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Using my OEM coil springs (front struts) with KYB struts and a Honda OEM strut top mount

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3.8K views 28 replies 7 participants last post by  dc99  
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#1 · (Edited)
Yet another job I've never done or thought about. But I've had a broken drivers side top strut mount since forever and since a guy has to remove the entire strut assembly/compress the spring etc etc to just replace the mount, why not re-use the OEM springs but use a new KYB strut but...and this is a big but...install OEM strut top mounts instead of any other after market mount. IOW, using aftermarket when it's OK to save money but ponying up for the OEM strut mounts because of the following:

The reason I'm alerted to this is from a couple of videos I saw from a Y'tub channel called "Element Lifestyle". Miguel has a few strut related vids. One was where he compared the strut mounts from Duralast, KYB and Honda OEM and he highly highly recommends using only the OEM mounts. They last, all the other ones don't. He likes the KYB struts, just not the mounts

The following video goes over thinking a guy might be able to replace the strut mount on some typical aftermarket strut assembly but the OEM mount does not fit. He has an earlier vid where he re-uses the OEM coil springs, uses KYB struts and mounts but he wasn't aware at the time the KYB mounts suck and in later vids he advises not to use them, use OEM

So, as with any suspension work there's "gotchas" all over the place. If I were to use a KYB strut with the current OEM springs my E has and OEM top strut mounts, would that all go together? I'm going to leave it there because I don't personally know about this stuff to keep asking questions that are relevant. Here's one of Miguel's "how to" vids


All of the above is an attempt to save money where possible (KYB struts but re-use the OEM coil springs) and importantly using Honda OEM strut mounts over an entire KYB strut assembly but then necessarily using the KYB top strut mount. But, what do I know, could a guy buy an entire KYB strut assembly (including KYB coil springs) and still use Honda OEM mounts? Or are OEM coil springs superior anyway and should be kept? My E has 247k miles
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
Well, surely someone here has their own hands-on experience with all of this. Could I buy the KYB strut assembly and swap out OEM mounts for the KYBs that come with the assembly? I'm guessing the coil springs that come with the KYBs would be the same diameter etc as the OEM coil springs, therefore the OEM mounts would fit, but what do I know?
 
Discussion starter · #9 ·
ajchien said:
I was quite annoyed.So much that I did not bother with warranty and moved on to KYB. KYB quickstruts also died in the same way after 3 years. I looked for a new strut mount that was compatible with the KYB, but I could not find one. so I’m now on Duralast quickstruts. If I did it all over again, I would have bought a nice spring compressor and just replaced individual parts instead of using quickstruts. If these Duralast ones die in the same way, I‘ll give up trying to find a good brand and will warranty them.

since I’m only one guy, it could be that I’ve got bad luck with front suspension parts.

Los Angeles, CA driving. Lots of highway miles in stop and go traffic. Winter night time temps drop to mid 30s? Summer daytime temps up to 100F?
Click to expand...
So you found there was no strut other mount, including OEM Honda, that worked with the KYB? Just a KYB branded strut mount? Can you tell us exactly what it is with the upper end of the KYB that makes it incompatible with other mounts? My original post here is using my aging coil springs over a KYB strut (not quick strut) with a Honda strut mount, but that presupposes OEM Honda coil springs actually work with the KYB strut

Sorry if I'm making the mechanics in the audience cringe with my misuse of proper terminology here

In my case I'm at 247k miles, no suspension work done so far, rust free, Colorado summer and winters, 100 degrees summer, minus 15F winters, mountain driving...and still on my original struts
 
Discussion starter · #10 ·
We're in the middle of a three day snowstorm so I'm not going anywhere and have time to get to research struts and such

I have the term "strut mount" in my head, all the time just knowing that's either just some colloquial term that's not really truly descriptive or just is an overall description of the many small bits and pieces that actually holds the top of the strut in place. So I went to Honda Parts Now and downloaded this:

Image


Is #11 the entire assembly highlighted by the green arrows? Or is #11 just the start and a guy needs to order the proper amount of parts below 11 (red arrow on the right). Note #4 on the right "Assy" but where #4 is on the drawing on the left
 
Discussion starter · #18 ·
So Miguel from Element Lifestyle has a multi-part series of vids about his re-doing his Khaki Element, including installing spacers to lift it

You can access all of the vids from the one I'm linking here (Episode 3) but in this particular vid, from the beginning to around 2:30 he does exactly what I asked in my first post above, he uses an OEM strut mount over the original springs with KYB struts. He likes the KYB struts but hates the KYB top mount

Turns out the top plate of the strut mount (51920-S6M-014 for the right front strut) doesn't come with the bearings etc, in fact I didn't see the bearings for sale on HondaPartsNow. Looks like he reuses the old bearings and lower plate although he doesn't say that in this vid, they just sort of magically get transferred over

 
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