95 Accord Shock Assembly

Hi,

I attempted today to install a Monroe Quickstrut into both sides
of our 95 Accord. Upon putting in the strut assembly I couldn't get
the damper back on because there wasn't enough room to slide it at the
bottom of the strut. In comparing the two side by side you can see
that there is about 1/2" difference between the two. I know that the
old strut is 13 years old but do you think that this replacement is
not the correct one?

Here is the side by side of both the old and new

http://img132.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0104mw6.jpg


Thanks in advance for the help
Nick

 

1) That ain't a "strut", despite what Monroe might want to call it.

2) That's the wrong part.

 

first things first - how many times have you seen monroe shocks
recommended as being good on any honda news groups? and what is the
problem you're experiencing that makes you want to replace them? [this
is not a detroit vehicle where shocks need to be changed as a matter of
routine every few years.] if you do have to repair though, and you're
shopping on [initial] price [the only reason i can think of to go with
monroe], go with kyb gr2's instead.

as to the fit, not only do they appear to be longer, but the springs
appear different too. the wire appears slightly slimmer, and the coil
is longer - as it will need to be if the wire is thinner in order to to
maintain ride height. this will give a softer ride, but it will also
wallow on corners more, [which may not be safe] and worse, it will
bottom out easier. if this were my car, i'd not fit these shocks. i'd
use honda replacements or use kyb's. you will need a spring compressor
to disassemble the shock/coil assembly.

 

they'll fit - they're longer to accommodate more sag from the softer
springs. the brake hose fitment is cheap and nasty though - may
accelerate hose cracking as they won't be positioned exactly right.

 

one more thing - NEVER lay assembled shock/spring assemblies on the
ground like that. the springs can get scratched, and when that happens,
they start to fatigue and will break. [then you'll know what "bottoming
out" really means.] always lay them on something soft like cardboard or
cloth or grass.

 

The front left shock is bent since the car was involved in an accident
a few years back. It was the dealers screw up for not identifying it
in the repair of the car at the time. The camber is out of spec on
that side because of it.

I wanted to get all in one replacements because I'm terrified about
the spring and releasing it with some very thin clamps on the
Craftsman line. I thought since the car is 13 years old the springs
are probably shot and the shocks have already leaked why not replace
both.

I called Monroe to verify the part that I got was what they had in
their system and they confirmed it. After explaining to them about the
problem I was facing, the only suggestion he had was that I use a pry
bar...yeah I'm sure going to do that on my LCA. They'll be going back
tomorrow.

If you have any suggestions about some good spring compressors I'll
be willing to give it a shot. I think I can also get the entire
assembly from Honda at around $200 for each side.

 

it may be bent, but that doesn't affect camber - the upper and lower
wishbone members define that. a bent shock simply has a problem with
compression and extension. if you want to fix a camber problem, you
need to get the vehicle's frame straightened [most likely] or bent
wishbone components replaced.

"probably" is detroit thinking, not tokyo. be careful with that!

if they've leaked oil, you'll see it. and that shock you show is not
such a case. if they've leaked their compression gas, that's possible,
but you'll find that out by testing per the honda manual and by driving.

good.

technically, they are correct - and those shocks will fit. but they're
designed to be softer, and to compensate, they /have/ to be initially
longer because of more sag.

honda don't sell this stuff pre-assembled afaik. you need the services
of a spring compressor.

i made one:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/38636024@N00/2334362171/

the parts were maybe $20, and i used a welder.

the real deal is:
http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/bra7400.html

absent the compressor, your next cheapest solution is to take the parts
to a shop that has one, pay the dude in beer, and have him do the swap
for you. only takes a few minutes with the right tool so it won't cost
you much.

 

The must have some incompetent techs working at my local Honda dealer
if that's the case. This is what they put down when I took the car in
for the alignment. Keep in mind that this dealer was the old one I
took my other 99 Accord to before the recent change to another dealer.

"Perform 4 Wheel Alignment - L/F Camber is out of spec. L/F Strut
appears bent - Declined by Customer."

The shock did have some residue which didn't show in the picture but
it is there. Not a lot but it may have evaporated from when it
occurred.

The left front side was involved in an accident about 4 years ago and
they did have to bend the frame, it showed up as a "Unibody
Realignment L" on the final bill. I'm going to try to see if I can get
them to take a look at it again. Would it be covered by their lifetime
guarantee on accident repair work, or that a bunch of BS?

 

doesn't appear bent in the pic you posted.

oil doesn't evaporate, or at least, not that quick.

check the fine print on the back.

real question is whether the problem is serious enough to be worth
bothering with. do you have any noticeable tire wear or handling
problems? it's extremely rare for a vehicle to make it through its life
with perfect alignment and there's a lot you haven't revealed.

 

Sorry that was a picture of the passenger's side which isn't bent. I
started working on that side first when I ran into the problem of
trying to get the assembly in.