2001 Honda Accord Front Strut and Damper Replacement

Loosen the wheel lug nuts, then lift the front of the car with a floor jack and set it securely on jack stands. Never rely on the jack alone. Remove the road wheel to expose the strut, hub, and lower fork.

Remove the two 10mm bolts that clamp the brake hose/line bracket to the strut. Free the line so it is not stressed as the assembly is lowered later. There is no need to open the hydraulic system.

Back out the 17mm lower fork bolt (exploded diagram callouts 24 and 26). An impact wrench is effectively required here; these lower fasteners rarely yield to hand tools.

Remove the 14mm upper fork bolt (diagram callout 22). With it out, tap downward on the fork with a mallet to start separating it from the damper. It will not slide fully clear yet, because the lower link still holds the hub up.

The hub must swing down far enough for the fork to clear the end of the damper. The easy method is to remove the two 14mm sway bar bolts, which lets the control arm drop. The harder method is to undo the lower link bolt (diagram callouts 4/5 and 21): its head takes a 5mm hex key while the shank is a 14mm bolt, and it spins freely. To beat the spin, clamp vice grips on a 14mm socket over the bolt, pass the hex key through the socket opening, and hold the hex still while loosening the bolt. Support the whole hub assembly on a jack as it comes down.

In the engine bay, remove the five upper mount fasteners that hold the strut to the body: three 14mm and two 12mm. Maneuver the strut out of the wheel well, raising the hub as needed to gain clearance for the fork to pass the damper.

Fit a spring compressor on the bench, capturing as many coils as possible for a safe, even grip. Before compressing, scribe a reference mark linking the spring seat (diagram #7) to the coil itself, which lets you index the seat correctly against the damper and fork during rebuild. Compress the spring until the upper mount is unloaded.

Hold the damper shaft still by gripping its flat with a crescent wrench, then loosen the 14mm top nut with a box-end wrench. Lift off the upper mount, seat, and spring, and withdraw the old damper from the assembly.

Install the new damper. Fit a fresh bump stop (diagram #12) and new upper rubber mount bushings (diagram #6). Orientation matters: seat each rubber with its larger end against the strut cap and the smaller end toward the washer. Installing them the other way, even if they seem to fit better, lets them shear and rattle.

Set the spring back on with the seat aligned to your reference mark, refit the upper mount, and thread the top nut. If the cap will not compress enough to catch the threads, add a clamp to squeeze it down until the nut starts. Snug the top nut, then carefully release and remove the spring compressor.

Refit the strut in reverse of removal: bolt the upper mount to the body, raise the hub to slip the fork onto the damper, and reconnect the lower link or sway bar, the fork bolts, and the brake line bracket. The lower fork bolt takes a 19mm impact to fully tighten. Reinstall the wheel, lower the car, and torque the lug nuts.