Honda Car Forum

My mechanic is telling me he needs to compress the springs and pull
the struts to add an Acura TL strut tower brace to my Accord: Should I
find a new mechanic?

--

"...Luigi follow only the Ferraris."

Luigi Topolino wrote:
> My mechanic is telling me he needs to compress the springs and pull
> the struts to add an Acura TL strut tower brace to my Accord: Should I
> find a new mechanic?
>
yes. the weight of the car holds the towers in place. only need to
remove the nuts and bolt on from what i can see.

Yes


On 4/7/07 1:26 PM, in article mukf13p2psv9e6cb26qijqjpnv7j1p3816@4ax.com,
"Luigi Topolino" <tifoso@mindspring.com> wrote:

> My mechanic is telling me he needs to compress the springs and pull
> the struts to add an Acura TL strut tower brace to my Accord: Should I
> find a new mechanic?

On Sat, 07 Apr 2007 13:06:50 -0700, jim beam
<spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote:
>yes.

On Mon, 09 Apr 2007 14:22:23 GMT, E Meyer <epmeyer50@msn.com> wrote:
>Yes

That's what I figured, thank you both.

Anyone know what the strut top mounting nuts should be torqued to?


--

"...Luigi follow only the Ferraris."

Luigi Topolino wrote:
> On Sat, 07 Apr 2007 13:06:50 -0700, jim beam
> <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote:
>> yes.
>
> On Mon, 09 Apr 2007 14:22:23 GMT, E Meyer <epmeyer50@msn.com> wrote:
>> Yes
>
> That's what I figured, thank you both.
>
> Anyone know what the strut top mounting nuts should be torqued to?
>
>
not offhand, but i /do/ know that the real-deal honda workshop manual
will be the most useful single thing you ever buy for this vehicle. you
can get it online at helm.com.

On Mon, 09 Apr 2007 22:03:52 -0700, jim beam
<spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote:
>Luigi Topolino wrote:
>> On Sat, 07 Apr 2007 13:06:50 -0700, jim beam
>> <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote:
>>> yes.
>> On Mon, 09 Apr 2007 14:22:23 GMT, E Meyer <epmeyer50@msn.com> wrote:
>>> Yes
>>
>> That's what I figured, thank you both.
>> Anyone know what the strut top mounting nuts should be torqued to?
>>
>not offhand, but i /do/ know that the real-deal honda workshop manual
>will be the most useful single thing you ever buy for this vehicle. you
>can get it online at helm.com.

Well, I guess I should, but I don't intend to be its full time wrench:
I just want to get the brace in this weekend.

Then sway bars from Intrax next week. Then maybe H&R OE Sport
springs, if need be.

I'm not trying to turn the thing into something it's not, I do need
to get it to turn in sharply and stop rolling over on its front tires
at speed.

Do these things even have any front sway bar as stock (LX).


--

"...Luigi follow only the Ferraris."

Luigi Topolino wrote:
> On Mon, 09 Apr 2007 22:03:52 -0700, jim beam
> <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote:
>> Luigi Topolino wrote:
>>> On Sat, 07 Apr 2007 13:06:50 -0700, jim beam
>>> <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote:
>>>> yes.
>>> On Mon, 09 Apr 2007 14:22:23 GMT, E Meyer <epmeyer50@msn.com> wrote:
>>>> Yes
>>> That's what I figured, thank you both.
>>> Anyone know what the strut top mounting nuts should be torqued to?
>>>
>> not offhand, but i /do/ know that the real-deal honda workshop manual
>> will be the most useful single thing you ever buy for this vehicle. you
>> can get it online at helm.com.
>
> Well, I guess I should, but I don't intend to be its full time wrench:
> I just want to get the brace in this weekend.
>
> Then sway bars from Intrax next week. Then maybe H&R OE Sport
> springs, if need be.
>
> I'm not trying to turn the thing into something it's not, I do need
> to get it to turn in sharply and stop rolling over on its front tires
> at speed.
>
> Do these things even have any front sway bar as stock (LX).
>
>
dude, you need to look at the oem equipment before installing
aftermarket stuff like that. these have sway bars as standard - and
honda know more about the roll characteristics of their vehicles than
some of these aftermarket monkeys and their "drill to fit" aftermarket kits.

