Bought a Cheap Accord

[The_Jeff]

Counting threads is not a complete alignment.

I DIY mine:

Park on a level spot. Garage floors might be ok, but driveways usually have a crown to shed water.

Get a 18" long laser level, stick it on your front tire bulges at 4 and 8 oclock positions. Aim the laser at the rear tires. You want the laser to just barely miss, to miss the rear tire by about 1/2 an inch. This gives you the tiniest amount of toe-in and accounts for the gap between the laser head and the front tire bulge the tool is resting on.

Adjust tie rods to suit. Once "done", drive forward and back ten feet and stop using only the e-brake. Check again, as bushings tend to settle. Then back the car out and park it facing the other way, in case you've got a crown in your parking space you didn't know about.

Incidentally, the other bubble in your bubble level can check camber. I like having the top of the tires 1/8-1/4 inch closer together than the bottoms, so a tiny gap up top should make the bubble level. Adjusting this is a higher level of complication; if you're not having pull issues leave it be and just set the toe.

 

[amateurbob]

I went through and added up all of the receipts I have for the car. I don’t have every single receipt, but I have most of them. The exact number is gonna vary depending on exactly what is included, but I included the initial title and tags, annual inspection and emissions testing, oil changes as well as all the parts I bought. I used a lot of rewards dollars to purchase parts, as well as shop discounts, and employee discounts, and I bought a lot of clearance items, and included all of that in my calculations. The only labor I’ve paid for was having the tires mounted and annual inspections and emissions, and I’ve included those.

I didn’t include the initial cost of the car, and I didn’t include things like fuel, brake cleaner, rags, RTV, grease, and tools I had to purchase. The total number I came up with was about $3150. It could be a hair more than that, as I am missing a few receipts, but that is gonna be pretty dang close. I paid $500 for the car, so if you want to include that, I’m at $3650.

That includes doing some repairs over (I replaced the valve cover gasket twice, replaced wipers twice, replaced several times, and had quite the saga with the power steering pump). The most expensive single repair was the power steering rack at around $346 with new tie rod ends. So for unit costs, including the cost of the car, that’s about $215 a month, and about $1 per mile. And versus driving my F150, it’s saved me over $1100 in gas.

I still have some more repairs to do, it now needs an alignment and I need to replace the passenger side CV axle, but for the most part, there’s not a whole lot more that I’m aware of

I was never in this to make a profit, and mostly own this car for my own enjoyment and entertainment, so I’m definitely not upset with the number. I love the car and really have no intentions of selling it. It’s worth more to me to have around as an extra vehicle versus what I could sell it for.

Given the outrageous price of today's used cars.. That's pretty good for a year and half and you know the condition of the vehicle, that's a big deal.
The CRV (that l purchased for my nephew) has reverted back to me. I paid $4500 for it and l have over that into it.
-all fluids change(me)
-New timing chain and vtc actuator(dealership)
-New struts and links(kyb Moog at an independent shop)
-New tires Cross climate 2
-Emergency brake and rear brakes/rotors(independent shop)
-front calipers, rotors, pads(me)
-driveside CV axle and seal(me)
Vtc gasket(me)
-odds and ends(independent shop)

I still have to replace the AC compressor, oil filter housing gaskets, and the tensioner.
I plan on doing this but my hand was kinda forced.

So... I think you a head of the game!!!

 

[JoeDirt41]

Counting threads is not a complete alignment.

I DIY mine:

Park on a level spot. Garage floors might be ok, but driveways usually have a crown to shed water.

Get a 18" long laser level, stick it on your front tire bulges at 4 and 8 oclock positions. Aim the laser at the rear tires. You want the laser to just barely miss, to miss the rear tire by about 1/2 an inch. This gives you the tiniest amount of toe-in and accounts for the gap between the laser head and the front tire bulge the tool is resting on.

Adjust tie rods to suit. Once "done", drive forward and back ten feet and stop using only the e-brake. Check again, as bushings tend to settle. Then back the car out and park it facing the other way, in case you've got a crown in your parking space you didn't know about.

