Suspension and Steering Parts for Honda Accord
Your Honda Accord?s suspension system is the network of parts that allow the transfer of energy between your sedan and its wheels. Suspension parts include your Honda Accord?s shock absorbers, struts, springs, linkages, and tires. Honda Accords that were manufactured prior to 2013 use a unique wishbone suspension design; this setup was replaced by MacPherson struts in Honda Accord models manufactured after 2013.
What are basic components of your Honda Accord?s suspension system?Some of the basic components include the following:
- Shocks and struts
- Coil springs
- Leaf springs
- Air suspensions
- Control arms
- Sway bars
- Ball joints
- Bushings and other hardware
- Lubricants
While the terms ?strut? and ?shock absorber? are often used interchangeably to refer to the auto part that damps the sensation of oscillation and bouncing that comes from the springs, they are in fact two very different pieces of equipment.
Shock absorbers are pneumatic or hydraulic devices that absorb excess kinetic energy and transform that energy into heat. With pneumatic shock absorbers, that heat is ultimately discharged into the atmosphere. With hydraulic shock absorbers, the fluid inside the cylinder heats up.
Struts, on the other hand, are structurally integrated into the suspension system. Not only do struts damp oscillations, but they also affect alignment angles, and they are a pivot point used by your motors steering system. Part of the strut is a spring perch that holds your car?s coil spring.
Older Accords may have shock absorbers on all four wheels, but Accord sedans made after 1995 have strut assemblies in the front suspension and shock absorbers in the rear.
How do ball joints work within your sedan?s suspension system?Ball joints are the pivot joints that allow your wheels to swivel in different directions when you turn your steering wheel. They?re structured like a ball within a socket. The lower mechanism on each side rests in the lower control arm while the upper mechanism joint rests in the upper control arm. These pieces of equipment support a great deal of your auto?s weight as your vehicle turns, so they are very prone to wearing out.
Automobiles like Honda Accords that were built after 2013 and that use MacPherson struts only have two ball and socket joints, which are located at the bottoms of the wheel hubs. That?s because the strut is connected to the upper control arm and the steering mechanism.
What?s the difference between coil springs and leaf springs?Older Honda Accords may have leaf springs, but newer models have coil springs. Coil springs and leaf springs both provide reliable support, but coil springs allow for additional movement of the suspension system. The reason has to do with the geometry: Coil springs are flexible coils that are placed on top of the axles; leaf springs, in contrast, are a series of thinly curved strips that are stacked on top of each other according to length and bolted together at the middle. Coils are simply better at storing and releasing energy.