Front Bilstein shock replacement

[Computron]

Hi All,

I just recently noticed that my front passenger shock is leaving a little puddle of oil on my garage floor so I figure it needs to be replaced. I bought the car with Bilsteins on lower perch already installed all around, so my question is how hard is it to do this job myself? I read the bilstein install wiki page and it seems to say that removing the original Oem shocks is the hardest part. I wonder if removing and replacing an already installed bilstein on lower perch is any easier? Also, should I replace both fronts at the same time?

Has anyone done this before and give me a step by step and/or guidance? Thanks in advance. This is for an 04 if that matters.

 

[jwmelvin]

I've done it on a few cars and it's pretty straightforward. It generally depends on how rusted the bolts are, which shouldn't be a problem on the NSX. You will need a spring compressor; the inexpensive ones on Amazon work fine or you can borrow from an auto parts store. Once the car is up its just a few bolts to get the damper assembly out.

 

[jwmelvin]

Oh, for a step by step follow the shop manual.

 

[Computron]

Thanks for that response. So a spring compressor is absolutely necessary? I was hoping to avoid that since people always say messing with the springs are dangerous.

 

[mwagner10702]

Thanks for that response. So a spring compressor is absolutely necessary? I was hoping to avoid that since people always say messing with the springs are dangerous.

Yes, you will need a spring compressor. From the service manual:






Also inspect your top hats. Depending on mileage you may want to replace the mounting rubber. I would replace both front shocks to get maximum performance and best ride. You'll need to get an alignment once the shock replacement is complete.

 

[goldNSX]

So a spring compressor is absolutely necessary?

YES! You don't want to do this work without them.

Better to replace both of them. You can send them to Bilstein to repair them but that means additional downtime (months).

 

[NSX2398]

You seem to be relatively new around here so you might want to investigate what the NSX Wiki has to offer. It's located on the red action bar at the top of most pages and is a wealth of information gleaned from posts over the years. It's organized by general area and you'll find information on Bilstein installation in the "Modifying Your NSX" section .. or you could just use this link which is a compilation of suggestions from people who have done it themselves and provided feedback for others: http://nsxprime.com/wiki/Bilstein_Shock_Install

 

[Computron]

Thanks for the link Ian, but as I stated in my original post, I did read the bilstein install wiki already but was just wondering if it's any easier if I'm removing existing bilsteins rather than oem shocks. I think that answer is no. Anyways in looking at the service manual pages, it looks like it's pretty easy to remove the damper assembly and the spring compressor is only needed once I have the assembly out and am removing the actual shock. Is this correct?

 

[jwmelvin]

... it looks like it's pretty easy to remove the damper assembly and the spring compressor is only needed once I have the assembly out and am removing the actual shock. Is this correct?

Yes, that's correct

 

[Computron]

One last question... do I really need an alignment after? Since I'm using the same springs and same bilsteins on lower perch and just swapping for the same model shocks, it doesn't seem like I'm changing anything to need an alignment. What am I missing?

 

[jwmelvin]

If ride height doesn't meaningfully change then no you don't.