as for springs, the ones you mention will lower you about 20mm. if you
want looks, most people won't notice 20mm. if you want handling, you're
better off spending the money on decent rubber. better yet, buy a civic
or integra - accords are too big heavy to be messing about with this stuff.

On Wed, 11 Apr 2007 05:56:30 -0700, jim beam
<spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote:
>Luigi Topolino wrote:
>> On Mon, 09 Apr 2007 22:03:52 -0700, jim beam
>> <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote:
>>> Luigi Topolino wrote:
>>>> On Sat, 07 Apr 2007 13:06:50 -0700, jim beam
>>>> <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote:
>>>>> yes.
>>>> On Mon, 09 Apr 2007 14:22:23 GMT, E Meyer <epmeyer50@msn.com> wrote:
>>>>> Yes
>>>> That's what I figured, thank you both.
>>>> Anyone know what the strut top mounting nuts should be torqued to?
>>>>
>>> not offhand, but i /do/ know that the real-deal honda workshop manual
>>> will be the most useful single thing you ever buy for this vehicle. you
>>> can get it online at helm.com.
>>
>> Well, I guess I should, but I don't intend to be its full time wrench:
>> I just want to get the brace in this weekend.
>>
>> Then sway bars from Intrax next week. Then maybe H&R OE Sport
>> springs, if need be.
>>
>> I'm not trying to turn the thing into something it's not, I do need
>> to get it to turn in sharply and stop rolling over on its front tires
>> at speed.
>>
>> Do these things even have any front sway bar as stock (LX).
>>
>dude, you need to look at the oem equipment before installing
>aftermarket stuff like that. these have sway bars as standard

....If it does, they're made of linguini.

The car could be used to plow snow it understeers so poorly. Stiffer
sway bars will most dramatically lessen the plow with the least
increase in straightline ride harshness.

>- and
>honda know more about the roll characteristics of their vehicles than
>some of these aftermarket monkeys and their "drill to fit" aftermarket kits.

Honda didn't expect me to drive the thing 40miles a day.

>as for springs, the ones you mention will lower you about 20mm. if you
>want looks,

I do not. I want it to stop understeering like a pig. I will
entertain any suggestions.

>most people won't notice 20mm. if you want handling, you're
>better off spending the money on decent rubber.

I think a 20mm reduction in cg and roll centers would do a world of
good, without costing me any tooth fillings over NYC highways.

They're only a consideration at this point anyway, after I stiffen the
chassis and tighten the roll characteristic.

And the last thing I need to do is scrape the crap out of even more
expensive tires: The thing corners on the outside front sidewall. I
can only imagine what it will be like with both tires working.

>better yet, buy a civic
>or integra - accords are too big heavy to be messing about with this stuff.

I had an Integra, 1992 3-foor LS 5-spd, from new for 13 years.
I still miss it.

This is now the horse I rode in on, my commuter for the next few
years, and it needs to be stiffer if I'm not to be miserable.

I thank you for your input.

--

"...Luigi follow only the Ferraris."

