Drive from Vegas to Cali - slight play/wobble - then mechanic visit
 

Coasting on level and smooth highway....yet noticeable but slight (not like "oh no emergency") "play" or wobble from front end, with some slight vibration noise inside cabin. Kinda drove me crazy so took car to mechanic. The play or wobble is slight. Felt like something may be in tire. No grinding or whining noise anywhere. No noise at all. Play/wobble seems more noticeable when accelerating/cruising/deaccelerating. Car drives straight as arrow. No pulling. Not rotors - zero wobbling during braking.

mechanic took for test drive and did inspection. Not motor mounts - new ones installed last week - they are still good (aftermarket). Mechanic says he does not see anything broken or damaged. Said his diagnosis is that the struts and arms and tie rods and such are original and maybe are worn. "Maybe"??? Frustrating. I wanted an answer so I could fix. I read some other threads and seems like folks have same issue - trying to find the issue.

Your thoughts? sorry to be a pest....

Thank you!!!! Appreciated!!!


https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-problems-fixes-114/front-end-vibration-wobble-like-feel-746430/

Without seeing or test-driving the car myself my money's on control arm bushings - especially if the wobble is proportional to speed and most noticeable at highway speeds.

Edit: the first thing I'd do is check that all the suspension bolts are snugged down properly - takes very little time and doesn't cost any money. If the issue persists, continue the diag.

Thank you!

Going for 2nd opinion at 4pm today. Also having tires inspected and road force balancing of the wheels. Thank you!

To replace control arm bushings, do you replace the whole control arm or just bushing? Thanks.

To rule the tires out, I would definitely have the tires road force balanced. I've only replaced my TL tires twice in 11 years, but RF balancing is key to a smooth ride. My local Acura dealer has a Hunter RFB machine/Hunter alignment machine. This is the only reason I ever visit them. As for control arm bushings, I believe it's best to purchase the entire LCA assembly, but others can chime in if they have only needed to replace the bushings.

Unless the car was driven on terrible roads for it's entire life (very possible), the LCA bushing should not be completely wasted at your mileage. I guess anything is possible though.

Good luck!

Thanks! No need to mess with UPPER control arms?

At your milage, I wouldn't think so. Lowers definitely do more of the work. and are subject to more of the wear. I replaced all four strut/spring assemblies and sway bar links around 88K with OEM as I wanted to preserve the ride and keep the wear off the LCA's. I am now at 125K and all is smooth and tight. I would start with a Road Force balancing first to rule out any tire issues/vibrations.

If the struts/springs/sway bar links are original, that would be the next area to concentrate on. A decent tech should be able to isolate and evaluate excessive wear on struts/ ball joints/tie rod ends/wheel bearings etc. with a through inspection.

Good luck!

It's my understanding the strut assemblies are original. Road force balance completed....just waiting for interstate drive road test (where i noticed issue originally). Strut assemblies OEM Honda are sooooo expensive. Hoping I can get away with aftermarket. Not sure. Even KYB are pricey....

Front suspension basics:

Always replace the entire control arm - pressing in new bushings is way more work and doesn't really save you money.

Upper control arm has a pressed-in ball joint. Also easier to replace the whole thing than press in a new ball joint.

Lower ball joint is pressed into the knuckle. You can probably buy a loaded knuckle with ball joint and wheel bearing already pressed in if you ever need to replace this part.

Swaybar links are generally super easy to replace. If you're "going in" to replace other suspension components, might as well replace these too.

Swaybar bushings are usually clamped onto the lower control arm. If you have to replace the LCA, might as well replace these too since they already have to come out.

--

I just acquired a 2008 Accord and it looks to have a very similar double wishbone front suspension as your TL. I'm planning on doing a complete suspension rebuild on this car with KYB coilovers and ACDelco Gold parts for the rest - with Rock Auto prices it shouldn't cost more than a few hundred bucks for the front end. Part of the rationale is that it's not worth replacing press-in parts like ball joints, bushings, or wheel bearings... just gonna replace everything lol

For strut testing....if i push down on the hood or area by the wheel and the car does NOT budge an inch up or down, doesnt that mean struts are good? It takes alot of effort to push down on hood, without any luck.

Appreciated!

Odd thing - my 2000 acura tl that I had from 2016 to 2025........never replaced a front end part.

when is the last time you rotated the tires? Got the right PSI in them?

Latest Update

Following a drive on the interstate yesterday, the noise/ wobble is gone. Road force balance at Discount Tire did the trick. Thanks.

Great to hear!

Love Hunter Road Force balancing! Some people call it a ruse, but I have always had great results and will gladly pay extra for the smooth ride. Like I said earlier, the Hunter twins (alignment/wheel balancer machines) are the only reason I ever step foot in the local Acura dealership.

Happy New Year!

Thinking in mid 2026 will get the front struts replaced (do I have to do rewr too?) And maybe lower control arms. Happy 2026!

Seems like you plan on keeping the car for a bit. If so, I would definitely replace both front/rear struts and sway bar links as well. You will definitely notice a significant improvement in the overall ride/handing characteristics.

RockAuto - KYB - time to search

I read reviews online that FCS works well for Acura users. KYB is expensive. Maybe get what you pay for but.....anything new on the 125k miles should be improvement, right?
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/acurazi...4380ad6482.jpg

Monroe is junk. No experience with FCS or top notch, but given those prices I'd be very skeptical of the quality.

KYB is the most expensive because they are the best quality part. Just ordered four for my Accord rebuild. I also had KYB Excel-G struts (with stock springs) in my RDX before upgrading to the BC kit.

