freshin

I have about 120k on my '04TL and looking for new shocks and springs that are similar to the stock feel or even better. Not looking to drop my ride, just need good replacement with a good value overall. need help, any suggestions?

NBPacuraTL

iTrader: (1)

For shocks I recommend Koni SP3's. Adjustable dampening and options of different ride height. Why are you replacing the springs though?

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Even ar 120K no replacement needed unless the shock(s) are blown/leaking. If they show no sign of deterioration, just keep using and save money.

lazytik

It's hard to tell if they are worn out if you don't pay attention to them. They may not display the key sign, which is excessive bouncing, but they are still worn out and the signs are very subtle, especially on a car like the TL. You get used to it over time and you think it's normal, but the ride becomes harsher, the car sways and leans more, and it affects alignment. My car has a noticeably harsher ride, alignment is ALWAYS off (2 days after alignment, it'll be off), and the car just doesn't feel right. Again, you won't notice these things if you don't pay attention and compare the car now to when you first got it.

I'm in the same boat as OP; 127k and it is way past due for change. I'm pulling the trigger soon on a spring/shock combo for a subtle drop. I'm not going with coilovers because I don't track the car and I don't see myself changing height or dampening ever.

OP check out the vendors here and search. Good luck

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

I'll repeat myself, there is no mileage limit for the suspension parts to be changed, they either work or don't work, that is what an inspection would reveal. Geez, our RX-7 Turbo we purchased new has the OE suspension components and no problems at 199K.

The alignment going out after 2 days, sorry to say is rediculous. Do you believe the suspension components more around and thus the alignment specs change? Maybe the suspension on your car is shot and the tech that did the alignment didn't know what he was doing.

lazytik

Yeah that's what I'm saying - my suspension is worn out and causes alignment issues. I don't see why that's ridiculous. Suspension parts get worn out, and obviously with higher mileage, they'll be worn out even further. I'll agree with you here - there is no specific limit at which one has to change one's suspension (such as the limits on timing belt or even an oil change)...one can keep driving on a worn-out suspension and if one is fine with it, then whatever. However, the components aren't as good as they once were.

Back to OP's question - I second Koni and go with Eibach springs (although you may not need them since you mentioned you don't want to lower them; ask your mechanic.)

Excelerate

iTrader: (1)

Your springs are probably fine. If you don't want to drop the car you will need to buy factory springs. Otherwise you might want to look into TEIN H-Tech springs, which have a minimum drop (less than 3/4" on the TL).

http://store.excelerateperformance.c...0/i-35435.aspx

I'd also recommend TOKICO HTS shocks; they offer damping adjustment and are of high quality. We have them on sale on our website; use promo code HTS507

http://store.excelerateperformance.c.../i-226886.aspx

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

another option...closest to OEM...how about aspec suspension?

Titanium2k2

iTrader: (2)

^ Agreed.

freshin

Thanks for everyone's replies. Great suggestions. One of the main reasons why I bought this ride is because of the smooth drive. It just bugs me that I feel almost everything on the road more then when I bought the ride. So I will Definitly grab better suspension for my car.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Tires

I hate cars

120k is a very long time for the shocks. Mine were getting noticeably softer around 45k. I replaced them before they became a problem. Shocks don't work or not work, they do get softer over time.

If the car won't hold an alignment and you're not hitting stuff, something is worn and I would check the compliance bushings first. When mine were bad you could align the car, back it up off the rack, pull it back on, remeasure and the specs would be drastically different.

Slightly stiffer springs may make the small bumps more noticeable but they can actually make the large bumps less noticeable. A-spec is a great compromise. However, there's no need to change your stock springs unless they're sagging. Replacing the worn out shocks will make it ride much better by not allowing the body to roll so much over bumps.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

The only way they will get softer over time is if they leak, other than that they either work or if leaking, don't wotk.

I hate cars

Yes and no. Leakage can be internal. Leakage past valves and seals from wear causes them to go soft and there will be no external signs. I've had plenty bad shocks that looked fine from the outside.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

I guess you could have a valve go bad, although I have never seen one as all have been the seal.

Just think that if your statement of noticing deteriorating shocks in 45k were factual on all vehicles, every car on the road would have them replaced under warranty, but this doesn't happen. These are also covered under the Acura Extended Car Care Warranty, but I don’t believe many would have ever needed a replacement under the 100k warranty, I haven’t. This is not to say that it can't occur, but the chances are very slim and not the norm. Most struts/shocks will last well over 100k with no problems, in fact the '96 Grand Cherokee we once owned, has the OE shocks at 252k and are fine except for the left rear where the dust shield has completely rusted off and the seal has been exposed for years, still no problems and the Jeep also carries heavy weights.

