Very nice video. Been driving Pilots for 15 years and have a '15 SE. Just bought KYB rear shocks and Moog sway bar bushings. The front compliance bushings on both lower control arms are shot so I need to replace them and wondered about just doing the front struts as well by separating them from the springs. Has 140K miles on it. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Rick! KYB is a great choice. I wish they make complete assemblies form the front. Definitely not a bad idea to just go through and knock out a few things in one shot. They may not be totally shot yet but they are getting up there in age. It’s only a matter of time.
How did everything work out. I am thinking about doing this project on my own. I have 148k on my 2011 pilot. Going to try to do this in my driveway. Should I put jackstands in the front and also the back. I am only gonna do the front.
@@Gilgo-Beach-Slayer it drove much better after replacing the parts. It was primarily the rear shocks that were in really bad shape but it was a good idea to freshen everything up since it was all old parts.
well done video. very clear on steps necessary to complete the project. narration was perfect. thanks again as i plan to do struts and shocks in the spring - have only 189k on my 2014.
That’s why I like the MOOG parts. After the fact I thought I should have mentioned that I went easy on those 14mm fasteners. It’s probably hard to tell in the video but I definitely didn’t hammer away at them with the 1/2” impact!
Great video! I have a '15 EX-L I purchased new for my wife. It has almost 165k miles on it now and am about to replace the front links. Hopefully that is where my little rattle is coming from and the boots are torn. The ride is still excellent with all original parts still on it. Regardless, I will probably replace all four corners at 200k miles just as preventative maintenance.
Thanks Clay! That sounds like a good plan. If it rides great, don’t mess with it for now. I see the rear shocks go out first in these things so keep an eye on them.
Monroe installation instructions state to torque the three nuts on the top to spec with the weight of the vehicle on the ground. It's good practice to always follow the manufactures directions to prevent premature failures and void warrianties.
@@bennieaust Thank you, I'm also changing the inner and outer tie rods, have you had your front passenger tire wiggle at the 9&3 so bad? I'm hoping the new tie rods and strut will fix it, I already changed the lower control arm a few years back. Thank you for posting this video though, really helpful 👍
@@js_youtube70 you’re welcome! Inner tie rod ends aren’t as common as outers, but certainly can get loose. The lower control arm rearward bushings are really common but you’ve already addressed that. The best thing to do it get it up in the air and move stuff around until you can pinpoint the issue. It is possible that a ball joint or bushing has failed on the control arms you installed a couple years ago, but history only tells us so much, gotta pin point whatever is currently the issue. Best of luck with the repair!
Yes, should be much easier next time. I’ve learned over the years that knowing what to do when you run in to trouble is what makes the pros the pros (I not putting myself in that category, but I learn more everyday).
I’m impressed with your knowledge and your ability to explain so clearly what you are doing. I have a 2008 Honda Pilot EXL FWD. with 110,500 miles. I bought it in 2011 with 36,000 miles. I am retired in Florida and put less than 6,000 mi/yr on the car. I want to keep it (forever?). I wasn’t too satisfied when I asked my mechanic to tell me what should I change in the suspension system. I know for sure that I need rear shocks. He did not mention the sway bars. Knowing the disadvantage you would have not being able to test-driving the car, what would you suggest re. the suspension, or anything else to make the car live as long as your brother’s Passat? BTY, the timing belt was changed at 90,000 miles.
Hey rimaggio, Thanks for the kind words! I am at a disadvantage not being able to drive or look over the Pilot in person. If your mechanic is a trusted mechanic, then I would be inclined to follow his advice on what your Pilot does, or in this case doesn't need. That being said, following Honda's recommendations on fluid change services is a great place to start. Your Pilot is new enough to have a good transmission (2003 and 2004 were bad years), and old enough to not have to VCM system and it's problems (2009+). Service the transmission and rear diff (if an AWD model) per Honda's recommendations and have your mechanic give it a once over every year or if you notice anything out of the ordinary. 2008 is a good year of Pilot and you should be able to get many, many more years and miles out of it. Ben
Hello, good afternoon, it's me again. How can I test my suspension? I went to two workshops, one told me that the shock absorbers were bad and in the other workshop they told me that it's okay, the sound I hear is the refractive tire underneath I really don't know what to do I'm a little stressed I have a 2013 Honda Pilot
If you are unsure if they are bad or not I would lean on the cautious side of things and replace them. It’s 11 years old (you didn’t mention mileage) but probably due for new shocks and struts even if they are not showing signs of failure. Don’t get stressed out about it, just replace them.
