Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Honda Odyssey Alignment Problems

13»

Comments

  • amberdramberdr Member Posts: 7
    Dear jhs24,
    Please let me know if you post a video, I printed the 14 pages of alignment issues to take to my dealer and I'm taking a copy of this pic too, hopefully I'll have better luck.
    thanks so much,
    Amber
  • jhs24jhs24 Member Posts: 22
    edited August 2010
    The following are links to where you can download videos of what I found. I also took a picture of the Honda manual. My van now drives wonderfully. No hard steering, no drifting, no pulling, no memory steer, no sore wrists, and dare I say it a delight to drive (just like my 2005 was). I thought I might have to replace the rack or pump, but the problem was because the struts were aligned with the end of the rubber matched with the spring end instead of matching up the alignment marks on the rubber to the strut plate and strut mount! I have NOT replaced any of the components. I just aligned the strut components like the Honda service manual says (and got another 4 wheel alignment at BigO). If you REALLY wanted to make sure you eliminate any questions, you could put a new strut mount bearing in. I'd use a new Honda one, since the Monroe 905904 bearing and strut mount kit is VERY hard to get (I'm in Utah and the nearest one was in Indiana or Ohio and I checked O'Reilly, Napa, Autozone, and PepBoys) and the Monroe bearing is not nearly as large as the original Honda one and does not have the "L" or "R" alignment marks stamped in it (the stamps aid in alignment). I did NOT replace my strut bearings since I saw no damage and they both turned easily in my hands.

    Picture of page
    Video 1 (5 Megs)
    Video 2 (45 megs)
    Video 3 (15 megs)

    The movies are each slightly different.

    I really hope this helps anyone who is in a similar position. This has frustrated me for the 2 months I've owned this 2007 Odyssey (purchased used from a first owner) and now it's finally solved, at least in my case. I really believe there was an error where someone at a factory was improperly instructed in the assembly and alignment of these strut units. Fortunately, if you know what to look for, it's a very straightforward fix if you have the service manual.
  • jhs24jhs24 Member Posts: 22
    There's more info on the board. Check it out. I think I may have found the problem that post #23 mentioned. It seems to have resolved my pullling problem.
  • jhs24jhs24 Member Posts: 22
    I'm reposting since it looks like my picture was taken off the site. Here's a link to the picture of the strut instead of embedding it.

    Link to the Picture

    The above picture was taken of my LEFT strut off of my 2007 Honda Odyssey right when I took it out.

    The top arrow is pointing is pointing to the correctly aligned strut mount. The next arrow is pointing to the correctly aligned steel spring plate. The next arrow is pointing to the spring rubber mount (which is NOT aligned correctly). The bottom arrow says that all the above marks should be aligned to the middle of the two flanges. To fix this I compressed the spring, took it off, rotated the rubber portion to line up with the other marks, aligned all the marks to match the spaced directly in the middle of the lower bolt flanges, and at the same time made sure the bottom of the spring would sit correctly in the lower portion of the strut.

    I also wiped down all the components and checked the plastic strut bearing for wear (looks like a flat plastic disk, can't see it in the picture).
  • amberdramberdr Member Posts: 7
    thanks so much jhs24, I copied the pic and saved it in my pc. Should be a huge help.
  • wsonnierwsonnier Member Posts: 1
    I am having this memory steer problem on our new 2010 Odyssey.. Have been waiting for the Honda Rep. to call to set up a time to meet.. The car has been back to the dealer 4 times and all they do is check the alignment.. Took it to an independent shop and the tech. said it was memory steer caused by the upper strut bearing binding for some reason.. At least he confirmed that there is a problem.. I wonder if is the same misalignment problem as noted in the previous post.. Now I have to deal with Honda....
  • timfahytimfahy Member Posts: 1
    Thanks for reporting what you have found about the strut assembly issue. After 10 days now I'm curious how the van is driving? Do you believe that you have fixed your problem? I have inspected my strut assembly and the rubber spring bumpers are out of alignment on my van. Just wondering your thoughts after 10 days if you feel I could benefit from aligning my assemblies?

