
When my car had the OEM's on it, once or twice I made stupid maneuvers at highway speed that produced alarming moments of wallowing where the car felt completely disconnected from its wheels. That frankly scared me into stiffening it up, but this car's suspension isn't quite sophisticated enough to deliver both a soft ride and excellent body control in those situations, so I chose the latter in order to not get myself killed. But I've always felt a certain amount of buyer's remorse ever since at ruining the luxurious level of isolation that's so much a central attraction of the car.
I never hear anybody else say a bad word about the A-Spec suspension on this board, so I know somebody may feel these comments aren't valid, but that's what I've observed.
I'm interested to hear from anybody who's put the KYB's on an '09 or newer: How do they compare with stock? I've always heard the '09s and newer OEM's are stiffer than the '05-08's, and I've heard the same about the KYB's. But I've never heard them compared with each other.
Senior Moderator
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 31,897
Likes: 7,251
From: Austin, TX
A few have. Anyone who hates a rolling car in a sweeping corner with love the ASpec. Those who cruise in straight lines for hundreds of miles are less appreciative.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 497
Likes: 46
Just a FYI to add to this post, I had all front control arms (and some rear ones) AND struts done. The car rides like brand new, as it should for what I spent 
These are great cars. They last, the investment is worth it.
Like everyone else here, things started getting loose around 100k. The car feels in complete control now on the highway.
These are great cars. They last, the investment is worth it.
Like everyone else here, things started getting loose around 100k. The car feels in complete control now on the highway.
8th Gear
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: Dallas Fort Worth
Shouldn't we be warned prior?
I know some of you might be sick of me talking about our dang struts, but I thought I would share my thoughts since this has been an item of extreme consternation for me.
First off there is an official Honda advisory regarding our struts and "rough riding." I was shown this at the dealership and it more or less stated that upon lifting a small plastic piece could inadvertently break and become dislodged inside our struts upon full extension and degrade performance causing "4x4 riding."
I experienced this first hand a year or two ago. Things just felt different after I got a tire changed. While it wasn't 4x4ish, it was rougher.
My symptoms:
1. Generally stiffer feeling suspension.
2. Noticeable impact "thuds" over rough surfaces/large, sudden suspension movements. Not rattles or creaks mind you, but it sounded like a thump while driving over potholes. The noise didn't seem abnormal, but it was very noticeable.
3. And this one wasn't noticeable until AFTER I got my struts changed, but I drive the same route every day and have a reverse angle turn, meaning the angle of the road is opposite of the turn. The body would roll a lot towards the outside edge of the turn. Seemed normal until I got the struts changed.
4. Three of my struts were visibly leaking. I couldn't see the leak with the tires on, but I was shown the leaks on the lift with the tires off. To be honest, I didn't know there was fluid in our struts, but it was noticeable and you could tell it was not from external sources.
The differences are amazing. The thuds are all but gone. It's much more smoother and controlled over very rough surfaces and I was amazed at how much flatter the car maintained while traversing that reverse angle turn. Much more flatter.
All other suspension components checked fine, including most rubber parts except for the bump stops, which were replaced.
In any case, for people who think struts are "lifetime parts," that couldn't be farther from the truth in my opinion.
Was it expensive at the dealership? Yes. But it was worth it. $1700 all four struts and alignment. Took them two days as I guess they started late on the first day, but the car runs like new.
First off there is an official Honda advisory regarding our struts and "rough riding." I was shown this at the dealership and it more or less stated that upon lifting a small plastic piece could inadvertently break and become dislodged inside our struts upon full extension and degrade performance causing "4x4 riding."
I experienced this first hand a year or two ago. Things just felt different after I got a tire changed. While it wasn't 4x4ish, it was rougher.
My symptoms:
1. Generally stiffer feeling suspension.
2. Noticeable impact "thuds" over rough surfaces/large, sudden suspension movements. Not rattles or creaks mind you, but it sounded like a thump while driving over potholes. The noise didn't seem abnormal, but it was very noticeable.
3. And this one wasn't noticeable until AFTER I got my struts changed, but I drive the same route every day and have a reverse angle turn, meaning the angle of the road is opposite of the turn. The body would roll a lot towards the outside edge of the turn. Seemed normal until I got the struts changed.
4. Three of my struts were visibly leaking. I couldn't see the leak with the tires on, but I was shown the leaks on the lift with the tires off. To be honest, I didn't know there was fluid in our struts, but it was noticeable and you could tell it was not from external sources.
The differences are amazing. The thuds are all but gone. It's much more smoother and controlled over very rough surfaces and I was amazed at how much flatter the car maintained while traversing that reverse angle turn. Much more flatter.
All other suspension components checked fine, including most rubber parts except for the bump stops, which were replaced.
In any case, for people who think struts are "lifetime parts," that couldn't be farther from the truth in my opinion.
Was it expensive at the dealership? Yes. But it was worth it. $1700 all four struts and alignment. Took them two days as I guess they started late on the first day, but the car runs like new.
Last edited by joncole818; Aug 11, 2015 at 11:40 PM.
