Hi guys!
Ever since I bought my Accord, I felt a weird vibration in my legs which was not transmitted to the steering wheel. After a couple of years, new tires, new set of rims(I had one broken, so I bought another set), lots of suspension alignment and wheel balancing, the problem remained there.
While trying to diagnose the problem, I noticed the bush in the the front lower arm, where the shock absorber is connected, was a bit degraded, but not in a condition that it would make noises. The center metal part was a bit pushed down, and the rubber in the lower part was a bit compressed. I bought the bushes for the two sides just after I bought the car, but for laziness and lack of confidence they were the culprit, I never replaced them.
This weekend I decided to put my hands on it and replace them. It was not very hard, for except some stubborn bolts with difficult access. For removing and installing the bushes I used the good hold and big hammer, they were much more easy to replace than I was expecting to. Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures
Any way, I got a great surprise when I went to test the car, much(or even all) of the vibrations on the legs were gone B). I still have some minor vibrations which think are either road vibrations, or some wheel in less than perfect conditions, but those don't annoy me, at least for now
So, if you got some strange vibrations, you might check and replace these bushes, they are quite cheap.
After thinking about this problem, it makes perfect sense; since there is less rubber it the bushes, less vibrations are absorbed... Probably the shock absorber mounts are a good thing to replace, I bet they are a bit "tired" after 163000km, much of them made in nasty roads made of rocks.
Here is a picture the condition of one of the bushes a couple of years ago. As you can see, the center hole is pushed down and the rubber is very compressed. Even with the wheel lifted off the ground, the bush remains the same.
Ever since I bought my Accord, I felt a weird vibration in my legs which was not transmitted to the steering wheel. After a couple of years, new tires, new set of rims(I had one broken, so I bought another set), lots of suspension alignment and wheel balancing, the problem remained there.
While trying to diagnose the problem, I noticed the bush in the the front lower arm, where the shock absorber is connected, was a bit degraded, but not in a condition that it would make noises. The center metal part was a bit pushed down, and the rubber in the lower part was a bit compressed. I bought the bushes for the two sides just after I bought the car, but for laziness and lack of confidence they were the culprit, I never replaced them.
This weekend I decided to put my hands on it and replace them. It was not very hard, for except some stubborn bolts with difficult access. For removing and installing the bushes I used the good hold and big hammer, they were much more easy to replace than I was expecting to. Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures
Any way, I got a great surprise when I went to test the car, much(or even all) of the vibrations on the legs were gone B). I still have some minor vibrations which think are either road vibrations, or some wheel in less than perfect conditions, but those don't annoy me, at least for now
So, if you got some strange vibrations, you might check and replace these bushes, they are quite cheap.
After thinking about this problem, it makes perfect sense; since there is less rubber it the bushes, less vibrations are absorbed... Probably the shock absorber mounts are a good thing to replace, I bet they are a bit "tired" after 163000km, much of them made in nasty roads made of rocks.
Here is a picture the condition of one of the bushes a couple of years ago. As you can see, the center hole is pushed down and the rubber is very compressed. Even with the wheel lifted off the ground, the bush remains the same.
