How hard and long is it to replace shocks/struts on a 2000 Honda Accord? Are there any special tools required for the job?

Why did Honda cluster**** everything together...? Gawd, I love my Bronco.

 

Hope you don't mind. I'm going to latch on to your question....
1999 Accord EX V6 Sedan

Can I change just the shock? On one side only?
I'm pretty sure I've narrowed down the creaking noise to be coming from the front passenger shock.
Thanks.

 

Sure you can relpace only the shock. I don't really understand that part of the question.

I would replace both fronts because it's important that they match each other.

But first, how did you rule out squeaky bushings on the control arms?

 

I don't mind, still want an answer to my question though... :/

 

I also am looking for the answer to AJ's question.....

I wasn't sure if it was recommended to replace the strut as well when replacing shocks.
I replaced the upper control arm around 110k miles. I was afraid the noise was coming from the replacement parts. I had the car on a lift, checked the control arm, and narrowed the noise down to the shock. I'm 95% sure that's what it is.

 

i have the same gen accord with the 3.0. hondapartsdeals sells the entire strut/shock assembly for $150 each corner. i think that's the way to go. i'm going to replace my front/rear struts very soon, just deciding if i want to go OEM or dropped Eibach.

if you just replace the shock, you need a spring compressor which can be rented from a local autoparts store, and a more disasembly is required. The Haynes manual clearly describes the required steps for removal and replacement. access to the top of the strut assembly is easy for the front. for the rear, you need to remove some of the rear seat (also pretty easy and i detail that process in the A/V section for rear deck removal).

I think these Honda's are a breeze to work on - most everything is metric 10mm, 12mm, or 14mm.

 

ebay has OEM replacement kyb gr2 sets of 4 struts/shocks for like 210buck w/ free ship. They are very good OEM replacement.....$600bucks ($150 each) for OEM replacement?? your in the price range to lower your car on performance parts...

 

the OEM replacement for $150 is the entire assembly - dampeners + springs + associated mounting hardware. just unbolt the entire assembly, and replace. no need to disassemble the struts, compress the springs, etc. since you also get new springs - you have a completely new strut that is OEM for a like-new ride and feel.

basically - everything you see below (rear shown):

 

i'm not saying that's the way to go - an Eibach dampener and spring kit can be had for $600 as well - but once you add camber adjustments and alignments you're near a grand total. with an OEM replacement you're good to go without concerns about tire wear and you know what to expect (alignment still recommended).

 

I was recently at a garage to check on a "clunk" noise coming from the left front of the car. They checked and couldn't find anything loose/damaged. They then told me that because my tires were feathered, that I needed to replace the struts on all 4 corners. I did a "bounce" test on the car and it still seems as stiff as it was when it was new. I currrently have >150K on the car, should I listen to the garage and replace the struts? One more thing, I usually take the exit/entrance ramps "clover leaf" type around 70 MPH, this probably contributes to the feathering.