Hi fellas,

My name is James and I am not mechanically inclined in terms of car part names.

Is it worth it to lift the car and take all the suspension components apart to clean and replace all boots, bushings, bearings, cv joints, boots, etc etc (again, i really don't know exactly what is what). I have a 2003 and my suspension is starting to feel horrid. I think i need to replace my shocks/springs/damper unit (hopefully you can refurb the oem) and i figure if that's getting replaced with oem or repaired why not all the other "metal to metal contact point bushing things" on the suspension.

How much can i expect to pay if I take it to a reputable Honda shop (not corporate honda).

Please be gentle as I am not trolling and i'm not knowledgeable. I read a post where a guy replaced all those things himself and he stated the car felt like new!

Thank you!

 

Cleaning won't help much in terms of performance but it's not a bad idea in terms of keeping the car tidy in some of the more forgotten areas. Physically changing out parts will help your car feel tighter and newer but not everything will need changing. Some parts will last a long time. You can inspect the bushings for any tears or cracks. Do you have any strange noises while driving?

Also if your stock suspension is done I recommend picking up a set of good coilovers. Or if you want to keep the stock suspension, just find a used set of OEM shocks with low mileage. New shocks from Honda will be lots of $.

Remember, if it ain't broken, don't fix it!

 

On a cold morning going to the boston mountain tours, i kept hearing a click click click when starting to move....... later during the day it went away and i really have not heard it since.

I have drove it in the snow (salt and sand) so it makes me think i really messed up my suspension components. Thanks for your advice!

 

That clicking is your wheel bearing making noise, you need to re tighten your rear axle nut, or replace it, and get that one tightened properly. Search for axle nut tsb. Bushings fatigue over time, and replacing them can make the car feel more solid but it's not a huge difference. You're more likely to notice poor alignment and uneven tire pressure.

The shocks are factory sealed units, no rebuilding there. The fronts are usually the first to fail, you can get away with replacing the front pair. Or get replacement shocks such as Koni, which can be rebuilt, revalved, and converted to double adjustable. They're fairly easy to install yourself, there are plenty of diy's.

If money means nothing to you, you can get spherical bearings to replace your control arm bushings, and go coilovers, or custom shocks and springs.

 

+1 on clicking = need to tighten rear axle nuts. You just need some know-how, a torque wrench, and a huge honkin 3/4 inch socket set.

For eveything else, just have someone that knows what they are doing inspect your bushings, balljoints and tie rods, and dampers.

Bushings: Made of rubber. They are the joint that connects the A arms to the chassis.

Ball joints: sperical metal joints that the hub pivots on when you turn steering.

Tie rods: spherical metal joints that steer the car.

Dampers: the shocks.