It’s worth learning some new skills, sweating a little, and buying/borrowing some tools to save money. I’m a big fan doing it myself and saving that hard earned money. Best of luck on your project!
These kinds of videos never get the views some others get because they are model specific but they are the ones that actually mean something. Thank you- great video.
You are welcome! Thanks for the comment. I do it because that’s how I started to learn to do all my stuff myself. Not too concerned about the views but yeah when it’s specific you won’t get the views others do. It’s all good though. I love putting out quality repairs. Thanks again :)
Thanks for the video. Struts are in, I found a 2x4 between the trailing arm and frame helped me get the lower control arm and hub aligned.. pushing up with the Jack and down on the 2x4 seemed to work well. Second strut took 1/2 time as first.
Thanks for the video, very helpful. I found that the rear lower bolt torque is 135lb and the front lower bolt is 156lb as you mentioned. Hope this help.
@@MCFIXIT All went well, except one of the upper bolts striped and it was all the way in when it did so. I was happy that it was the bolt that striped and not the nut, the replacement bolt tightened right up.Thanks again for the help.
@@MCFIXIT The new bolts that came with the struts were just slightly off. Thanks for your advice. My husband went to the auto store and bought a new nut. He was able to get into the upper area and get the old nut off. Problem solved. ☺️
Hey man thanks to your video installation went smooth. But there’s a huge gap between lower part of the spring where the plastic housing sits on the control arm. I can literally put my finger in there. Do you think I got a strut with a bad shock or bad spring? Any idea? The strut is really angled inside too
Excellent video....just a pointer: Always torque everything on the ground. Torque applied "unloaded" creates a spring effect or could impinge the parts, bushes, etc... #goodDIYVid
Hey MC, first off thanks for the great vid, fixed the front struts and am starting work on the rear. Still have the old sway bar links with the Allen nut which I needed to cut off in the front because of rust. Planning on having the same issue in the back but appears there is even less room to remove or cut off old links, wondering if you have any suggestions that may help or save time. Thanks! (Used a sawzall and grinder on the front two)
I was actually able to use the Allen on the back ones. For some reason they were not as rusted/ceased as the front ones. I’d try a longer sawsall blade if you’ve got it.
The main thing is that you jack it up on the frame and the jacks can support the weight. I don’t think I intentionally did it that way. It still works well. Thanks for commenting!
Nope, they are doing great. I had I think 220,000 miles on the original ones. I did replace all four bc you are supposed to do an alignment at the same time
You can always use something like Rock Auto. They have different tiers of prices based on how much quality a product has. I don’t know much about KYB brand. I know that site has pretty honest review but I’d do some research before buying less quality I’d you plan on keeping the vehicle for a long time and wanting a good ride.
My ride was getting worse and then there was the sound of at least one broken one. You can often stand near one tire and press down on the wheel area with your weight and hear if it needs replaced. Hope that helps!
Just had mine done ... it is a very long tedious project that can be very expensive .. 900 - $1100.. How much should people expect to spend to replace these struts on their Ridgeline ?
I used an impact for removal. But often do not for reinstall. Once you’ve stripped a few bolts it’s not worth it. I’d rather take the time and do it without. Saves a lot of time and headache. Also, I try to make sure I get the correct torque on things. It’s much harder to do that with an impact. You can easily run it past the torque and even break off bolt heads.
THE TOOLS: • Monroe Complete Struts - REAR Right (Pass) - 172398R - amzn.to/3pKKOdQ • Monroe Complete Struts - REAR Left (Driver) - 172298L - amzn.to/2ZtzaJz • Sockets: 14mm, 15mm, 22mm, 24mm Basic Socket Set - amzn.to/3fjRoBd • Deep Sockets: 14mm - Basic set - amzn.to/3ARWA8Q • 18mm Wrench - Basic Set - amzn.to/3jzlMcJ • 1/2in Impact Drill (Rigid) - amzn.to/3vVDUBZ • Ratchet - amzn.to/3xWjE5g • Torque Stick - amzn.to/33wFTR2 • Impact Sockets (Metric) -amzn.to/3etXiQU • Torque Wrench - amzn.to/3fEIrDi • Floor Jack (3 Ton) - amzn.to/2R7G96H • Jackstand (3 Ton)- amzn.to/3f3ABC5 • Gloves - amzn.to/3bbfEnu • Safety Glasses - amzn.to/3ux25GO • Shop Towels - amzn.to/2SC8D93 00:00 Intro 00:07 The Project 00:27 The Tools 01:22 The Fix 04:49 Removing Old Strut 16:08 Installing New Strut 32:47 The Closing THE FIX: With these simple techniques, you can successfully remove and replace your struts. This video works on all makes and models of vehicles. The video was done on a 2006 Honda Ridgeline first generation. Check out my website at mcfixit.us Disclaimer: Due to factors beyond the control of MC FIX IT, I cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information in the video, post, blog, or social media. MC FIX IT assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. If you feel uncomfortable at any time. Stop and go to a professional. MC FIX IT recommends safe practices when working on vehicles, your house, or any other project and or with tools seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of MC FIX IT, no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not MC FIX IT. #mcfixit #autorepair #hondaridgeline -- Supplies used to record this video: * GoPro Hero 7 Black - amzn.to/3f3ALtb * 256GB Flash Drive - amzn.to/33pAueG * Vlogging Frame - amzn.to/33tajE0 * GoPro Pro 3.5mm Mic Adapter - amzn.to/2RCURCu * Youmic Lavalier Lapel Mic - amzn.to/2R55sWX * Boom Stand (tripod) - amzn.to/3bdkQaw * 5/8” to 1/4” adapter (boom to blogging frame- amzn.to/3txrVsM * Portable Battery Powerbank- amzn.to/3vJQc0q * 6ft USB to USB-C (powerbank to GoPro)- amzn.to/3uAS5MH
Not yet, I’ve got about 15k until I need to do it again. It was done at 140k when I bought the vehicle from Honda. So every 100k isn’t too far off now.
