Suspension issues: Replace shocks or both

[The Stigenator]

My 2009 Acura TSX is showing some very interesting issues. Lets go into the backstory.

History:
I got into an accident with a concrete block thrown over the I-110 freeway going through downtown LA in 2011. I hit it / edged it. I was one of 8-10 cars that hit the concrete block. I was the only one who drove away rather than being towed away.

Anyway the car was fixed by the dealer but it kept making this rumbling sound after. They dealer couldnt find it a problem with it. The car was aligned and it ran straight as an arrow. I later noticed the impact left dents on two sides of my sunroof in the roof.

Anyway took it to a specialist, he determined the control arms on the right side were bent. So he replaced all control arms on teh right side, one lower control arm on the left (drivers side) and then replaced both front shocks. The rear shocks were left alone, even though the right rear took impact too, it wasnt as badly struck like the front tire/wheel was.

Current:

Last week on my way to LAX with a fully loaded car on the 405, I kept hear a 'thud, thud, thud', sorta like the wheel was just bouncing with no damping. I am beginning to think the rear shocks / struts are gone too.

With that said I would have to replace the shocks, which means they have take the entire thing off, pull the spring, put a new strut, reassemble. At that point it makes sense to throw on some better springs. If I am going to do this, I want to replace all 4 springs and shocks.

Problem is that I still hear the rumbling sound, more so after a tire rotation. The dealer says the tires are feathered, i think its something do to with the shocks. I have noticed that the cars rear end is not as tight into the turns, makes me think the rear struts are gone.

Question:

SO the question is what are replacement shocks / springs like? where should I get them. I mean it makes sense to replace all parts, since labor will be fixed regardless of the work required.

 

[JulesMaximus]

What do you mean by "I later noticed the impact left dents on two sides of my sunroof in the roof."

Sounds like your rear shocks might be gone, when you push down on the rear of the car does it bounce or does it just return to the normal ride height? Is there any fluid leaking on any of the shocks? If the springs aren't broken and you don't want to lower the car I see no reason to replace them.

Not sure why you want to replace the front shocks if they replaced them in 2011.

If your tires are cupped or feathered you should probably replace them too... either that or live with the noise.

 

[The Stigenator]

Well the tires are almost to the end of their serviceable life, its got maybe 8K more left on it. Its 50K warranty tires.

If I press down on the rear I dont see any difference. However when they removed the front shocks, one of the front shocks you could push down the plunger by hand and it wont come up (that I think was the right front). I will try pushing down the rear today and see what happens.

Oops the accident happened in 2012, not 2011. Still

As for what I meant with the impact dents is that the hit was hard enough that you have a dimple on the top right of the run roof, and another on the bottom left. It shows how hard the hit was that the roof got dented around the sunroof.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Well the tires are almost to the end of their serviceable life, its got maybe 8K more left on it. Its 50K warranty tires.

If I press down on the rear I dont see any difference. However when they removed the front shocks, one of the front shocks you could push down the plunger by hand and it wont come up (that I think was the right front). I will try pushing down the rear today and see what happens.

Oops the accident happened in 2012, not 2011. Still

As for what I meant with the impact dents is that the hit was hard enough that you have a dimple on the top right of the run roof, and another on the bottom left. It shows how hard the hit was that the roof got dented around the sunroof.

I wouldn't be surprised if you have some frame damage quite frankly.

 

[MiataNC]

+1 on frame damage/issues.

Modern cars are designed to pass the energy of an accident around the passenger compartment. It isn't unusual to see weird damage on areas not involved in the hit. It's a ripple effect. I am no engineer, but I am guessing that when this happens there is damage/stress/etc. that cannot be seen.

It sounds like your car took a hit that it never really recovered from. I don't know what your current issue is, but maybe you should consider a replacement.

 

[The Stigenator]

Well I brought that up a month after getting it fixed. The only reason I realized there may be frame damage is because of that denting. They did a frame calibration and said frame was okay and within Acura specs.

I saw teh dents when i was hand washing the car. At this point, the car is paid off and I own it free and clear. It runs fine, i'll keep it as is, just need to make sure all the suspension issues and drive line issues (soft suspension on rear) get fixed.

You are right, the springs are probably okay, just need to fix the rear shocks.

 

[pandemonium]

You're asking for alternative options for the shocks. Is this strictly for saving money purposes, getting the best bang for your buck, or are you looking for some upgrades? I don't know if you think like I do, but anytime something needs to be replaced (since I'm keeping my car), that means upgrade time to me.

Sucks your baby had to endure that pain. I was kinda surprised you were the only one that drove off, where-as everyone else got towed.

 

[toronado97]

I'd sell that sucker with the quickness now that you own it free and clear, and put the money toward something else personally.

 

[The Stigenator]

Well its not a money saving thing, rather keeping teh car running with its good handling and no more rumbling sounds (though i am sure that will go away with newer tires). That rumble has lessened as teh miles go by. SO we shall see what happens tomorrow after a tire rotation (its going in for schedule maintenance)

I was thinking best bang for buck is replace teh shocks. Since the springs rarely go bad. The ones up front are OEM ones, so i can put OEM rears too. If I were to upgrade, there are some options. The only reason I was looking to upgrade is because the labor to replace the strut / shock is the same regardless of you include the spring upgrade or not. The cost of teh springs are around 200.

Then again teh stock shocks may not last with the upgraded springs, so you need lower pressure (koni perhaps) to do that. So that may be expensive. I think OEM are KYB shocks.

Honestly I got real lucky when I hit the concrete block. The car in front was a limo, he hit it head on, lost his transmission / under side something, that spun the block enough that I was able to see it, and swing left, narrowly edged it. However that spun it around and the next guy hit it straight on and so did the rest. We were all going good speeds.

 

[pandemonium]

Wow, I guess you did luck out. *has flashbacks of the various things that have crossed paths on the roadways*

I have an '06 Acura RSX, so our vehicles are not vastly different.

It really comes down to how important it is to keep it OEM and how much you're willing to work on the vehicle yourself. Doing it yourself will save you a lot of money, but open Pandora's box. Staying OEM will be vastly easier and likely warrantied (at least for a month) by the shop doing the work, but more costly.

Red or blue.

 

[silicon]

Well the tires are almost to the end of their serviceable life, its got maybe 8K more left on it. Its 50K warranty tires.

If I press down on the rear I dont see any difference. However when they removed the front shocks, one of the front shocks you could push down the plunger by hand and it wont come up (that I think was the right front). I will try pushing down the rear today and see what happens.

Oops the accident happened in 2012, not 2011. Still

As for what I meant with the impact dents is that the hit was hard enough that you have a dimple on the top right of the run roof, and another on the bottom left. It shows how hard the hit was that the roof got dented around the sunroof.

I would take the car to or back to a suspension specialist. if the shocks are indeed bad on the front then, usually, they are replaced as a pair. But from the sounds of it there may be more or hidden damage. Someone who knows cars well can find the problem. Avoid the dealer and the jobber garages as they only want to sell parts and the mechanics, usually, only know hoe to replace parts.