If anything, get the better parts for the front since that part of the car takes more abuse.

Maybe the roads are ok where you live, but in my area (New England) they're so bad that you basically need off-road suspension. This is partly why I'm such a snob when it comes to suspension parts quality - I've seen my share of busted ball joints and torn compliance bushings...

Personally , :2cents: i would get KYB struts and swap over the stock springs myself (replacing bushings / boots/ top hats as required, but some people prefer to buy whole assemblies to do it all in one fell swoop.


You get what you pay for, I know folks like @csmeance swear by FCS assemblies, but I'm a KYB fan myself, When my struts fail, I will be purchasing KYB struts and DIYing it and save a nice chunk of change over OEM.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/acurazi...07c898cf72.png
$189.79
Repurposing the front springs and piecing together the below individual new KYB components saves the $34.63 cost of the spring in the KYB strut assembly above.
As mention, an even larger 'win' in savings can be accomplished ($45.37) if the OEM boot, bump stop, top hat / upper isolator & lower isolator can be reused since the KYB Excel-G strut already includes the bushes & associated items. :ponder:
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/acurazi...dd8c7ef4eb.png
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/acurazi...fa4eb68ce0.png
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/acurazi...5e44e0ca5c.png
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/acurazi...829687eb18.png
$155.16

ew that's not much savings at all, seems well worth the ease of replacement to just buy the full KYB unit in this case,


Unfortunately for the 3GTL: KYB does not have any full assemblies with Springs so i would have to assemble it myself.

Roger that.
Although, if you anticipate all the accessory components still having reasonable utility left over you'd still do really well, DIYing, to re-up four corners with KYB's at $288.69 shipped to 90210. :)
It's only when strut accessories present as perished upon removal that can start things to get expensive?

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/acurazi...bff49d8ab8.png
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/acurazi...b024f2b084.png
Not sure if you have already seen this thread, though, this guy found out quick, how things can get expensive, with his initial 'want' to go OEM with strut accessories, lol.
2012 TSX parts for new shocks (Tein EnduraPro Plus) - AcuraZine - Acura Enthusiast Community
:thumbsup:

Generally agree with this - I have a set of the KYB strut plus coilovers ready to go for my Accord. Doing a full suspension rebuild and don't feel like spending the extra time to assemble each coilover.

But those Excel-G dampers that you can get separately are a nicer part than what comes in the strut plus assembly, which I'm guessing is the reason for not much price difference. They're slightly stiffer than stock but aren't too aggressive. If you have the time & tools to assemble your own coilover that's deff the way to go.

Yeah generally a good price, plus i have a second set of OEM springs and top hats ready to go already, :smirk: it pays off to obsessively watch the black market :tongue:

i get springs can be scary to work with and why many people are afraid of them, but just be smart, wear proper protective gear, and dont have the springs pointed at body mass during assembly/disassembly and you’ll be fine

I would prefer KYB up front. Maybe FCS in the back. But FCS is $124 cheaper per - $248 more for front. Maybe a winning poker session will allow for the extra spend!!

FCS suck, my front bump stops were falling part quickly and the warranty process has been a hassle with them since I installed them myself and not through a shop.

:rave:

Sounds like you're swearing at them rather than swearing by them..

Guess my memory was wrong :tomato: I swore he used to tout those as a viable solution for those looking for suspension replacements :doh:

No judgement here I can barely remember what I had for dinner last night lol

Seems we're all in agreement about the superiority of KYB over the cheaper choices fwiw @Big Dom

Got these bad boys waiting to go 👀 buy once cry once...

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/acurazi...81fe5fd518.jpg

When you say suspension bolts, do you mean under the hood (top of strut assmbly) or do you mean underneath/suspension parts? Thanks.

Can you get away with Moog control arms (lower) assembly or no..........?

Can you get away with Mevotech links....?

I'll defer to the other members here who may have used aftermarket suspension parts. When I did the struts/springs/sway bar links, I went with all OEM.

Did some reading.....seems like aftermarket front end parts are trouble....Moog or Mevotech....could get lucky but overall.....

However....considering price of lower control arms....if the arm isn't bent or damaged....wouldn't you just replace the bushing (oem bushing) for improved ride/feel (and oem links)? I heard it's less labor to replace entire arm, but I assume my mechanic has the equipment of properly press bushings.....

Thoughts?

Mevotech: go Supreme or TTX. I have a bunch of each in my RDX and they're solid, but I've heard meh things about the quality of their 'OE replacement' line. Many Mevotech parts have grease fittings and should be periodically re-greased - theoretically better for longevity, but it adds a maintenance item.

Moog: they also seem to have a cheaper line of parts that isn't the greatest quality. I don't use too many Moog parts but got a pair of their loaded knuckles for my Accord since it was the only option (I hate pressing in wheel bearings, ugh). Moog used to be reputed as a high-quality aftermarket supplier all around.

I bought mostly Delphi parts for my Accord's suspension rebuild - they are a GM OE supplier similar to ACDelco, and most of their parts were very middle-of-the-road in terms of price. Not super expensive but not cheap either. I have a set of Delphi coils in my RDX although that's the only part I've used from them so far... but my internet homework indicated their suspension components are quality. Most of the boxes say 'made in Turkey' on them.

I also have a set of A-premium lower control arms in my RDX that seem well-made. This is the private-label supplier for 1Aauto.

Regarding the suspension bolts: literally everything lol including the nuts at the top of the strut towers.