Yep I decided to do the rear struts my self was going good till I got to the sway bar link or whatever it’s called. No grip on the rear whatsoever. My car is sitting on jack stands cause the sun went down and I had a long trip coming up. Just my luck for wanting to fix my car up.
Do you have a 4in grinder with a metal cut blade? If so, You can cut off the sway bar link. You’ll have to buy new ones but it’s an easy way to get them off. By stating this… I’m guessing the no grip means that you cant remove the bolts on the sway bar.
@@MCFIXIT no I don’t was going to try to but a cheap one from Walmart or harbor freight. I was just going to try to put everything back but I made the mistake of taking out the bolt under the strut. The strut needs to compress a bit for it to go back in so I need to take off the link one way or another.
@@MCFIXIT not sure if my car has aftermarket links but the backside is round there’s no flat spots for a 18mm. Maybe an FYI you could make in the comments
@@MCFIXIT yea I figured that out, the completely rotted mount bolts was my next issue, turns out these bolts are only available at Honda so had to wait on them
Yes, they are very reliable! I’d suggest following the recommend service times including the timing belt & water pump each 100,000 miles. I’m hoping to get mine to 300k
Thanks for watching and commenting. I do that sometimes but didn’t in this video. I try to leave the background clear when making videos so you can see everything a bit better.
![How to Replace Front Struts for Honda Ridgeline [Complete Guide]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ck2JpKP3uP0/mqdefault.jpg)
![How to Replace Front Struts for Honda Ridgeline [Complete Guide]](/img/tr.png)
Man you made it look easy! And I’m gonna give it a go! Better than a $2200 quote for front and rear 😅
It’s worth learning some new skills, sweating a little, and buying/borrowing some tools to save money. I’m a big fan doing it myself and saving that hard earned money. Best of luck on your project!
These kinds of videos never get the views some others get because they are model specific but they are the ones that actually mean something. Thank you- great video.
You are welcome! Thanks for the comment. I do it because that’s how I started to learn to do all my stuff myself. Not too concerned about the views but yeah when it’s specific you won’t get the views others do. It’s all good though. I love putting out quality repairs. Thanks again :)
I'll second that comment! Great video!
Very thorough video! No rushing through. Lots of details. No annoying, distracting music! Thanks. Love my gen 1!
Me too! Great vehicle!!!
You are welcome! Best of luck on your project. Thanks for commenting and watching my video!
Great video!!! And no stupid music!!!! Thank you very much!!! Keep up the great work!!!
Thanks so much! I’m glad you liked it
You sir, are a gentleman and a legend!
Best of luck on your project!
Great instructional video! Got all the parts and will be replacing the rear struts on a 2007 soon. Thank you!!
Best of luck on your fix!
Great job. Exactly what I was looking for.
You are welcome. Thanks for watching and commenting!
As always excellent tutorial, just save myself a couple hundred dollars.
Thanks! Hope the project went well! Thank you for commenting and watching!
Thanks for showing both sides!
You bet! I hope it was helpful to you!
Thank you Sir, I'll be changing all 4 on my Ridglune this weekend.
Good luck on your project
@@MCFIXIT I went with the KYB strut they came with the replacement bolts you were talking about.
Great video. I'm going to tackle my 2009 this weekend. Thanks again
Thank you! Good luck!
Thanks for the video. Struts are in, I found a 2x4 between the trailing arm and frame helped me get the lower control arm and hub aligned.. pushing up with the Jack and down on the 2x4 seemed to work well. Second strut took 1/2 time as first.