Our '89 TII has the OE suspension at 199k and the car still won't budge when weight is placed on a corner.

Can't say that I've never replaced shocks and struts on a vehicle that have had under 100k, but once again, this is not the norm, at least from my experience.

I only indicate what I've been exposed to in the past, but if one wants to do a replacement every 50k miles their choice, same as any other service on the car.

I hate cars

I'm a bit OCD as we all know. No normal (sane) person would have noticed my shocks getting a little softer. Where I noticed it was a set of speed bumps that I go over every day and it was barely noticeable. I probably could've gotten double the miles out of them but I also wanted to upgrade to the Konis...

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Matt, you'll be happy to know that I'm pairing the koni's with the aspec springs!!!

I hate cars

Nice! I can't remember but which swaybars are you running?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

the Progress RSB. and stock 6mt fsb
havent paid in full on the yellows, but will soon have.
a friend is giving me his aspec springs!

I was afraid i was going to have to buy the aspec susp. and part ways with the shocks, but this works out better!!

dannyboy10

Does the TL's handling slowly deteriorate when the OEM shocks start getting past the 60k mile mark ?

I hate cars

There's no set mileage limit but it's possible. A better statement would be the handling will deteriorate when the shocks start getting soft. Yours may or may not be getting softer.

As the car ages, many things happen. Suspension components wear, the rack loosens up, alignment can change, etc. Alll will make it handle worse.

dannyboy10

IHC,

I should have added I live in NYC and my TL's suspension has been getting pounded since Christmas 2010 due to the huge number of potholes and bad roads from the nasty winter.

Was going to get A-Spec suspension at the start of the year but changed my mind because of the bad roads.

Is there a easy and accurate way to determine if my shocks are getting softer ?

I hate cars

Not really. The car will still pass the bounce test when you push it down and it comes up without bouncing more than once. There are ways but nothing you would want to do.

It comes down to how the car performs when it hit bumps or when you first turn in to a corner aggressively. Does it lean a lot more than new when you first turn the wheel? Lots of front end dive or rear end rise? It's all so subjective and it's hard to remember how it drove when new.

The best thing to ask is are you happy with the way it handles or does it feel really sloppy? Does the body seem to bounce around too much? A new shock can actually give a better ride than an old soft one. For example if you turn through a deep gutter while turning, the worn shocks will let the body dip and roll a couple times going through it, throwing you around. A stiffer shock will give only one slightly firmer jolt and then it's over with instead of all of this leaning and bouncing.

If you're asking the question, you probably want a firmer shock even if your stockers are good. I highly recommend the Konis and a-spec springs if you can afford them. I know they're a bit pricey, I had to do the front first and later the rear due to cost.

For bumpy roads, a firmer shock with a firmer spring that barely lowers the car can give you a better ride. You will feel the small bumps a little more but the large ones won't feel so bad.

I'm bordering on posting bad info but in combination with good shocks, *sometimes* large swaybars can give a better ride on really bad roads but it really depends on the situation. They can make it worse too.

dannyboy10

IHC,

Why did you choose the Koni yellows over the A-Spec shocks ? Are the A-Spec springs available separately ? I scanned a couple places and only see the entire A-Spec sold as a set.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

I'm betting its the ability to adjust damper on each corner.

you're right, the aspec susp. is sold as a whole set.

mateozzz

I don't post a lot, but Turbonut is really misinformed about shock absorbers. Shocks start wearing the day you put the first mile on your car and will continue degrading over time due to the way they function. Each shock has seals that slide up and down and valves with springs of different spring rates that allow them to open under different pressures. Designing a shock requires choosing an overall dampening rate and then adding valves to blow off the pressure to make the ride better, or to handle rebound from bumps better, etc... Each of these parts wears over time and the change in specs can allow excess fluid flow between the chambers of the shock causing the performance to degrade. You won't see oil leaking from the shock until there is actually a failure to seal, but the performance degradation happens long before then. On my TL, the shocks were noticeably softer (more comfortable actually) at 10k. At 30k some harshness started to creep in and by 40k they were definitely unpleasant to drive over bumpy roads and they bounded over depressions. My situation is probably more severe than some because I drive over some rough roads (but not off road), so your mileage will vary. If you stay on smooth roads all the time you might get 80k out of yours, and if you are not picky then maybe 100k. At 200k your car would most likely be unsafe if you ever had to do a high speed lane change, but it may feel great just cruising down the road.

