New Shocks; HUGE improvement. (KYB Brand)

[dmanthree]

Finally replaced the shocks/struts on my 2004 Pilot with KYBs (at Direct Tire in Peabody, MA) and the difference was huge. I didn't realize how far gone the originals were, and the car rides better than new (or so it seems). Got a buy 2 get 2 free, as well. Anyway, if you thinking about replacing the shocks, the KYBs are a good choice, and worth the money. FWIW, I paid a little over $800 for all four, including the alignment. I could only locate three places to do the work, and two of them were dealers who were much higher.

[OverDrive]

how many miles did u have and what made u think the shocks were bad...?

[dmanthree]

I had about 75K on the original shocks, and what prompted me to change them was the "boat on the high seas" ride on the highway, and the tires losing contact with the road over a series of short sharp bumps. Especially when cornering, too. Any corner with a few sharp bumps would cause the Pilot to drift. Both conditions have disappeared with the new struts.

[krygny]

Any time you replace worn suspension components, you should notice a significant improvement. They tend to wear gradually and imperceptibly. Most people don't replace suspension components until they leak, break, bend, etc., but worn suspension components are really how a car shows it age. A few years ago, I had rear shocks, front struts, ball joints, and a number of other items replaced on my 1991 Taurus and it really breathed new life into the car; to the point where I actually enjoyed driving it again (although not as much as the Pilot).

[dmanthree]

Agreed that replacing any worn component, struts, tires, etc, will show improvent. Anything that wears over time sort of sneaks up on you, and the struts were really gone. It's like you say (krygny) the ride improved so much the vehicle is a lot more fun to drive now.