Please help with suspension replacement.

[DustyCrevice]

Hello all,

I have a 2013 non-PP with 202k miles on it. I got the car in 2018 with about 150k on it and don't really know how it was maintained (but likely significantly better than me.)

About two years ago I had gotten brand new set of tires and they are DESTROYED. In 2022 I replaced a desperately needed front left control arm and outter tierod but that is the extent of the work I've done towards suspension. I am hoping someone can give me suggestions as to which parts I need to order to at least get started. I'm trying to save myself some money I don't have by just blindly sending it into a shop (also would appreciate if anyone knew a reliable shop in NH with familiarity with SHO).

I've used chatgpt a little but figured some of y'all could provide much better input.

Thanks for the time and consideration.

 

[luigisho]

Are you looking at a total overhaul or just front or targeted maintenance? Has something failed?

 

[DustyCrevice]

Are you looking at a total overhaul or just front or targeted maintenance? Has something failed?

Without knowing what the previous owner did I have to assume everything is original (it feels like its falling apart). Nothing has failed but my mechanic had to melt some ish to replace the tierod.

 

[Texas Marauder]

There is no list of parts to just replace. If you don't know what to look for, you need to get someone who does know to inspect it for you.

Tires destroyed in 2 years. How many miles in those 2 years? What kind of wear pattern. You might just need a proper 4 wheel alignment.

 

[DustyCrevice]

There is no list of parts to just replace. If you don't know what to look for, you need to get someone who does know to inspect it for you.

Tires destroyed in 2 years. How many miles in those 2 years? What kind of wear pattern. You might just need a proper 4 wheel alignment.

25k miles on the tires, there is serious cupping. Front left is also literally bald. Before I replaced the control arm I did the previous set of tires had extreme wear in front left tire in similar way.

 

[luigisho]

There is no list of parts to just replace. If you don't know what to look for, you need to get someone who does know to inspect it for you.

Tires destroyed in 2 years. How many miles in those 2 years? What kind of wear pattern. You might just need a proper 4 wheel alignment.

probably a combo. After 12 yrs in the salty roads area most of the rubber and other metal parts are probably due for replacement + alignment

 

[DustyCrevice]

probably a combo. After 12 yrs in the salty roads area most of the rubber and other metal parts are probably due for replacement + alignment

I believe the previous owner kept it in the garage and didn't drive it during winter. I did a fluidfilm undercoat once a few years ago but has at least minor corrosion at this point.

 

[Texas Marauder]

Another way to look at it is that @202K you would probably be better off replacing everything at once. I know that not what you want to hear but, if you replace just a few parts needed now, you'll probably be replacing other parts sooner than later. Good 4 wheel alignments aren't cheap and you'll need one each time you replace a part.

Front suspension: Lower control arms, inner and outer tie rods. Possibly struts, strut mounts and stabilizer end links. Check wheel bearings for noise or roughness.

Rear suspension: Lower control arms, upper control arms, trailing arms, toe links. Possibly shocks and stabilizer end links. Check wheel bearings for noise or roughness.

 

[DustyCrevice]

Another way to look at it is that @202K you would probably be better off replacing everything at once. I know that not what you want to hear but, if you replace just a few parts needed now, you'll probably be replacing other parts sooner than later. Good 4 wheel alignments aren't cheap and you'll need one each time you replace a part.

Front suspension: Lower control arms, inner and outer tie rods. Possibly struts, strut mounts and stabilizer end links. Check wheel bearings for noise or roughness.

Rear suspension: Lower control arms, upper control arms, trailing arms, toe links. Possibly shocks and stabilizer end links. Check wheel bearings for noise or roughness.

Naw this is my expectation, I just want to know what to look for so I can hunt for the parts myself and find the best prices to try and save a little. I'm clearly not exceptionally mechanically inclined lol.

Ty.

 

[Cheesehead]

God bless you for still being in the game at 202K I was about to trade mine in at 115K because I thought it would fall apart let's do this!

 

[Texas Marauder]

Naw this is my expectation, I just want to know what to look for so I can hunt for the parts myself and find the best prices to try and save a little. I'm clearly not exceptionally mechanically inclined lol.

Ty.

Be careful, the best prices aren't always the best parts. Rock Auto would be a good place to start.

