Hello!
Finally had the time to do my Front CVs it took me 2 hours but bear in mind I don´t have a lift

The idea of this was removing a stupid clunk noise in my suspension so I believe it was the CV because the grease leaked from it anddddddd the noise is still there! seems that the spring seat in the shock is making noise probably from getting too much dirt.. Solution will be to disassembly the shock and grease the seat but that is job for another time.

Here are the OEM Axles @ 87K


I replaced both because I had a deal on the second unit.

 

Ohh and BTW both Axles were in good working condition...
I ended up changing them because I had the new units from months So I could not turn them back anymore, That sure I was the noise was coming from the CV. Took me around 3 hours to find the clunk noise in the spring area of the shock.

The leaky CV just needs a grease repack and a new boot band.

 

Skirmich,
Tell me more about the clunk & the spring seats. Mine clunks when I go over any bumps, My axles are not leaking grease, all the rubber bushings & motor & suspension mounts, etc, all look good. Being a TL guy, I naturally suspected sway bar end links, but they seem tight. Was thinking I would probably have to replace shocks, spring seat, top hat & bumps stops, everything in the strut assembly.

 

The clunk noise only sounds when turning the wheel at a dead stop (3 point turn specially) sounds like a dry ball joint or a shock bearing failure so it sounds like (Clik---Click---- Click) that was in some part what lead me to believe it was a CV Axle problem (Adding to the leaky boot) but the sound its coming from the spring itself? I put my hand inside the gap between the wheel and the fender and grabbed the spring while I make my wife turn the wheel over and over to pin point the Sound by "feel". Sure enough at every click the spring vibrated... At first hand I thought it was the top hat bearing but I removed the inspection cover on the top to feel the top of the shock and there was no vibration there, Its below the bearing and top hat and the only thing remaining is the Spring and Spring seat.. Its a shot in the dark but its my last hint... Everything else is fine, When I replaced the axles I could test the lower ball joint to death and its not bad, Even then when I was looking for the click sound it was not coming from there either.

Since your TL uses Double Wishbone in the front there is no Shock Bearing like our McPherson style in the MDX...

 

My noise is a rattling or clunking whenever going over bumps, so not the same as your problem, but I suspect something in the strut assembly because I don't see or feel anything else. Checking the top hat seems like a good idea.

 

Perhaps the top hat might be worn out.. I replace both in my TL-S last summer and got rid of noises going over bumps..

 

Hey alanw, is your mdx an elite/advanced by any chance? The magneto-shocks have been known to fail and produce a loud clunk over bumps.

Btw skirmich, call me crazy, I went and test drove another mdx and really liked it. So now it is on the shortlist and I am on the hunt for a moderate mileage model for a decent price. Too many folks trying to sell their 200k miles mdx's for 11-13k

 

[QUOTE=RDX10;15792040]Hey alanw, is your mdx an elite/advanced by any chance? The magneto-shocks have been known to fail and produce a loud clunk over bumps.


No, mine is a Tech/Entertainment package.

 

How did you like the Acceleration vs your RDX? is it too much different? or it feels even given the extra weight of the MDX?

 

Well see I initially drove a 2007 mdx that must have been sitting on that dealers lot for months and months. It was incredibly slow, the throttle and transmission lag were horrible and oddly enough, the shifter gate never had a manumatic mode, only PRNDD3L. So after that experience and from reading online in numerous places that the 2G mdx severely needed more power and the V6 was high strung, I cut it off my list.

So cut forward a few months and I went and test drove another one. After reading on a few different car review sites that the 2G could do 0-60 in around 7-7.5 seconds, I thought something must be wrong with that other mdx I seen. This time I was very surprised to find that the power was very adequate. It wasn't going to throw me in my seat, but it did move fairly easily and did not require a deep prod of the pedal either.

It obviously does not even compare to the rdx, not even close, but it is expected. The rdx had very very minor lag followed by a big push. The mid-throttle passing power was awesome. The mdx was not as good as the rdx in terms of passing power, it was still really good.

So to answer the question, yes the power felt fair given the extra weight whereas in my initital experience, it felt like it was a 4-cylinder engine.

 

Exactly my thoughts.. The MDX suffers from the "Slingshot" effect.. Low end power is inadequate but High RPM power is more than enough.
But this is obviously in typical Honda Fashion.. Low End Torque is just not Honda Engines forte, But once the engine starts spinning and specially VTAK its really good... It will actually surprise you that my X has been toe to toe with a 5.7L Armada obviously after a certain speed the X was not able to keep up.

 

I hate that slingshot effect. But exactly my experience with all honda engine. Its like no power, then that vtak and boom very powerful haha.

I beleive you, I think the mdx could keep up with a 2007-2009 x5 4.8 (it gets to 60 in around 7-7.5 as well). Thankfully the mdx can keep cool in the curves. I think a set of fat 275 wide tires would do wonders for the mdx.

 

I am planning on upgrading the wheels later on.. I need some influx of cash to replace the wheels and tires since I absolutely hate the OEM wheels.
I am a fan of ENKEI Wheels. So I have being looking some for the MDX, the ONX in 20"x8.5" is the one that I liked the most so far: Enkei Performance ONX Black Painted




But I liked them in Black only and my Formal Black MDX well... I am not into the murdered style there is plenty of time to decide anyway..
One thing is for sure the Tires are going to be Pirelli´s Scorpion Verdes Plus.. Perhaps in 265/45/R20 I think that is the widest I will go for MPG/Performance Ratio.

 

You should totally do it! Your mdx will thank you! Also if your mdx is not an elite/advanced model, the sway bars are smaller, upgrade those as well!

I would try and go for a 20x9-9.5 rim to comfortably fit a 265 275 wide tire. Most manufactureres go for a 9" wide rim with 255 wide tires. But I think acura puts 255 wide tires on the 8.5" elite wheels.

I like those rims you mentioned, however I feel that the spokes are a bit too small and far apart, and for whatever reason, the mdx seems to only look good with fatter spokes or at the very least spokes closer to each other. Something like http://enkei.com/shop/performance/new-onx/ should look very good.

I am a bit undecided on the murdered out look. First off I think it is incredibly vehicle specific (The mdx can absolutely pull it off though) and I like it sometimes. But on the other hand I would get very bored of it very fast. I plastidipped my gold touareg's wheel matte black. While I loved it for the first couple weeks-month, I really missed silver wheels after and removed the dip. Personally I would go with something more silver and then could easily dip and change colors as I please. Something I rarely see but was going to do on my royal blue pearl rdx was gold wheels. Not shiny chrome gold, but like a glossy satin gold. I think it would absolutely pop on a black car.

Edit: I just realized that the link I posted isn't working and also the wheeks in the link are the same exact wheels you posted, except the main inner portion of the rims is chrome with the snaller side spokes being gloss black vs all black. Amazing what a bit if silver does to change a wheel

 

http://enkei.com/shop/truck-suv/cuv/

Just wow!