Senior Moderator
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 31,897
Likes: 7,251
From: Austin, TX
If he had warned you, would it have changed the course of your repair? I don't think there is any malicious intent or scamming to get more service out of you. RLs go up on lifts all the time, and only sometimes does the strut break. There are really very few alternative courses to do mechanical work, so you kind of have to live with it. It is what it is.
All of that said, at 7 years and 80k miles, your struts could have really benefited from being replaced anyway.
All of that said, at 7 years and 80k miles, your struts could have really benefited from being replaced anyway.
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 60
Likes: 7
These days internet forums aren't the same as when only the diehard 'enthusiasts' would hunt them out.
Senior Moderator
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 31,897
Likes: 7,251
From: Austin, TX
I know of a lady who traded her Lincoln Navigator in for a new Lexus RX because it needed a new battery.
I can't be sure that she wasn't overall unhappy with it and was looking for a reason to trade in, but the point is that some people have unreasonable expectations from their cars (especially luxury cars). Sometimes it's not until they have owned a truly troublesome car that they can appreciate the relatively few issues a Honda typically brings.
I can't be sure that she wasn't overall unhappy with it and was looking for a reason to trade in, but the point is that some people have unreasonable expectations from their cars (especially luxury cars). Sometimes it's not until they have owned a truly troublesome car that they can appreciate the relatively few issues a Honda typically brings.
Last edited by oo7spy; Aug 14, 2015 at 10:06 AM.
Senior Moderator
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 31,897
Likes: 7,251
From: Austin, TX
1 pm. 5 hours later, this.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 427
Likes: 144
From: Southwest Ohio
You know, it seems to me that all this replacement of struts, struts that show no real evidence of failure, is a costly move. These struts leak when they fail and replacing them prior to that time seems a waste.
Sure, new struts will feel "newer"....because they are. That does not mean that the strut you replaced needed replacement. I'm not familiar with this lifting damage phenomenon, and have had my car on a lift several times in its life (110,000+ miles currently) with no apparent adverse effects.
I have replaced one strut recently that was "thumping" over bumps, and it was clearly leaking due to seal failure. So I'm gonna stay with these until I can see that they are clearly failed. Just sayin'.
Sure, new struts will feel "newer"....because they are. That does not mean that the strut you replaced needed replacement. I'm not familiar with this lifting damage phenomenon, and have had my car on a lift several times in its life (110,000+ miles currently) with no apparent adverse effects.
I have replaced one strut recently that was "thumping" over bumps, and it was clearly leaking due to seal failure. So I'm gonna stay with these until I can see that they are clearly failed. Just sayin'.
^
Senior Moderator
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 31,897
Likes: 7,251
From: Austin, TX
Dan, I've shared my strut experience in Legend #1 a few times before but not in this thread. I bought that car at 114k miles, and it would bottom out regularly. I chalked it up to the low clearance of the front end. I even had one person riding in the back compliment the ride quality on the highway. Everything was normal to me because I didn't have anything to compare against. Sometime around 140k miles, my rear passenger strut gave out completely and I went ahead and replaced all 4 with new Monroe OE equivalents. In 95% of the situations in which I used to bottom out I would clear without issue. Suddenly the ride quality had transformed into something I had never experienced with that car, and I realized that the struts really should have been changed at 100k miles.
Struts have two main purposes, comfort and safety. There are plenty of other comfort items in your life that you don't "need" to replace, but they just don't give the same comfort they were designed to. You can wear your socks until they have holes in them, but if the elastic is worn out and they slip down into your shoes, you will likely part ways with them and enjoy the hell out of those fleeting moments immediately after putting brand new socks on.
As for the safety aspect, a strut that has had 1000 lbs sitting on it for 7 years simply does not perform the way it was designed to. If you are in a hard corner and hit a bump, you are going to want that strut to be stiff and responsive.
In regards to the cost, we are talking about a $600-$1000 maintenance on a $50k car every 5-10 years. To each their own, but to me, that feeling of a new Legend gliding down the highway is much more reward than cost.
Struts have two main purposes, comfort and safety. There are plenty of other comfort items in your life that you don't "need" to replace, but they just don't give the same comfort they were designed to. You can wear your socks until they have holes in them, but if the elastic is worn out and they slip down into your shoes, you will likely part ways with them and enjoy the hell out of those fleeting moments immediately after putting brand new socks on.
As for the safety aspect, a strut that has had 1000 lbs sitting on it for 7 years simply does not perform the way it was designed to. If you are in a hard corner and hit a bump, you are going to want that strut to be stiff and responsive.
In regards to the cost, we are talking about a $600-$1000 maintenance on a $50k car every 5-10 years. To each their own, but to me, that feeling of a new Legend gliding down the highway is much more reward than cost.
Last edited by oo7spy; Aug 18, 2015 at 01:36 PM.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 162
Likes: 12
I also agree... n was going to post that perspective but difficult to do while at work. Def not saying to drive around on beat up suspension but it all depends on how the cars been driving n condition. Another thing to keep in mind as to why they should be preventatively replaced is that old suspension puts unecessary stress on other suspension components leading to a more costly "fix" in the long run.
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