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I'll break the post into two parts, if you're pressed for time or could care less about what happened please scroll down to the questions portion of this post

The Car: 2002 Honda Civic SI-G (EX) w/ 102000 km's.



The Story:

I recently got into a spat with the local dealership over their 'extended bumper to bumper' warranty. They straight up lied to me. They also misled me.... I bought the ext. war. because I wanted to pay as little for repairs as possible. I'm sure some of you already know this but the only part not covered by the suspension warranty is the strut. I didnt know this, as my civic was my first car. I was perfect prey for a salesguy.... fistful of money and eyes full of dreams. I digress.

So, back in april 04 I took the car in for maintenence and mentioned that my ride was a bit bumpy. They confirmed, yes the front left strut is leaking we will fix it for you no questions. Perfect, this is what I want. They got my money for the service, and ushered me out the door.... WITH a free carwash (oh yah!). Everything was good. Then in February of this year, same thing started occuring.

So, based on the service level set previously, I assumed that it would be covered. I recieved a call back from honda telling my that 3/4 struts are blown. They all need to be replaced. This time though, It is not covered by warranty. The reason for this is, any replacement part recieves a 20k warranty. I seriously was 20,200 km's over my last service. Fine. They wanted ~1600 for the front two and back right strut replacement. This is where I got heated. I was upset at the fact that nobody gave me any of this 'replacement warranty' information after the part was installed. Also I was mad at the fakeass 'bumper to bumper' warranty. Don't imply everything is covered and then leave gray areas as to what is and isnt. I wouldn't have cared if I was told off the hop that certain parts weren't covered. A list of these areas would be good also. I realize I made the mistake by purchasing the extended warranty, but in future I won't be so silly.

I don't want to spend that much for OEM when I can spend more for better quality. Also, when I do start modding the suspension, the car will be summer only.

The Questions:
So now I move on to the questions.



First, This is a stupid question. Is a strut and a shock the same thing? From searching this forum and looking thru posts, I've come to the conclusion that they are the same thing. I have also looked through to see what replacement struts are available. I went to a local store and was informed that honda currently has a patent on our car's struts, essentially eliminating aftermarket parts. That was very discouraging, however, that's why I'm a member at this site. As I mentioned previously, I have searched a fair bit about struts and replacement shocks. I have found two available options.


1.) Tokico Blues (all 4). From what I've gathered by searching this forum, this is generally a highly recommended alternative to stock shocks. I only could find one post that had a negative taste to it. So that's encouraging. I'm wondering if this is what I should be looking for. Also I wonder how much modification will be needed for installing. I'm going to get it done at a shop but still, I am curious. I found a site that has them for $349.99 USD + Shipping. Is that on point? A great deal? Or a ripoff?

2.) Koni yellows. Now, as I understand, this is not a full strut. You would need to modify your stock strut to install this product. The question I have is, because my struts are blown... I'm assuming It wouldnt make much sense to use a blown strut with a new product. Or does that even matter? At this point I want just a smooth ride. I dont care about stiffness and drops. I want a better than stock alternative. I've read good things about Koni on the site but nothing really outright answered my question.

What would you do in my situation? Please any input is welcome. I realize people will be biased towards some brands. If you are biased, please explain why you feel this way.







Edit: So even if the struts i have right now are 'blown' they would function fine if I went with Konis?



P.S. I realize that these topics may have been covered in the past. I have tried to thoroughly search. Please donot lock this thread and direct me to the FAQ's for noobs, I have read through that. Thanks

 
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I'd check the laws in your area and see about getting fixed again. The strut/shocks should be covered under the standard warranty, at least in the U.S. it is to my knowledge.

Struts are a short name for McPherson Struts. Its basically a coilover shock with less moving parts and no upper or lower control arms. Shocks are what are in the rear of your car.

Or, just buy Tokicos or Konis like your thinking. Tokicos are a full replacement and Koni's require that you cut the front struts open and install an insert. Regarding smoothness, theyre both a small amount stiffer then stock, except when you crank up the firmness setting on the Konis. Both are good products, with the Tokicos being the easiest to install and the Koni's being firmness adjustable.

 
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What the dealership did was f'd up, its happened to me and im sure it has happen to a lot of people.

Ok now on to your question:

1. Yes shock and struts are the same.

2. Tokico's are nice but they are recommended only for a 1"-1.5" drop which is good if you want a drop that is close to stock

3. Koni's are very nice my friend has them on his 01 vic with GC 2.5" drop, yes you have to modify your front strut to install them because they are inserts and the rears are a direct bolt on.

 
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Ok,So even if the struts i have right now are 'blown' they would function fine if I went with Konis?


Thank you for the feedback guys. Repped for it.

 
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1. as they said, yes their the same

2. I have tokicos (379 shipped from street level performance - they are a vendor on this site) and love them They are stiffer than stock, and ride much smoother. (except bumps.)

3. I am lowered on Goldline Springs -145 shipped. They are a 1.75" drop that sits at about 2". Very nice drop, i scrape on like 1/20 speed bumps, any lower my exhaust would be gone as well as my charge piping.

So for 524 bucks shipped, I got a new suspension. Plus you should get a camber kit to straighten your tires up once your dropped. They will look like this somewhat // \\. A camber kit fixes that. and the rear kit is like 130 bucks. Not too bad. Way cheaper than the stock suspension from honda


Send a PM to StreetLevelPerformance on 7thgencivic. He is who I bought my stuff from. I bought my shocks, turbo kit, clutch, motor mount bushings, and some other stuff of them. They are the best price you will find around. Ebay occasionally for 330 shipped.

Good luck

 
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try to go into another dealership

 
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I have the Goldlines to and my back tires hardly wear, but I do rotate.

 
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I have, the extended plan is not transferable when I go to a competitor.

But, I'm over the fact that the dealership should be renamed ebeneezer honda.

 
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write a letter to corperate... i've heard of a few cases where the issue was resolved by the dealship after a complaint to Honda corp.

 
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I actually want to go aftermarket now. I'm not going to dwell on that past experience I'll know better in the future to inquire more about any bonus plan. I just honestly want a little advice on some possible alternate setups....



Is there any other setup that I should atleast look at before deciding between the two?

 
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I am kind of in the same dillema. I need new struts but dont know much about them. If I buy them, what is the average price for the install? ...not trying to jack the thread just asking an additional question.

 
Rep Power: 310

No prob.. thx.

Yes, if your OEM struts/shocks are blown, it doesnt matter with Koni's. When Koni's are installed you cut open the front struts and drain out the oil and remove the top and take the guts out. Then the Koni insert in bolted inside the housing. If your mechanically inclined and have a good set of hand tools, you might be able to do it yourself. I did, and it wasnt as hard as I thought it would be. However I dont recommend doing it yourself unless your absolutely certain you know what your doing.

Here's a good link that explains how its done. Keep in mind that you can do this without the expensive tools they use.

http://hondatuningmagazine.com/tech/0205ht_suspension/

If you just looking for a good OEM replacement with some performance and dont care about firmness adjustability, get some Tokicos. Nearly all after market replacement struts/shocks are going to be firmer then stock.

 
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No offense guy, but you should take the initiative to create your own thread. This is a drivel question, which could have been answered if you used the forum search. I spent about a week researching my problem before making this post. I suggest you do the same.