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Change rear springs with ADS conversion?

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5K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  carpayment4life 
#1 ·
I have a 2010 Advance with 92k miles and recently swapped the rear ADS shocks for KYB due to the very bouncy ride in comfort mode. Front struts are still ADS. This vehicle is new to me so I don’t know how the ADS shocks performed when new but comfort mode was making me sea sick and sport mode was to harsh for city driving on bad roads.

The ride is much better after replacing the rear shocks but still feels less firm than other vehicles I have owned. It is especially noticable going over speed bumps or dips. It feels like the rear may bottom out. Is this just part of a luxury ride or should we be replacing the rear springs as well as the shocks when doing the conversion?

Has anyone tried this? What are the results?
How hard was the swap? Do you need a spring compressor or does the suspension droop enough with the shock removed?
Are any other parts needed other than the tech springs?

Thanks!
 
#2 ·
No spring compressor is needed.
Buy the OEM front assemblies, for the mdx base 2010.

I got the extended warranty ads shocks and after about 6 months and about 5000 miles I put the non-ads back on. Nothing is wrong with these, they're in storage and I'll see if anyone wants them someday, just not now.

I think that the Comfort setting is the softest ride, the Sport is a little firmer, and the non-ads is the firmest.

Of course, having the ads shocks will give you a better feel when cornering hard, but that's not why I have an suv.
 
#3 ·
The rear spring part numbers are different for ADS vs. non-ADS. For front strut conversion, I have read that reusing the front springs is not recommended due to the softer spring rate used in the ADS struts. Why does the same not apply to the rear springs?
 
#4 ·
The front:
You can not reuse the front assy minus its shock, because the non-ads shock is shaped slightly differently. If you buy the non-ads front assy from a junk yard and later have issues. you can just replace the shock and save about $50, if the upper mounting pad (on the non-ads assy) is not cracked.
On the rear:
The shock is separate, from the spring and mount close to each other. It's okay to keep the ads spring and only buy the KYB shock. There is not much disagreement on using KYB and they are preferred. The OEM shocks are almost twice as much as KYB and Gabriel & Monroe don't last as long. I read somewhere that KYB makes the shocks for Honda/Acura.
 
#6 ·
Sport/Electronic suspension MDX was tuned on the nurburgring, I doubt the springs are softer on the sport vs the regular model, esp considering that the car had to handle well on twisty bits and not flip over
 
#8 ·
I’m not so sure. For me, comfort mode was too bouncy on hilly roads with dips and when driving over speed bumps in parking lots. It would rebound twice before settling. Sport mode was very firm with no bouncing at all. I think the rear ADS shocks were functioning and there were no signs of any leaks when I swapped them for the KYBs.

Could the sport springs be softer to allow for a very soft ride in comfort mode whereas the base/tech model springs might be firmer since the suspension is designed to be between comfort and sport? Cornering probably sets the ADS shocks to be stiffer in either mode to counter act body roll.
 
#9 ·
I think the question is about spring rates like:
2000 Integra LS front = 212 ft/lbs rear = 117 ft/lbs
2001 Integra Type R front = 246 ft/lbs rear = 246 ft/lbs
2006 Civic EX front =175 ft/lbs rear =200 ft/lbs
2008 Civic Si front =200 ft/lbs rear =230 ft/lbs

I don't have the spring rates for the MDX sport nor the MDX Base.
I just have the seat of my pants feel.

My sport shocks were replaced, under an extended warranty, after I converted to the non-ads set up.
I reinstalled the blown ads set up, Acura replaced them, I drove on them for about a year (5000ish miles), then I put the non-ads set up back on.
The best feel of the ads shocks was cornering in Sport mode, otherwise I think that the Sport mode is too soft for me.
The worse mode was Comfort, because it was too bouncy and reminded me of my Grandparents' Buick Century, which almost made me sea sick.
The firmest was the non-ads set up.
Well, I like the non-ads set up enough to store the perfectly good, almost new ads set up in my garage.
 
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