Thank you so much. I'm not there yet (2014 EX-L with about 120K), but I am sure I will get there eventually. 1. Curious as to whether you know the torque settings for each of the nuts. Being a clearly experienced mechanic, you seem to do it by feel. I'm pretty much a RU-vid certified DIY'er so I would prefer not to risk over/under tightening. 2. Any idea why is it that the stabilizer bar bolts rust up to the point where you had to cut them off, but none of the other nuts/bolts in the same area seem to be similarly seized? And I really appreciate your concise yet unhurried pace. You make it very easy to follow your directions. Cheers!
Hey Ruvi, Thanks for watching! 1: In a lot of my videos I provide torque specs. Obviously I didn't in this one. It's always the safest route to follow the manufactures torque specs. 2: I see a LOT of stabilizer bar end links that are seized up. I mainly attribute it to the climate I live in and the heave use of salt on the roads in the winter. That's only the primary issue though, the secondary problem is that to remove the end links you have to prevent the whole shaft from rotating. In most other applications you can just hammer away with an impact and it will either remove the nut, or break the shaft, either way is a success. In this case that's not an option. Some aftermarket links have a hex feature built in the back side, those are pretty easy to deal with, but in a lot of cases I end up cutting them off. I don't really waste much time on these and go to the cuttoff wheel pretty quick if they are giving me issues.
I got 206K miles on my 2010 pilot and about to replace all for 4 coils and struts. This looks super easy. I got the tools needed. Luckily mine has much less rust on the suspension. I clean it constantly and all the bolts looks to be in great condition. My question though is why wasn't the rear coils replaced on this? the height is gonna be off now. Back will be sagging no?
If the springs are worn out and it’s sagging then I would recommend replacement. Otherwise I wouldn’t normally replace a coil spring on its own unless it was broken. I haven’t come across that on a pilot but it’s definitely possible. In the front the coil spring is part of the strut assembly so it is much easier to replace the whole assembly than just the strut, that’s why they were replaced in the front.
@@bennieaust I just replaced all 4 struts on my 2010 Pilot. Rear coils too with a 1 inch leveling kit. It is not sagging in the rear anymore lol The truck rides so much better. But I need an alignment after this. The steering wheel is slightly turned to the right but no pulling. Ride height has changed because of everything being new and the rear higher. It was so easy to do. The rear coil springs were super easy. I used Monroe struts, front were preassembled obviously and for the rear coils I got Moog.
Great video. Not much of a mechanic myself but I like to see what I’m getting into or will be dishing out to have the work done. What would be a price range on the work you did? Ballpark figure? Not at a dealer but at a reputable shop.
It's can vary greatly from shop to shop and region to region. You will probably just have to call a couple local places to get quotes. Sorry I'm not of more help with that question.
Great video, got a 2012 that will turn 200k to tomorrow. Haven’t touched the suspension yet, but thinking sometime in the next 6months, including rear springs. All org. Except rear shocks, those where redone around 80k due to a failed shock. Any recommendations on part brands? Any recommendations on control arms with bushings, ball joints, ect….. Thinking of doing the rear first, then front at a later date. Been a great vehicle. Just hate that we live in the rust belt, but every time I do an oil change, I put penetrating lube on all bolts I can.
Thanks Marc! I linked all the exact parts I used in this video in the description. Unfortunately if you want the complete strut assemblies you are very limited in choices. Monroe is not my top choice but they are OK. Bilstein and KYB are my top choices for shocks and struts. MOOG or Precision is my top choice for ball joints, control arms, end links and tie rod ends. Hope that helps!