Great tip of getting more clearance. I’d suggest something metal bc would could split though.
Great video, step by step. Thank you!!!!!
Glad it was helpful! Good luck on your project!
Thanks for the video, very helpful. I found that the rear lower bolt torque is 135lb and the front lower bolt is 156lb as you mentioned. Hope this help.
Thank you! Good luck on your project!
@@MCFIXIT All went well, except one of the upper bolts striped and it was all the way in when it did so. I was happy that it was the bolt that striped and not the nut, the replacement bolt tightened right up.Thanks again for the help.
What is the torque on the 24 bolt ?
I'm not sure, sorry.@@boatsknowsbbq8632
This is a really helpful video! While my husband was inserting one of the upper bolts it stripped out. Any recommendations?
You might have to restore the threads on it and get a new nut that fits it. How did it end up getting stripped?
@@MCFIXIT The new bolts that came with the struts were just slightly off. Thanks for your advice. My husband went to the auto store and bought a new nut. He was able to get into the upper area and get the old nut off. Problem solved. ☺️
Awesome!!! Glad you were able to get it done!
Fantastic vid 👍
Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Rear sway bar link end nut torque spec: 35ft lbs
Thank you!
Hey man thanks to your video installation went smooth. But there’s a huge gap between lower part of the spring where the plastic housing sits on the control arm. I can literally put my finger in there. Do you think I got a strut with a bad shock or bad spring? Any idea? The strut is really angled inside too
Sounds like it! That stinks
Excellent video....just a pointer: Always torque everything on the ground. Torque applied "unloaded" creates a spring effect or could impinge the parts, bushes, etc... #goodDIYVid
Thanks! Hope you have a great day!
Hey MC, first off thanks for the great vid, fixed the front struts and am starting work on the rear. Still have the old sway bar links with the Allen nut which I needed to cut off in the front because of rust. Planning on having the same issue in the back but appears there is even less room to remove or cut off old links, wondering if you have any suggestions that may help or save time. Thanks! (Used a sawzall and grinder on the front two)
I was actually able to use the Allen on the back ones. For some reason they were not as rusted/ceased as the front ones. I’d try a longer sawsall blade if you’ve got it.
I have never seen someone use a jack stand oriented inline with the frame. I always place them perpendicular/ across the frame.
The main thing is that you jack it up on the frame and the jacks can support the weight. I don’t think I intentionally did it that way. It still works well. Thanks for commenting!
Nice video! Btw, is that a long crack on the frame?
Thanks so much. No it’s not. Best of luck on your project!
Have you had any issue since using these struts and how long did they last miles miles typically ? If you replace all 4 same time
Nope, they are doing great. I had I think 220,000 miles on the original ones. I did replace all four bc you are supposed to do an alignment at the same time
@@MCFIXIT would the kyb brand complete struts be better buy if I had a bigger budget
@@MCFIXIT do you have any working links these seem to be sold out for the parts
You can always use something like Rock Auto. They have different tiers of prices based on how much quality a product has. I don’t know much about KYB brand. I know that site has pretty honest review but I’d do some research before buying less quality I’d you plan on keeping the vehicle for a long time and wanting a good ride.
what are the symptoms that would let you know it's time to replace ?
My ride was getting worse and then there was the sound of at least one broken one. You can often stand near one tire and press down on the wheel area with your weight and hear if it needs replaced. Hope that helps!
have you dealt with the leaking power steering pump on it yet?
I have not. That’s a future project for sure. I’ve changed them out in other vehicles but not this one yet!
Just had mine done ... it is a very long tedious project that can be very expensive .. 900 - $1100..
How much should people expect to spend to replace these struts on their Ridgeline ?
Curious why didn’t you use your impact to take apart and re assembly..
I used an impact for removal. But often do not for reinstall. Once you’ve stripped a few bolts it’s not worth it. I’d rather take the time and do it without. Saves a lot of time and headache. Also, I try to make sure I get the correct torque on things. It’s much harder to do that with an impact. You can easily run it past the torque and even break off bolt heads.
Well it happened to me and I need to figure out how to fix that nut in the back
What happened?
