Shocks/Struts replacement on 5th Gen Accords
12-22-2007, 10:17 PM
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Shocks/Struts replacement on 5th Gen Accords
Special tools you need:
Spring Compressors
also have a set of hex sockets/ or any hex set.
**********************************************
Bad pics because they're all taken by a cellphone. broke my digi camera
new set of shocks. The other parts in the pic is the camber kit.
FRONT SHOCKS
Lift the car from front, make sure u pull the hand brake.
if you are using a lift, then great!
1. Take off the driver side tire.
2. Remove these two bolts and use a pry bar to drop the damper fork (correction: its not flange, its damper fork. The bolts are called flange bolts) and leave it there for now.
3. Then remove the brake lines from the strut by removing two bolts
4. Pull out the three nuts holding the sturt from the top. also grab the strut from the bottom before you pull out the last nut so that it doesnt fall.
5. Put it on the spring compressor or put the spring compressor on it! which ever one u have.
6. After you have compressed the spring, use a hex key and a wrench to take out the bolt
7. Remove the strut from bottom and take the cap off.
*MakE sure u dont loose any parts from the cap and know where which part came from*
If your new struts came w/ replacement parts for the cap, then replace them.
8. Remove the cover from the old strut and install it on the new strut. Dont worry about the yellow (in my case) bushing, u dont need really need it.
the washer that i'm holding in this picture goes above the cap, before you put the nut on!
9. now slide the shock into the spring and put the cap, then washer, and then the bolt on.
10. Now tighten the bolt. w/ these shocks I had to use a 1/4 wrench for the strut top and different wrench for the bolt. *no hex key*. this will depend on which struts you get.
* AS YOU UNCOMPRESS THE SPRING, MAKE SURE THAT IT SITS IN THE RIGHT SPOT ON THE STRUT.
11. Now put the new setup next to the old strut and take a picture
12. Back to the damper fork, take a pry bar and pry it a little . Not a lot, make the gap about 1/8 of an inch wider.
13. Slide the new strut on to the damper fork to make sure it slides in easy, if not then pry it some more. There's a teeth on the strut that is suppose to go in between the gap of the fork. I forgot to take pic of it, but heres one I foudn online later on.
14. Now take the fork back out and stick it in its place on the car. DONT PUT ON THE STRUT YET. Leave it there hanging.
15. Put the strut in making sure its right, the teeth should be facing the motor. Put on the 3 bolts on top losely.
16. Slide the fork onto the strut and put on the top bolt losely.
17. Then put on the lower bolt and tighten it.
18. Now jack up the suspension from the lower arm and raise it as much as possible, to the point where the whole car starts going up w/ the jack.
19. Now losen up the top bolt even more (not to the point where the bolt unscrews off).
20. Push down on the car from top so that the strut sits properly in the damper fork.
21. tighten up the top bolt
22. Tighten up the 3 nuts on the strut tower.
23. Put on your brake line on the strut and put the 2 bolts back on.
24. Put the tire back on and u're done w/ this side.
for the passenger side. do the exact same thing.
the only problem i had w/ my passenger side was that the brake line didnt exactly line up w/ the spots on the strut to bolt it on. so instead of putting on both bolts, i just put on 1 to hold the brake line.
************************************************** **************************************
REAR SHOCKS
Dont jack up the car from the back right now.
1. Fold donw your back seat
2. Pop the corner seats by twisting them where the blue arrow is. Pull it upwards and then pull it towards the front of the car. To put them back in u'll have to twist it again (u'll see a clip that has to go in its spot when you pull it out) and push back in.
3. Remove these three panels
4. Then remove these two nuts completly from both strut towers
Now you will jack up the car from the back.
5. Take off your driver side tire and remove this one bolt holding the shock from bottom.
6. Then remove the two bolts up there holding the upper control arm.
7. Take a big pry bar and stick it in there so you can push down on the trailing arm and hold it down until you can pull out the shock itself. You might have to use another small pry bar to pry the top of the strut to make it shorter and make it easier to get out.
