Description of service
Replaced front struts worn out by rough roads in post-Katrina New Orleans.
Instead of stock, located AGX adjustable gas struts at an overstock supplier for lower cost and ordered by mail. Our local garage agreed to install the struts and warrant the labor.
Review of Service
Struts were replaced without incident, except for incompletely tightened stabilizer bar mountings. These mountings have a hex head bolt that must be secured while a box or open wrench is used to tighten the nut. Technicians have missed this step more often than not, and the result is a persistent rattle as the car traverses bumps.
Tips
The front end of the 2001 Honda Civic was redesigned in 2001, moving from twin A-frames to a Macpherson strut design. The shock absorber component of this system is notoriously fragile, and in my case the struts had failed on both sides at 50,000 miles.
I had the struts replaced with Koni inserts that required the use of the existing strut. In that procedure, the shock absorber tube is cut off at the top and a hole for bolt access is drilled at the bottom end of the tube. The Koni is inserted into the tube and secured at the bottom with bolt, and with screw on fixture at the top.
The Konis offered superior damping and control to the stock struts, but the front end developed a variety of clicks early on. After the struts passed 100,000 miles of admittedly tough service, the left front developed a groan and some play developed in the shaft, which made for uneven steering.
I recommend avoiding the strut inserts and choosing a fully integrated replacement strut, such as the AGX.
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