The video was excellent! Information provided is solid and easily followed. I ran into a problem(s) when exchanging the shocks. The first was the issue with he lower shock mounting for the #17 bolt. I removed the #14 bolts again and then mounted the lower shock. This was problematic because the upper mounts would not align. I gently pushed the lower mount of the shock with a secondary jack until alignment was reached and the #14 bolts installed. The second issue was the driver side shock mounting. I had the same issue as above. Except this time the upper shock mounting was off center by an inch to inch and a half. I backed the lower #17 bolt out a few threads. This did not have a positive effect. With the secondary jack engaged and a little bit of effort the shock was aligned- this was forced and unsure why this was so. I test drove the vehicle afterwards with no issues and a much smoother ride. Thoughts?
Thanks Michael! Suspension work on paper is pretty straightforward. As you can see in the video I ran in to a few issues, which I typically expect. You also ran in to relatively typical issues of having to push and pull large components around until everything lines up. sometimes it's just the difference between everything sitting at ride height vs having the vehicle up in the air, and the suspension hanging. Long story short, I wouldn't be worried about it. It sounds like you got it all worked out. Bushings allow for movement and alignment of everything you just sometimes have to work a little harder to get there.
This is part opinion and part my experience with Monroe. I believe many complaints about Monroe can be traced back to improper installation by the DIY mechanic not torquing the top strut nuts with the vehicle weight on them. Doing so is incorrect. After my installation I had worse noise from the front end than before. I soon discovered bad sway bar links and LCA's. The lesson here is if you need struts it's a good possibility you may need other front end components too, you can't blame Monroe for that.
i have 150k on my 11 pilot and was wondering why did you replace the sway bar links and how to tell if they're no good. is it okay to just do the shocks? (very tight budget but I will do them if it's preventative maintenance that can damage other parts if not replaced)
I replaced the rear sway bar end links because they were loose and clunking over pumps. I replaced the front sway bar end links because they are bolted to the front strut assembly, and it is common to have issues unbolting them without damaging them, so I just replace them. If yours are not look and clunky, you do not need to replace them.
They are ok. IMHO, KYB is a better choice but I don't thing you can find a complete strut assembly from KYB. Monroe's have treated me fine, but I won't tell you they are my top choice.
@@bennieaust that’s true, don’t know why KYB doesn’t make complete struts with the springs. I was also thinking of Monroe but they cost like 150 bucks per unit. Only the cheap brand has complete unit. And genuine see way too expensive, since my car is 20 years old mdx I guess is ok to use not so expensive struts I don’t know.😅
@@bennieaust I have a 2003 mdx . I drive my car with care, so which complete struts I should use, if I buy KYB I don’t have the tool to take out the spring and sending the car to mechanics will cost me . Meanwhile I want to save money installing it my self .
@@kentsang6330, you may not get as long of a life out of the Monroe struts, but they should last a long time non-the-less. If you had the tools to do it at home and you knew that your springs and mounts were still good, then I would recommend the KYB struts, but since that isn't the case I think the Monroe Quickstruts are best option.
I’ve linked my recommendations in the description. It’s complicated. If you don’t care about the complete assemblies then KYB, but if you want complete assemblies then Monroe. Bilstiens for the back.
@@bennieaust Thank you, I still don't have an exact diagnosis but I feel some symptoms. I don't know exactly what is wrong with my suspension, but I would feel safe if I changed the struts and the shock absorber. What do you think, teacher?
it’s definitely hard to say without seeing it in person but I can tell you my personal experience with pilots (my wife has had 2 and I have many I service regularly) is that they are very hard on rear shocks. I almost would say 2 sets for every 1 set of struts in the front. If you have any doubts start with the rear. They are cheaper, easier, fail more frequently and don’t require an alignment after replacement. If you still have concerns, then move on to the front.