Incidentally, the other bubble in your bubble level can check camber. I like having the top of the tires 1/8-1/4 inch closer together than the bottoms, so a tiny gap up top should make the bubble level. Adjusting this is a higher level of complication; if you're not having pull issues leave it be and just set the toe.

Oh, it definitely still needs a proper alignment. I’ve got it close, but it needs to be put on a rack.

For alignments, I just put a case of Miller Lite in the trunk and drop it off at my buddy’s shop. They have a Hunter alignment rack.

Given the outrageous price of today's used cars.. That's pretty good for a year and half and you know the condition of the vehicle, that's a big deal.
The CRV (that l purchased for my nephew) has reverted back to me. I paid $4500 for it and l have over that into it.
-all fluids change(me)
-New timing chain and vtc actuator(dealership)
-New struts and links(kyb Moog at an independent shop)
-New tires Cross climate 2
-Emergency brake and rear brakes/rotors(independent shop)
-front calipers, rotors, pads(me)
-driveside CV axle and seal(me)
Vtc gasket(me)
-odds and ends(independent shop)

I still have to replace the AC compressor, oil filter housing gaskets, and the tensioner.
I plan on doing this but my hand was kinda forced.

So... I think you a head of the game!!!

Yeah, any car is gonna have maintenance and operating costs, and cars aren’t meant to be investments, so it’s unrealistic to expect to be able to recover everything you invest. As far as this car goes, I’ve saved a lot by doing all of the labor myself, and I think I did pretty well shopping deals for parts. When you take all of that into account, I think I’ve done pretty well with this car.

 

[JoeDirt41]

Given the outrageous price of today's used cars.. That's pretty good for a year and half and you know the condition of the vehicle, that's a big deal.
The CRV (that l purchased for my nephew) has reverted back to me. I paid $4500 for it and l have over that into it.
-all fluids change(me)
-New timing chain and vtc actuator(dealership)
-New struts and links(kyb Moog at an independent shop)
-New tires Cross climate 2
-Emergency brake and rear brakes/rotors(independent shop)
-front calipers, rotors, pads(me)
-driveside CV axle and seal(me)
Vtc gasket(me)
-odds and ends(independent shop)

I still have to replace the AC compressor, oil filter housing gaskets, and the tensioner.
I plan on doing this but my hand was kinda forced.

So... I think you a head of the game!!!

Also those CR-Vs are great cars. We purchased a 2011 from my aunt for my youngest sister to drive to her internships. It’s a bit of a beater, and she’s not the most careful driver so it’s got some bumps and bruises, but mechanically it’s a great car, and easy to work on.

 

[DannyM]

I still have some more repairs to do, it now needs an alignment and I need to replace the passenger side CV axle, but for the most part, there’s not a whole lot more that I’m aware of.

Pretty sure this below is the one I had put on many years ago and I was worried about shimmy etc at highway speeds but they have been rock solid.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=3854763&cc=1167410&pt=2288&jsn=490

 

[JWC86]

You now have a lot of car for less than $4k!

 

[researcher]

I went through and added up all of the receipts I have for the car. I don’t have every single receipt, but I have most of them. The exact number is gonna vary depending on exactly what is included, but I included the initial title and tags, annual inspection and emissions testing, oil changes as well as all the parts I bought. I used a lot of rewards dollars to purchase parts, as well as shop discounts, and employee discounts, and I bought a lot of clearance items, and included all of that in my calculations. The only labor I’ve paid for was having the tires mounted and annual inspections and emissions, and I’ve included those.

I didn’t include the initial cost of the car, and I didn’t include things like fuel, brake cleaner, rags, RTV, grease, and tools I had to purchase. The total number I came up with was about $3150. It could be a hair more than that, as I am missing a few receipts, but that is gonna be pretty dang close. I paid $500 for the car, so if you want to include that, I’m at $3650.

That includes doing some repairs over (I replaced the valve cover gasket twice, replaced wipers twice, oil changed several times, and had quite the saga with the power steering pump). The most expensive single repair was the power steering rack at around $346 with new tie rod ends. So for unit costs, including the cost of the car, that’s about $215 a month, and about $1 per mile. And versus driving my F150, it’s saved me over $1100 in gas.