The old test where you push on your car and see if it bounces more than once is only valid to determine if your shock is completely blown. Your valves can be completely unresponsive and the shocks will still pass the test, so the best test would be to drive a new car and compare how it handles compared to yours. Try doing a slalom if you can find room and see how your car handles the transitions. If you can find an intersection with a good dip, hit it at speed and see if it causes your car to bounce or bound erratically.

Comparing the Acura shocks to a truck or a cheap car is misleading also. Those vehicles may have plain-jane shocks (ex: Sears) that have no valves, so they just have a middle-of-the-road ride all the time. Sears shocks try to get adjustable dampening by putting grooves on the side of the cylinder that vary in depth, so when the main valve stem gets out of the center position the effective flow rate is choked down. This lets them make the shock soft most of the time, but they firm up when you hit a big bump. It kind of works, but multi-valving is much more sophisticated.

DisgustipatedAP1

This is a really interesting discussion. I'm a big suspension nut (I've got KW V3's on my AP1 S2000), and I'm about to pick up a TL with 173k miles that's still on stock everything. I'm hazarding a guess here, but picking up some Koni Yellows would probably drastically increase the handling performance and even give it better ride quality, no? The car had a lot of body roll when I test drove it yesterday, and one of the first mods I planned on doing was some Koni Yellows, maybe with stiffer lowering springs. Don't really need a nice coilover set on a beater TL, but spending $600~ on Koni Yellows seems like a smart move. Thoughts?

Eperezteach

This is very helpful for me. I have an 04 tl 6 speed. Mines has 162k miles on the original shocks. I have to bite the bullet and replace them. I am amazed the quality of oem parts.

gogators22

Hey guys, sorry to bump an old thread but I have the same question as OP. My ride feels really bouncy and I want it to be stiffer. I just had my timing belt replaced and drove a 2015TLX for one day. When I got my car back, it seemed to be bouncier than normal. I'm assuming it's because I was in a brand new version of my car 24 hours beforehand. I would like to replace at least the front shocks and struts, don't really want to lower the car. Minimal drop is ok (less than 1 inch). Assuming it's a lot cheaper to just change the front, but willing to buy all 4 if it's a better value.

Thanks for any suggestions!

ExcelerateRep

I recommend an oem shock with the TEIN HTech springs. It will lower you down less than an inch and provide a great quality ride.

TEIN Springs - High.Tech - Excelerate - HOA - Japanese Performance Specialist

gogators22

Thanks. Your link is for all 4 right? How much shipped to Florida? Where do you suggest buying the OEM shocks from?

csmeance

Look on the Black Market for a set of the OEM ones. I picked up a set of 2005 TL Shocks for $120 shipped for all 4, they had 20K miles on them. I replaced the factory ones that had between 180K (front) and 160K (rear) on them. It made a HUGE difference. I didn't bother replacing the springs since they looked fine.

I'd also suggest the Koni Yellow Shocks, they can be rebuilt for lifetime use!

gogators222

Awesome. Sounds like the shocks are the most important thing to replace. I'll check out the salvage yards

erdoc48

^^ personally, I wouldn't put shocks from a salvage yard car on my car- there's no way to know the mileage of the parts you're using and it's probably better just to get new parts.

JD TL-S

iTrader: (1)

I have the A-spec coilovers on my 2007 Acura TL Type-S and was considering Tein S-Tech springs. Any info on this ? When I bought my first New 2007 Acura TL Type-S I installed just Eibach Pro springs and hated the ride. Over bad bumps or RR Tracks the car felt like it bottomed out and broke in half.

JD TL-S

iTrader: (1)

A-Spec coilovers are awesome

gogators22

Yeah that's what I was thinking. Does anyone sell new OEM shocks?

gogators22

Anyone used this brand before? http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=5853858&cc=1429130&jnid=379&jpid=0

ExcelerateRep

I would bite the bullet and go to the dealership. It's the only way to know for sure.

Don't get Monroe shocks, they are very sub-standard. You might want to go with the KYB GR-2 Shock as a very close to OEM replacement shock. It's very comfort oriented and will ride great:
KYB GR-2 / Excel-G Gas Shocks - Excelerate Performance - Japanese and European Performance Specialists!!

You could then reuse your oem springs. That link for the HTechs was for all 4. Shipping to Florida for the springs would be about $25.

gogators222

Thank you. The link for the shocks, is that $92 per shock or pair? How important is it to replace OEM springs? I have 206K miles now with the original suspension.