Luigi Topolino wrote:
> On Wed, 11 Apr 2007 05:56:30 -0700, jim beam
> <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote:
>> Luigi Topolino wrote:
>>> On Mon, 09 Apr 2007 22:03:52 -0700, jim beam
>>> <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote:
>>>> Luigi Topolino wrote:
>>>>> On Sat, 07 Apr 2007 13:06:50 -0700, jim beam
>>>>> <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote:
>>>>>> yes.
>>>>> On Mon, 09 Apr 2007 14:22:23 GMT, E Meyer <epmeyer50@msn.com> wrote:
>>>>>> Yes
>>>>> That's what I figured, thank you both.
>>>>> Anyone know what the strut top mounting nuts should be torqued to?
>>>>>
>>>> not offhand, but i /do/ know that the real-deal honda workshop manual
>>>> will be the most useful single thing you ever buy for this vehicle. you
>>>> can get it online at helm.com.
>>> Well, I guess I should, but I don't intend to be its full time wrench:
>>> I just want to get the brace in this weekend.
>>>
>>> Then sway bars from Intrax next week. Then maybe H&R OE Sport
>>> springs, if need be.
>>>
>>> I'm not trying to turn the thing into something it's not, I do need
>>> to get it to turn in sharply and stop rolling over on its front tires
>>> at speed.
>>>
>>> Do these things even have any front sway bar as stock (LX).
>>>
>> dude, you need to look at the oem equipment before installing
>> aftermarket stuff like that. these have sway bars as standard
>
> ...If it does, they're made of linguini.
>
> The car could be used to plow snow it understeers so poorly. Stiffer
> sway bars will most dramatically lessen the plow with the least
> increase in straightline ride harshness.

buy why spend all this time and effort on an accord? get a prelude if
you want accord running gear.

>
>> - and
>> honda know more about the roll characteristics of their vehicles than
>> some of these aftermarket monkeys and their "drill to fit" aftermarket kits.
>
> Honda didn't expect me to drive the thing 40miles a day.

is that a lot or a little for you? i drove 1000 miles this weekend with
my oe springed and sway-barred civic. would that be a problem for you?

>
>> as for springs, the ones you mention will lower you about 20mm. if you
>> want looks,
>
> I do not. I want it to stop understeering like a pig. I will
> entertain any suggestions.

then there's something wrong with your car. you need to examine the
bushings, the shocks, and most of all, steering geometry front and rear.
it's /very/ common for alignment shops to set with too much front
toe-in - it accelerates tire wear and makes the steering "easy".

>
>> most people won't notice 20mm. if you want handling, you're
>> better off spending the money on decent rubber.
>
> I think a 20mm reduction in cg and roll centers would do a world of
> good, without costing me any tooth fillings over NYC highways.

1. if you can notice 20mm difference in ride height handling, god bless you.
2. if you think h&r oe sport springs, which are considerably stiffer at
the rear, are /not/ going to cost you fillings, god bless you.

>
> They're only a consideration at this point anyway, after I stiffen the
> chassis and tighten the roll characteristic.
>
> And the last thing I need to do is scrape the crap out of even more
> expensive tires: The thing corners on the outside front sidewall. I
> can only imagine what it will be like with both tires working.

get the alignment set right.

>
>> better yet, buy a civic
>> or integra - accords are too big heavy to be messing about with this stuff.
>
> I had an Integra, 1992 3-foor LS 5-spd, from new for 13 years.
> I still miss it.
>
> This is now the horse I rode in on, my commuter for the next few
> years, and it needs to be stiffer if I'm not to be miserable.

so why can't you commute in an integra? "2ner" parts are much more
available.

>
> I thank you for your input.
>

for what it's worth, i've got several different civic sway bar sets in
my garage, and i've messed about with this stuff extensively. yes, sway
bars can be great, and by and large, i'm a supporter of their use. but
they definitely make for harsher straight line ride, and some of the
aftermarket stuff is garbage. most of the ricer kiddiez for example use
over-stiff rears and weak floppy fronts under the mis-impression that
the over-steer this causes allows them to corner faster. it doesn't -
particularly when it causes one of the rears to lift as you will see at
any race track where these kiddiez mess about on the weekends.