I still have some more repairs to do, it now needs an alignment and I need to replace the passenger side CV axle, but for the most part, there’s not a whole lot more that I’m aware of.

I was never in this to make a profit, and mostly own this car for my own enjoyment and entertainment, so I’m definitely not upset with the number. I love the car and really have no intentions of selling it. It’s worth more to me to have around as an extra vehicle versus what I could sell it for.

dang! I never realized or knew you only paid $500! that's awesome! and I'm still amazed it's in that much rust-free condition being in the north! I know that Penn probably dumps just as much salt as michigan!

I'm sitting here thinking, what vehicle could you possibly buy for $3650 in the condition yours is in!? You just can't, man I'm happy for ya to have such a good car! They really did make some awesome cars back then, ones that had soul.

 

[JoeDirt41]

Pretty sure this below is the one I had put on many years ago and I was worried about shimmy etc at highway speeds but they have been rock solid.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=3854763&cc=1167410&pt=2288&jsn=490

I’ve been doing some research on CV axles and there’s a lot of bad reviews of aftermarket axles, but unfortunately for this car, they are the only option. When I first got the car, I replaced the driver’s side axle with a Cardone reman, which have some terrible reviews online, but it’s been perfectly fine since it’s been on the car.

From what I read, all of the parts store axles (AutoZone, Oreilly’s, NAPA, Advance) are made by either Trakmotive or GSP. The Trakmotive made axles seem to have slightly better reviews, but I’m going off a small sample size of what I’ve read online. Price is about the same, so it’s probably 6 of one, half dozen of the other.

dang! I never realized or knew you only paid $500! that's awesome! and I'm still amazed it's in that much rust-free condition being in the north! I know that Penn probably dumps just as much salt as michigan!

I'm sitting here thinking, what vehicle could you possibly buy for $3650 in the condition yours is in!? You just can't, man I'm happy for ya to have such a good car! They really did make some awesome cars back then, ones that had soul.

I appreciate that! Yes, from the original purchase, it definitely qualified as a “cheap” Accord. It is relatively rust-free considering it’s been in PA since at least 2003 according to the Carfax. And yes, Pennsylvania LOVES to dump salt in excess.

It’s certainly not a perfect vehicle, mostly from a cosmetic perspective, but I agree, it think it would be very difficult to purchase a vehicle at that price that didn’t have at least a handful of issues. With this car, I know that it is mechanically sound, and I’d confidently drive it anywhere. I may address the cosmetic issues at some point, but for right now it still cleans up well and looks halfway presentable.

 

[DannyM]

I’ve been doing some research on CV axles and there’s a lot of bad reviews of aftermarket axles, but unfortunately for this car, they are the only option. When I first got the car, I replaced the driver’s side axle with a Cardone reman, which have some terrible reviews online, but it’s been perfectly fine since it’s been on the car.

Yeah that is why I was hesitant.. I tried to find a rebuilt OE but could not or they might of just been a ridiculous price.. The Trakmotive has been no different than the original axle with no vibration at all.

 

[JoeDirt41]

Finally got the part ordered for the CV axle and a chance to replace it today. Went with a Trakmotive axle from RockAuto. Also purchased a new transmission output seal since it appeared to be leaking. Got the seal locally, part number is 224066, both National and Timken use that number. The seal inside the Duralast box was a Timken.

Overall, not a difficult job, just gotta move stuff out of the way. The lower ball joint did not want to separate easily and I didn’t want to use a pickle fork and ruin the boot. I smacked on it with a 3 pound mini sledge to no avail, then used an air hammer to beat on it, and I didn’t like how that was gouging the soft, cast iron lower control arm, so finally I took a torch and very carefully so as not to burn the boot, warmed it and was able to hit it with the mini sledge and get it to pop.

I cleaned everything as best I could with brake cleaner (it was filthy), swapped the seal and put the new axle in. I put everything back together, I torqued the axle nut by hand to spec, everything else got ugga-dugga’d.

The old axle was in terrible shape. The outer joint was okay, but the inner was extremely loose and I could feel a lot of grit in it.

Took it for a short ride and between the new steering rack and the CV axle, the car feels fantastic. No more popping or clunking noises, and super light, responsive steering.

