Do I really need Struts?

I took my 91 CRX HF to get it Emmission tested and when the guy handed me
my money back, I knew I was in trouble. especially when he said
"sweetheart, there's no exhaust coming out of your tailpipe at all" ok,
long story short and $500 later (every pipe from the manifold back was
rusted through and there was NO bottom left to the muffler) Anyway, the
shop said that my rt frt strut was gone, and the other three are barely
holding on. So are struts really that important???? $800 important??? I
just put in a new clutch for $400 and now the exhaust. the car has 206,000
miles on it and truthfully is in great running condition. still get 45-50
miles to the gallon, but I don't know if I can justify spending $800 on
struts, again, how important are they really?
I know I'm being such a girl, sorry...

 

Yep that is a strong clue that you may want a second opinion.

important???

Your car isn't a very safe car by today's standards -- but it is
economical as hell. I'd get it fixed, if it truly does need to be...
again, get a second opinion. Struts are critical. And, CRX is a great
little car. Unless you are going for the status or just like to spend
a lot of money on new cars, fix it!

Need not say any more.

I have a 92 Accord with 208,000 and its still a good strong running
car. I've spent about $3000 on it over the past three years, but
believe me its worth it.



Richard

 

First, I'm not sure you've actually got "struts" (anyone...?). I suspect
they're just shock absorbers. Struts are a particular type of suspension
component that happens to incorporate a shock absorber.

Second, ask this guy exactly what he means by "gone".

If he means it's just that it's not damping as well as it used to, you can
live with that. They're just old.

If he means it's leaking, you can live with that too, but eventually you'll
really hate the rubbery, bouncy ride. You may have trouble controlling the
car in emergency maneuvers as well.

If he means the strut body is rotted and the spring is in danger of falling
down, this is very serious, and pretty scary if it does break.

If he means the shock absorber mounting points on the body are rusted, then
you've got serious trouble and you need to pull the car off the road right
away.

 

get it fixed

 

"Gone" can also mean seized (or getting that way). Again, this can
have a negative affect on handling and braking. (Could cause the car
to pull strongly in one direction under heavy braking. Not the only thing
that could do this.) Can also cause premature wear of other suspension
components and tires.

It would be worthwhile getting a second opinion, from a reputable Honda
dealer or garage that specializes in Hondas.

Dan

(This account is not used for email.)

 

Why didn't you ask him to -explain- what he means about "the struts are
gone"? Then you could decide on how much repair is "worth it".

"gone" could be that they don't damp out up/down body movement anymore,or
that the strut mounts have rusted thru or nearly rusted thru.
Rusted thru could mean loss of steering control if they break,it could kill
you.
Worn struts will decrease tire life,I believe,and make good steering
control harder on rough roads,but not a killer.
When you go over bumps or dips in the road,does your car keep bouncing for
awhile or settle down quickly?

 

Wow, thanks for all the responses, lets see, they said that it has struts,
not shocks... that the struts and mounts need to be replaced, and when I
brake (soft or hard) the car shakes (as well as the steering wheel and the
brake pedal) and when I go over bumps, well, it doesn't bounce at all. But
hey on a good note... my car is so quiet now, I didn;t even realize how
loud it really was until I had the exhaust replaced. I'm getting a second
opinion. But I think I'm going to have to spend the money and at least
get the two front ones replaced. Of course, I live in a rural area and
probably won't drive the car for a few weeks until the amount of deer I see
while coming home from work early in the morning gets smaller. Since they
are bigger than me, I usually opt to drive one of my other cars.

Beth

 

Proof please.

The fronts are upper A-arm, lower control arm, radius rod, and coil-over
shock assemblies with fork beneath to get around the driveshafts.

Rears are trailing arm, lower control arm, upper arm, compensator arm, and
coil-over shock assembly.

Honda suspensions in 1991 were complicated, part of their sales pitch then,
along with references to Honda's Formula-1 racing involvement.

Brake rotors are first culprits here, tires next, shocks last. Worn/torn
bushings can also cause vibration.

Please let us know what your guy says.

 

....let them make some money

 

It has struts and I recommend you go to an autoparts store and buy Monroe
Sensatrac for the front. Then call around for the cheapest price on getting
them installed. Your old car will be riding great with them.

 

Well, I finally got my guy to look at my car... I need both front rotors
replaced. He said you can call them shocks or struts, they're really not
either and they are both. He said that they are more complicated than that
and have been known to be called shocks by some and struts by others,
either way, my right front whatever is completely damaged, when you push on
it it doesn't bounce at ALL - just kind of hits bottom. The other three
are leaking. He is going to replace the two front whatever they are and
leave the back two for later either when I can afford them, or they get
worse. But thanks for all the advice, I'm glad I waited for him to look at
the car for me

Beth

 

Whatever they're called, you established that they're actually bad, so
that's settled.

As far as terminology goes, he's still wrong.

A superb link for those interested:
http://tinyurl.com/4mzwo
(Will take you to The Suspension Bible)

-----------------

A shock absorber is part of any suspension of any design. This is the part
that is bad on your car. (We could get pedantic here and point out that
"shock absorber" is an incorrect term for what is functionally a rebound
damper, but that's another subject).

Shock absorbers can be stand-alone, as they are on most pickup trucks, and
on many older rear-wheel-drive cars, or they may be incorporated with other
components.

If the shock is a stand-alone, it has no structural role in keeping the
wheels pointed in the correct direction. (Not counting axle-tramp here.)

Your car has the shock absorber placed into a tube that also incorporates
the spring seat. This is often called a "coil-over-shock" assembly. Like
the stand-alone shock, it also has no structural role in keeping the wheels
pointed in the correct direction.

A MacPherson (or a Chapman) strut is a type of suspension component that
combines a structural member, a spring seat, and a shock absorber in one
unit. It has two of the structural points in the suspension's geometry that
keep the wheels pointed in the correct direction.

You cannot call something a "strut" which is not responsible for location
of the wheels.