bottom line, use sway bars that are appropriate for the vehicle - this
means appropriate to the weight distribution front and rear, and which
match the springs. for an accord, this means either using sway bars
from an acura or from a prelude. aftermarket stuff is usually
inappropriate and "designed" by people that don't know hondas well
enough. get the steering geometry set correctly - that's thrust and
front and rear toe - it's 4 wheel adjustable on the 99 accord. i have
the rears set per the book and the fronts set to zero toe. with decent
rubber, it corners like its on rails and i have stock sway bars. look
into shocks as well. some of the high end aftermarkets can affect
cornering substantially. bilsteins are great for improving steering
response on the front, but your passengers will complain if they're on
the rear as they're a bit harsh. i prefer kyb agx if i need to play
with my suspension, kyb gr2's for normal road use.

your best bang for the buck is front/rear anti sway bars. Suspension
Techniques makes a nice set that requires no drilling, only existing bolt
mounting points are used.
"Luigi Topolino" <tifoso@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:c7sq139bf2jer3qn3nvglc362kc3tbic5s@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 11 Apr 2007 05:56:30 -0700, jim beam
> <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote:
>>Luigi Topolino wrote:
>>> On Mon, 09 Apr 2007 22:03:52 -0700, jim beam
>>> <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote:
>>>> Luigi Topolino wrote:
>>>>> On Sat, 07 Apr 2007 13:06:50 -0700, jim beam
>>>>> <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote:
>>>>>> yes.
>>>>> On Mon, 09 Apr 2007 14:22:23 GMT, E Meyer <epmeyer50@msn.com> wrote:
>>>>>> Yes
>>>>> That's what I figured, thank you both.
>>>>> Anyone know what the strut top mounting nuts should be torqued to?
>>>>>
>>>> not offhand, but i /do/ know that the real-deal honda workshop manual
>>>> will be the most useful single thing you ever buy for this vehicle.
>>>> you
>>>> can get it online at helm.com.
>>>
>>> Well, I guess I should, but I don't intend to be its full time wrench:
>>> I just want to get the brace in this weekend.
>>>
>>> Then sway bars from Intrax next week. Then maybe H&R OE Sport
>>> springs, if need be.
>>>
>>> I'm not trying to turn the thing into something it's not, I do need
>>> to get it to turn in sharply and stop rolling over on its front tires
>>> at speed.
>>>
>>> Do these things even have any front sway bar as stock (LX).
>>>
>>dude, you need to look at the oem equipment before installing
>>aftermarket stuff like that. these have sway bars as standard
>
> ...If it does, they're made of linguini.
>
> The car could be used to plow snow it understeers so poorly. Stiffer
> sway bars will most dramatically lessen the plow with the least
> increase in straightline ride harshness.
>
>>- and
>>honda know more about the roll characteristics of their vehicles than
>>some of these aftermarket monkeys and their "drill to fit" aftermarket
>>kits.
>
> Honda didn't expect me to drive the thing 40miles a day.
>
>>as for springs, the ones you mention will lower you about 20mm. if you
>>want looks,
>
> I do not. I want it to stop understeering like a pig. I will
> entertain any suggestions.
>
>>most people won't notice 20mm. if you want handling, you're
>>better off spending the money on decent rubber.
>
> I think a 20mm reduction in cg and roll centers would do a world of
> good, without costing me any tooth fillings over NYC highways.
>
> They're only a consideration at this point anyway, after I stiffen the
> chassis and tighten the roll characteristic.
>
> And the last thing I need to do is scrape the crap out of even more
> expensive tires: The thing corners on the outside front sidewall. I
> can only imagine what it will be like with both tires working.
>
>>better yet, buy a civic
>>or integra - accords are too big heavy to be messing about with this
>>stuff.
>
> I had an Integra, 1992 3-foor LS 5-spd, from new for 13 years.
> I still miss it.
>
> This is now the horse I rode in on, my commuter for the next few
> years, and it needs to be stiffer if I'm not to be miserable.
>
> I thank you for your input.
>
> --
>
> "...Luigi follow only the Ferraris."