 

[dwcopple]

are aftermarket front sway bars available on the cheap for these models?

 

[JoeDirt41]

are aftermarket front sway bars available on the cheap for these models?

Not that I’m aware of. There’s some aftermarket sway bar sets but they are pretty expensive.

 

[dwcopple]

Not that I’m aware of. There’s some aftermarket sway bar sets but they are pretty expensive.

That's too bad. Seems like they'd be plentiful.

 

[DannyM]

That's too bad. Seems like they'd be plentiful.

Yes there are aftermarket.. Some very nice more performance oriented and then some more reasonable cost that are like oe type feel from Dorman and I think A-Premium.

 

[JoeDirt41]

Yes there are aftermarket.. Some very nice more performance oriented and then some more reasonable cost that are like oe type feel from Dorman and I think A-Premium.

If you can find links I’d love to see them. I’m not worried about mine, they are a little rusty but I don’t think they are in danger of breaking or anything. Still wouldn’t mind having spares for the right price.

 

[DannyM]

If you can find links I’d love to see them. I’m not worried about mine, they are a little rusty but I don’t think they are in danger of breaking or anything. Still wouldn’t mind having spares for the right price.

I would guess these are higher quality than oe.

Progress Sway Bar

ST Suspensions Sway Bars

I saw something from Dorman a while back on their site but cannot find it now.

There are also a bunch of used grade-a ones for around $50 on Car-Part

 

[researcher]

Hey @JoeDirt41 I'm definitely interested in how that trakmotive driveshaft goes, I had said (to myself) I wouldn't go for any of the aftermarket because of all the horror stories I kept hearing how bad they were (fall apart, vibration, etc). But now this brand is good? Hey I won't complain if it's good, so can't wait to hear your report on this driveshaft as time goes on.

Good to hear that the steering rack is smooth and a lighter amount of force needed to steer it now!

 

[JoeDirt41]

Hey @JoeDirt41 I'm definitely interested in how that trakmotive driveshaft goes, I had said (to myself) I wouldn't go for any of the aftermarket because of all the horror stories I kept hearing how bad they were (fall apart, vibration, etc). But now this brand is good? Hey I won't complain if it's good, so can't wait to hear your report on this driveshaft as time goes on.

Good to hear that the steering rack is smooth and a lighter amount of force needed to steer it now!

Yeah there was a lot of really bad reviews but did find some decent reviews of the Trakmotive axles and it’s not like I had a lot of options. OEM is long discontinued, and even if it was available, I’m sure it would be outrageously priced, and Raxles has been out of business for several years. Kind of just have to take a gamble and hope for the best. So far, so good.

 

[JoeDirt41]

Small update. One thing that was bothering me when I did the CV axle was the appearance of the outer tie rod end boots. These were brand new Quick Steer brand tie rod ends, but no matter how I adjusted them, I could not get the boots to sit nicely. They aren’t greasable so I couldn’t just pump grease into it to get it to balloon out.

Not wanting to deal with a ripped boot in the future, especially after I get an alignment, I ordered two Sankei 555 outer tie rod ends from NAPA. These were a bit pricey but they should be high quality. Made in Japan.

Upon removing the old tie rods, I could see the boots were actually already starting to tear. Really disappointing, these have maybe 5 miles on them. They were wholesaler closeout on RockAuto and they were only ~$8 each, but they shouldn’t be failing this quickly.

You can see just how much better the boots on the 555 tie rods fit compared to the Quick Steers. Hopefully they last a while. I’ve got an appointment on Saturday AM to get the alignment done.

TL;DR: don’t buy Quick Steer chassis components:

 

[JoeDirt41]

Took the car for an alignment this morning. Considering that the entire steering system was out of the car, I’m actually kind of proud of how close I had it just by eyeballing and counting threads, less than one degree out.

The rear camber is still out a bit on the drivers side, but it’s technically not adjustable per Honda so I’ll just have to live with it. It’s not out by a lot, and at least it’s out in the negative direction. Supposedly you can move the upper rear control arms a bit, but it’s not meant to be an alignment adjustment. For as little as it’s off, I’m not concerned.