Get some one to help you w/ the pry bar if possible, it will make it a lot easier.
8. If you are using stock height springs, then change out the shocks just like above.
If you are switching to or using lowering springs you will not have to compress the springs to put them on, they're too short already.
9. Stick the assembly back in there and again use teh big pry bar to push teh whole suspension down. You might also have to push the strut down from top to shorten it and make it easier to put it back in its hole.
10. When it does go back in its hole, put on the two bolts on top losely.
11. Line up the bottom of the strut to put the bolt in.
12. The lowering springs will stay on losely and i haven't yet figure out a way to make it stay in its place. Just make sure that they're seated properly on the bottom.
The only thing i have been able to do so far is that I will sit the spring properly on the strut and use a thin metal wire to tie it down at the bottom.
13. Pull out the big pry bar and put the upper control arm back on and put on the tire.
14. Move to the other side and follow the exact same steps.
15. Put on your tires and remove the jack or take your car off teh lift.
16. Get in the back seat adn tighten up the bolts on the strut towers.
17. Put the panels back on and also the corner seats.
and thats it. Ur done.
*****************************************
Some comparison pics after it was dropped about 2":
If I missed out on a step, let me know and i'll add it to it.
Spring Compressors
also have a set of hex sockets/ or any hex set.
**********************************************
Bad pics because they're all taken by a cellphone. broke my digi camera
new set of shocks. The other parts in the pic is the camber kit.
FRONT SHOCKS
Lift the car from front, make sure u pull the hand brake.
if you are using a lift, then great!
1. Take off the driver side tire.
2. Remove these two bolts and use a pry bar to drop the damper fork (correction: its not flange, its damper fork. The bolts are called flange bolts) and leave it there for now.
3. Then remove the brake lines from the strut by removing two bolts
4. Pull out the three nuts holding the sturt from the top. also grab the strut from the bottom before you pull out the last nut so that it doesnt fall.
5. Put it on the spring compressor or put the spring compressor on it! which ever one u have.
6. After you have compressed the spring, use a hex key and a wrench to take out the bolt
7. Remove the strut from bottom and take the cap off.
*MakE sure u dont loose any parts from the cap and know where which part came from*
If your new struts came w/ replacement parts for the cap, then replace them.
8. Remove the cover from the old strut and install it on the new strut. Dont worry about the yellow (in my case) bushing, u dont need really need it.
the washer that i'm holding in this picture goes above the cap, before you put the nut on!
9. now slide the shock into the spring and put the cap, then washer, and then the bolt on.
10. Now tighten the bolt. w/ these shocks I had to use a 1/4 wrench for the strut top and different wrench for the bolt. *no hex key*. this will depend on which struts you get.
* AS YOU UNCOMPRESS THE SPRING, MAKE SURE THAT IT SITS IN THE RIGHT SPOT ON THE STRUT.
11. Now put the new setup next to the old strut and take a picture
12. Back to the damper fork, take a pry bar and pry it a little . Not a lot, make the gap about 1/8 of an inch wider.
13. Slide the new strut on to the damper fork to make sure it slides in easy, if not then pry it some more. There's a teeth on the strut that is suppose to go in between the gap of the fork. I forgot to take pic of it, but heres one I foudn online later on.
14. Now take the fork back out and stick it in its place on the car. DONT PUT ON THE STRUT YET. Leave it there hanging.
15. Put the strut in making sure its right, the teeth should be facing the motor. Put on the 3 bolts on top losely.
16. Slide the fork onto the strut and put on the top bolt losely.
17. Then put on the lower bolt and tighten it.
18. Now jack up the suspension from the lower arm and raise it as much as possible, to the point where the whole car starts going up w/ the jack.
19. Now losen up the top bolt even more (not to the point where the bolt unscrews off).
20. Push down on the car from top so that the strut sits properly in the damper fork.
21. tighten up the top bolt
22. Tighten up the 3 nuts on the strut tower.
23. Put on your brake line on the strut and put the 2 bolts back on.
24. Put the tire back on and u're done w/ this side.
for the passenger side. do the exact same thing.
the only problem i had w/ my passenger side was that the brake line didnt exactly line up w/ the spots on the strut to bolt it on. so instead of putting on both bolts, i just put on 1 to hold the brake line.