 

[DustyCrevice]

God bless you for still being in the game at 202K I was about to trade mine in at 115K because I thought it would fall apart let's do this!

Well, I had to replace the water pump shortly after I got mine. I don't want to jinx you but I learned that is a major legacy issue.

I'm not looking for the "cheapest" parts, just the best price I can find on the best ones but I gotta know the parts to look for first.

I appreciate y'alls help!

 

[luigisho]

Be careful, the best prices aren't always the best parts. Rock Auto would be a good place to start.

This is a great place to look but when I did my complete suspension overhaul way back on my 1990 I got alot of stuff that had pieces missing. Moog bushings with inner and outer and only 1 in the box etc..Had to return ship back and forth and lost alot of time I had carved out. This was back when someone actually answered the phone there. I use it for reference of aftermarket parts and try to get them locally.

 

[Texas Marauder]

This is a great place to look but when I did my complete suspension overhaul way back on my 1990 I got alot of stuff that had pieces missing. Moog bushings with inner and outer and only 1 in the box etc..Had to return ship back and forth and lost alot of time I had carved out. This was back when someone actually answered the phone there. I use it for reference of aftermarket parts and try to get them locally.

My current experiences with Rock Auto have been great. Returning wrong or defective parts is easy with their online system. A fuel pump and sending unit improperly secured in the factory package arrived with a broken sending unit. Easy online return and replace. A damaged torque converter easily returned and replaced. An incorrectly listed part easily returned and refunded.

The worst experience I had was years ago when I had to call and talk to someone. A wrong part in the right box. Finally got that straightened out but, put me off Rock Auto for a while.

 

[Majestic]

This is a great place to look but when I did my complete suspension overhaul way back on my 1990 I got alot of stuff that had pieces missing. Moog bushings with inner and outer and only 1 in the box etc..Had to return ship back and forth and lost alot of time I had carved out. This was back when someone actually answered the phone there. I use it for reference of aftermarket parts and try to get them locally.

Same here. I will NEVER order from Rock Auto again. I'll look up parts there and order from Amazon. RA's return policy and lack of customer service is horrible.

 

[Kevin81]

If you're doing oem, you can do this cheaply, with basic hand tools.

I just did the entire front suspension on my wife's forrester for about 400$, out the door. Lower control arms, tie rods, tie rod ends, new struts, new mounts, etc.

It's usually cheaper to do it in kits.

Are you planning to do your own work? If not, this will cost you 3000$+. If this your daily driver/only vahicle?

 

[DustyCrevice]

If you're doing oem, you can do this cheaply, with basic hand tools.

I just did the entire front suspension on my wife's forrester for about 400$, out the door. Lower control arms, tie rods, tie rod ends, new struts, new mounts, etc.

It's usually cheaper to do it in kits.

Are you planning to do your own work? If not, this will cost you 3000$+. If this your daily driver/only vahicle?

I've never done any work on my own vehicles but if you're saying it can be done with basic tools I'm capable. I was expecting around 2-2.5k which is why I'm trying to save a few hundred buying parts by myself. I know it's not going to be cheap, unfortunately. I wonder if it's worth, I'm honestly not sure the state of corrosion on the vehicle.

It is my daily and only vehicle.

 

[luigisho]

Just a heads up. If you do front struts and keep original springs be very careful. I had a compressed spring slip off the spring compressor on a work bench and it shot across the garage. Could have caused alot of damage if it hit me.

 

[Kevin81]

I've never done any work on my own vehicles but if you're saying it can be done with basic tools I'm capable. I was expecting around 2-2.5k which is why I'm trying to save a few hundred buying parts by myself. I know it's not going to be cheap, unfortunately. I wonder if it's worth, I'm honestly not sure the state of corrosion on the vehicle.

It is my daily and only vehicle.

If it's your only vehicle, then this project won't work.

My first suspension rebuild i did, took me weeks, I'd never done anything beyond an oil change before.

My 2nd, took me 2 weekends, maybe about....6-8 hours total. All hand tools.

The wife's forrester took me about 4-6 hours, total, with power tools.

 

[luigisho]

If it was me and the car was my daily, I would chunk it out with estimated time --and triple that for 1st time learning curve. As long as the awd doesn't want to buck, I would do it a few pieces at a time until finished. Or you could get several days off to tackle this with enough buffer time. Or a combo