THE TOOLS:
• Monroe Complete Struts - REAR Right (Pass) - 172398R - amzn.to/3pKKOdQ
• Monroe Complete Struts - REAR Left (Driver) - 172298L - amzn.to/2ZtzaJz
• Sockets: 14mm, 15mm, 22mm, 24mm Basic Socket Set - amzn.to/3fjRoBd
• Deep Sockets: 14mm - Basic set - amzn.to/3ARWA8Q
• 18mm Wrench - Basic Set - amzn.to/3jzlMcJ
• 1/2in Impact Drill (Rigid) - amzn.to/3vVDUBZ
• Ratchet - amzn.to/3xWjE5g
• Torque Stick - amzn.to/33wFTR2
• Impact Sockets (Metric) -amzn.to/3etXiQU
• Torque Wrench - amzn.to/3fEIrDi
• Floor Jack (3 Ton) - amzn.to/2R7G96H
• Jackstand (3 Ton)- amzn.to/3f3ABC5
• Gloves - amzn.to/3bbfEnu
• Safety Glasses - amzn.to/3ux25GO
• Shop Towels - amzn.to/2SC8D93
00:00 Intro
00:07 The Project
00:27 The Tools
01:22 The Fix
04:49 Removing Old Strut
16:08 Installing New Strut
32:47 The Closing
THE FIX:
With these simple techniques, you can successfully remove and replace your struts.
This video works on all makes and models of vehicles. The video was done on a 2006 Honda Ridgeline first generation.
Check out my website at mcfixit.us
Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of MC FIX IT, I cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information in the video, post, blog, or social media. MC FIX IT assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. If you feel uncomfortable at any time. Stop and go to a professional. MC FIX IT recommends safe practices when working on vehicles, your house, or any other project and or with tools seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of MC FIX IT, no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not MC FIX IT.
#mcfixit #autorepair #hondaridgeline
--
Supplies used to record this video:
* GoPro Hero 7 Black - amzn.to/3f3ALtb
* 256GB Flash Drive - amzn.to/33pAueG
* Vlogging Frame - amzn.to/33tajE0
* GoPro Pro 3.5mm Mic Adapter - amzn.to/2RCURCu
* Youmic Lavalier Lapel Mic - amzn.to/2R55sWX
* Boom Stand (tripod) - amzn.to/3bdkQaw
* 5/8” to 1/4” adapter (boom to blogging frame- amzn.to/3txrVsM
* Portable Battery Powerbank- amzn.to/3vJQc0q
* 6ft USB to USB-C (powerbank to GoPro)- amzn.to/3uAS5MH
Have you done any work on timing belt??
Not yet, I’ve got about 15k until I need to do it again. It was done at 140k when I bought the vehicle from Honda. So every 100k isn’t too far off now.
I got a 07 Ridgeline RTL with 150,232 miles. It's due for a belt change. Just was looking for pointers if you had done it. Thanks for the reply
Just had mine done .. $900 .. very long process to take everything apart and replace .. not for the faint of heart ...
Yep I decided to do the rear struts my self was going good till I got to the sway bar link or whatever it’s called. No grip on the rear whatsoever. My car is sitting on jack stands cause the sun went down and I had a long trip coming up. Just my luck for wanting to fix my car up.
Do you have a 4in grinder with a metal cut blade? If so, You can cut off the sway bar link. You’ll have to buy new ones but it’s an easy way to get them off. By stating this… I’m guessing the no grip means that you cant remove the bolts on the sway bar.
@@MCFIXIT no I don’t was going to try to but a cheap one from Walmart or harbor freight. I was just going to try to put everything back but I made the mistake of taking out the bolt under the strut. The strut needs to compress a bit for it to go back in so I need to take off the link one way or another.
@@MCFIXIT not sure if my car has aftermarket links but the backside is round there’s no flat spots for a 18mm. Maybe an FYI you could make in the comments
Sorry, i just saw your comments. Check for a place for a thin wrench to go on the inside near the bolt head. Some of the aftermarket ones have that.
@@MCFIXIT yea I figured that out, the completely rotted mount bolts was my next issue, turns out these bolts are only available at Honda so had to wait on them
Do you still have this vehicle? If so is it running strong?
Yes I do. It’s nearly 18 years old but is running well.
@@MCFIXIT I like to ask I have an 07 with 140k miles on it. I hope I get many years from mine as well
Yes, they are very reliable! I’d suggest following the recommend service times including the timing belt & water pump each 100,000 miles. I’m hoping to get mine to 300k
I still have mine .... it has 310,000 miles ...no kidding .. just did timing belt and power steering hose .. 2200 dollars ... ouch ..
@@glenmay7479have you ever had a valve adjustment on yours ?
Should of taken a wire brush and clean up some of the rust and put a thick coat of grease to help protect from corrosion.
that's a great option to do! Thanks for writing this!
Should NEVER tighten any bolts until all are installed. Then tighten to spec
Dude when you plan to knock of tire first make sure you have clearance than shove the tire under the chassis...hello ...other than that good vid...
Thanks for watching and commenting. I do that sometimes but didn’t in this video. I try to leave the background clear when making videos so you can see everything a bit better.
Hey do a dry run first..after viewing the whole vid...do a dry run first...
Nope, this was one take.