Just passing along a few things for others contemplating doing the same. Rather long, but if helps others avoid my problems, then it’s worth posting.
Just spent the last 6 weeks upgrading brakes [late Sep] and suspension [late Oct] on our ’08 CRV [138K mileage]. Did brakes first & noticed that LR shock had blown. Decided time was to replace all 4 shocks. Time difference due to getting parts on line & in finding right time / weather mix to finish the job.
1. Own & refer to a shop manual, especially for the torque specs. In addition, be sure to read the correct specs for the bolt you are working on. Did not do so on one caliper. Interesting what 85 foot pounds does to a bolt requiring 34 foot pounds. Able to correct damage for only the cost of a new bolt. Replaced remaining 3 bolts because of “operator error” on the first bolt.
2. Prior to beginning work, get the best price for your parts whether in person or on line. When you get them, label where all new parts go. Only do one side at a time in case you need a reference for what you have to correct. Or you can take a digital pic before tearing everything down & print it out as reference material.
3. Work some lotion into your hands prior to doing any wrench work. Closes all those tiny skin cracks you don’t notice until they fill up with grease. Yeah, nitrile gloves do keep the grease off, but only when they stay intact. Strut fluid on work gloves is rather messy, hence the nitrile glove reference.
4. Spend a little more, but get the best tools you can afford to do the job easier. Undecided about getting an electric impact wrench for the suspension work. Sears has 19.2 V cordless on sale last week. Glad I got it. Saved a lot of time, sweat, and “adult” vocabulary on the larger bolts & spring compressions.
5. Don’t skimp on the strut spring compressor. Important to get the best strut spring compressor you can get or rent because a safer compressor is cheaper than a trip to the emergency room. It keeps all 10 fingers intact, your head on your shoulders, & prevents new holes through the walls or roof of your garage.
6. When replacing struts, go ahead & replace your sway bar bushings & the links connecting your sway bar to your front struts and to your rear trailing arms. You’ll have to replace the bushings & links eventually if the struts are bad, but it is so much easier to do so with the struts removed first. When doing the front sway bar links, attach the link to the sway bar first while the strut is out; then after replacing the strut, attach the link to the strut.
7. Taking out the top knuckle pivot bolt makes replacing the front struts much easier. You can also take out the ABS sensor from the hub to prevent breaking it. Just be sure to support the hub so that you don’t pull your drive shaft out of the transmission & tear either CV boot. Without boot tears, you can replace driveshafts into transmission if you tie the hub to the bottom of the replaced strut & gently rotate driveshaft until splines mesh & hub can be connected to the strut. [Thanks to local Gunn Honda service writer Forrest for help with that one.]
8. When replacing the rear struts, mark the springs with tape to keep the placement of the top cap in relation to the lower mounting point. Lower strut mount is angled in reference to the top cap.
9. When all the suspension work is done, get that 4 wheel alignment done ASAP.
If everything goes well for you, not only will your wallet be intact, but your old “V” will ride & stop like a new one.
Just spent the last 6 weeks upgrading brakes [late Sep] and suspension [late Oct] on our ’08 CRV [138K mileage]. Did brakes first & noticed that LR shock had blown. Decided time was to replace all 4 shocks. Time difference due to getting parts on line & in finding right time / weather mix to finish the job.
1. Own & refer to a shop manual, especially for the torque specs. In addition, be sure to read the correct specs for the bolt you are working on. Did not do so on one caliper. Interesting what 85 foot pounds does to a bolt requiring 34 foot pounds. Able to correct damage for only the cost of a new bolt. Replaced remaining 3 bolts because of “operator error” on the first bolt.
2. Prior to beginning work, get the best price for your parts whether in person or on line. When you get them, label where all new parts go. Only do one side at a time in case you need a reference for what you have to correct. Or you can take a digital pic before tearing everything down & print it out as reference material.
3. Work some lotion into your hands prior to doing any wrench work. Closes all those tiny skin cracks you don’t notice until they fill up with grease. Yeah, nitrile gloves do keep the grease off, but only when they stay intact. Strut fluid on work gloves is rather messy, hence the nitrile glove reference.
4. Spend a little more, but get the best tools you can afford to do the job easier. Undecided about getting an electric impact wrench for the suspension work. Sears has 19.2 V cordless on sale last week. Glad I got it. Saved a lot of time, sweat, and “adult” vocabulary on the larger bolts & spring compressions.
5. Don’t skimp on the strut spring compressor. Important to get the best strut spring compressor you can get or rent because a safer compressor is cheaper than a trip to the emergency room. It keeps all 10 fingers intact, your head on your shoulders, & prevents new holes through the walls or roof of your garage.
6. When replacing struts, go ahead & replace your sway bar bushings & the links connecting your sway bar to your front struts and to your rear trailing arms. You’ll have to replace the bushings & links eventually if the struts are bad, but it is so much easier to do so with the struts removed first. When doing the front sway bar links, attach the link to the sway bar first while the strut is out; then after replacing the strut, attach the link to the strut.
7. Taking out the top knuckle pivot bolt makes replacing the front struts much easier. You can also take out the ABS sensor from the hub to prevent breaking it. Just be sure to support the hub so that you don’t pull your drive shaft out of the transmission & tear either CV boot. Without boot tears, you can replace driveshafts into transmission if you tie the hub to the bottom of the replaced strut & gently rotate driveshaft until splines mesh & hub can be connected to the strut. [Thanks to local Gunn Honda service writer Forrest for help with that one.]
8. When replacing the rear struts, mark the springs with tape to keep the placement of the top cap in relation to the lower mounting point. Lower strut mount is angled in reference to the top cap.
9. When all the suspension work is done, get that 4 wheel alignment done ASAP.
If everything goes well for you, not only will your wallet be intact, but your old “V” will ride & stop like a new one.