I need to replace my struts in my 09 TL with 110,000 miles. Does anyone have any opinions on going with the Honda OEM's or the Monroe replacements and would prefer a complete cartridge without having to mess with the springs? I am not interested in lowering or upgrading the suspension. Just want to replace the current struts. Thanks for your help.

Mike

 

I've always gone OEM. Both with my 3G and 4G TL. I know Monroe provides struts that are supposed to be OEM as far as stiffness and what not. But OEM isn't that expensive. Like, $160 a piece or something from OEMAcuraParts.com. And yes, that's the complete assembly. Shock and spring so you don't have to mess with any sort of spring swapping or anything.

 

I'm curious, at only 110,000 miles, why do you think you need to replace your struts and shocks?

 

I'm starting to get a "knocking" noise over bumps on both sides. I have read that most people are changing them out before the 110,000 miles I have. It seems to be a fairly easy change-out that I can do myself.

 

That knock could also be bad bushings on the control arms, or a lot of other things for that matter. I replaced my shock assemblies at about 150K and the knock was still there. The ride quality was better but the knock was annoying. Shame on me for not checking the play on the other components. The upper control arm on the passenger side had some play on the outer connection that wasn't solved by tightening the castle bolt. Replaced it with a $35 Mevotech from Rockauto and it solved the problem.

 

Another thing to check is the stabilizer bar (aka. swaybar) bushings and end links. Relative to what most folks do, I'd SWAG most folks get an easy 150,000 to 200,000 miles out of their OEM shocks and struts before they need replacement. Case in point, my TL is approaching 140,000 and they are all performing to spec, and at 197,000 miles one rear shock on my Accord has just gone soft.

 

Thanks guys. I guess I should check those things first and will.

 

Shocks "performing to spec"? Does that mean "still like new"? How exactly do you measure/determine that?

 

Like most other, mechanical devices, automotive and otherwise, have tolerances, and something is deemed to be performing to spec when within those tolerances. That said, also pretty much like everything else automotive and/or mechanically related, things loosen up a bit from being factory new (this is why new engines don't get the best fuel economy until they've broken in and loosened up). Engineers anticipate and expect the loosening process and as such, specify ranges and tolerances for everything from your engine, through motors and generators, and yes, even shocks. Only a fool would say shocks with 140,000 miles on them function like "new", but they are well within spec.

FWIW, when I worked for Mercedes (both in the States and in Germany), we ran tests in pretty much everything, shocks and struts among them. It was the exceedingly rare shock or strut which failed to meet the designed in tolerances and yet didn't visibly leak oil; in fact, in the test lab I can think of only one instance of a design (quickly rejected for production) where I observed such an occurrance.

 

What "horseshoez" said....