************************************************** **************************************
REAR SHOCKS
Dont jack up the car from the back right now.
1. Fold donw your back seat
2. Pop the corner seats by twisting them where the blue arrow is. Pull it upwards and then pull it towards the front of the car. To put them back in u'll have to twist it again (u'll see a clip that has to go in its spot when you pull it out) and push back in.
3. Remove these three panels
4. Then remove these two nuts completly from both strut towers
Now you will jack up the car from the back.
5. Take off your driver side tire and remove this one bolt holding the shock from bottom.
6. Then remove the two bolts up there holding the upper control arm.
7. Take a big pry bar and stick it in there so you can push down on the trailing arm and hold it down until you can pull out the shock itself. You might have to use another small pry bar to pry the top of the strut to make it shorter and make it easier to get out.
Get some one to help you w/ the pry bar if possible, it will make it a lot easier.
8. If you are using stock height springs, then change out the shocks just like above.
If you are switching to or using lowering springs you will not have to compress the springs to put them on, they're too short already.
9. Stick the assembly back in there and again use teh big pry bar to push teh whole suspension down. You might also have to push the strut down from top to shorten it and make it easier to put it back in its hole.
10. When it does go back in its hole, put on the two bolts on top losely.
11. Line up the bottom of the strut to put the bolt in.
12. The lowering springs will stay on losely and i haven't yet figure out a way to make it stay in its place. Just make sure that they're seated properly on the bottom.
The only thing i have been able to do so far is that I will sit the spring properly on the strut and use a thin metal wire to tie it down at the bottom.
13. Pull out the big pry bar and put the upper control arm back on and put on the tire.
14. Move to the other side and follow the exact same steps.
15. Put on your tires and remove the jack or take your car off teh lift.
16. Get in the back seat adn tighten up the bolts on the strut towers.
17. Put the panels back on and also the corner seats.
and thats it. Ur done.
*****************************************
Some comparison pics after it was dropped about 2":
If I missed out on a step, let me know and i'll add it to it.
Last edited by nspec_Cd5; 01-27-2008 at 07:57 PM.
01-23-2008, 08:07 AM
#4
Senior Member
What suspension is that? koni adjustable shocks and what springs?
The front tein ss coilovers on my car are gone and I need to replaced them ASAP.
I am looking to replace just the front, the back are adjustable so I can adjust to whatever the height I get in front or if I can get a kit for $500 or less then I would replaced all 4.
btw nice work. you should know the 94-95th accord will always look lower than a 96-97 accord with the same suspension.
The front tein ss coilovers on my car are gone and I need to replaced them ASAP.
I am looking to replace just the front, the back are adjustable so I can adjust to whatever the height I get in front or if I can get a kit for $500 or less then I would replaced all 4.
btw nice work. you should know the 94-95th accord will always look lower than a 96-97 accord with the same suspension.
01-23-2008, 11:14 AM
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01-23-2008, 01:36 PM
#8
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What suspension is that? koni adjustable shocks and what springs?
The front tein ss coilovers on my car are gone and I need to replaced them ASAP.
I am looking to replace just the front, the back are adjustable so I can adjust to whatever the height I get in front or if I can get a kit for $500 or less then I would replaced all 4.
btw nice work. you should know the 94-95th accord will always look lower than a 96-97 accord with the same suspension.
The front tein ss coilovers on my car are gone and I need to replaced them ASAP.
I am looking to replace just the front, the back are adjustable so I can adjust to whatever the height I get in front or if I can get a kit for $500 or less then I would replaced all 4.
btw nice work. you should know the 94-95th accord will always look lower than a 96-97 accord with the same suspension.
its all dropzone. all shocks and springs = around 300 bucks.
i've never noticed teh difference b/w 94-95 adn 96-97 accords in suspension.