    I also have a 2007 EX-L. I bought it 3 months ago with 16,300miles. I have driven 6,000 miles now and I have never been more disappointed with an automobile purchase in my life. I have memory steer and other issues that cars I have driven well past 200,000 miles never developed. The dealer is useless after 2 trips under warranty. I would sell and cut my losses, but I have already lost thousands just from taxes.
  • jhs24jhs24 Member Posts: 22
    edited August 2010
    The turning is much easier now and I can steer with almost one finger or just rest my hand on the bottom of the wheel when I drive. I like to drive it and no longer avoid/dread driving the van. Before I had to grip the wheel all the time and could never let it go or I'd be in another lane!

    I didn't replace my strut mount bearings when I did the work. I did put a light film white lithium grease on the top and bottom of the flat strut bearings (even though the inside of the flat bearings has the grease) because there was already some on the outside and I had cleaned it off when I took the coil springs off etc. The memory steer is pretty much gone. I'd say 98+% improvement and the other 2% may have been because I may not have gotten the upper rubber exactly lined up and was off by a hair or I'm still hypersensitive to it. I actually like to drive it again and have driven about 150 hundred miles in it. At any rate, I'm going to drive over 3,000 miles in the next 15 days on the highway, so we'll really know how it worked after that. I would have dreaded the 3,000 miles and now I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes. It used to be unbearable and pull REALLY hard and I wanted to get rid of the van. Now I think I'll keep it 10-15 years.

    I'd definitely get the rubber parts put on correctly and then get another 4 wheel alignment (changing the rubber parts to where they should be will change your toe on the front).

    The one component to replace, if you wanted, is the bearing. It ranges in price from $11.00-$20.00 each (you need two) depending on where you get one. Again, mine was ok, but I did it myself and didn't have to pay a shop for my time etc so if mine didn't work out I'd just take it apart myself again. If you have the dealer do it, they should inspect the ones in your van, or you could just ask to see them and see if they turn when you hold it like a pancake and try to spin your hands (they require a little effort to turn even when they are new).

    Here is where I found the part number, but then the dealer would know the part number too. I wouldn't replace just one if you have to. You should do them both.

    http://www.bernardiparts.com/products/51726-SHJ-A52.aspx

    On a side note, there are only a few things can can be the problem with memory steer if it is not the alignment:

    1) The steering rack is defective ($1500+ to have it done at the dealer, can't really do it yourself since you have to support the engine and unbolt the front lower frame sub-assembly, I would only have a dealer do it and not an independent shop) Memory steer is not usually a rack replacement item, but it's not completely outside of the realm of possibility.
    2) The front lower sub assembly is not correctly aligned at factory or damaged in accident
    3) Strut problem as already described
    4) Uneven wear on tires
    5) Dragging caliper (brakes)

    If you have less than 36,000 miles and/or are within the warranty you may want to ask about a rack replacement if they don't want to look at the struts. Strut rubber alignment is cheap, rack is expensive. I had a 2005 Odyssey before and it had a rack and pump replaced in the first 2 years due to hard turning in one direction only, particularly at low speeds. I was not the owner at the time, but I read the service records on it before I purchased it (the 2005 Odyssey).

    Obviously you just dropped 20k-30k on a van and then paid a couple grand on taxes and registration. I did the same and bought from a private party first owner so I knew the van history but really had no one to go to with problems for warranty. I always figure on working on any vehicle I purchase since I'm a do it yourself person and I like to have a vehicle that drives well. I'd insist on getting it right since you've got the van now and it's misery to drive a vehicle that doesn't work within at least 80%-90% of your expectations. The Odyssey is a nice van once you get it how you'd expect it to work (too bad Honda didn't get it right the first time as it would appear). You could also file with nhtsa.gov for a recall/complaint which may get a recall started. I filed one tonight. There is obviously something fishy with the steering if there are this many people talking about it. There are certainly more that are just reading and not posting.

    To file a complaint:
    http://www.nhtsa.gov

    Hope that helps.
  • jmillroodjmillrood Member Posts: 1
    Glad I found this thread, thought it was just me who had this problem..Bought our '10 EX-L back in March. We have roughly 3K miles on it, not much since my wife mainly uses it to haul the kids around town. In almost all respects this has been a great vehicle. However, after taking a couple of longer drives of the freeway I started noticing it pulled to the right. Not just a slight pull, but enough of a pull that it feels like I am constantly having to correct to the left. Called the dealership and they tried to say its a by-product of torque steer common to the Odyssey and Pilot. Not buying it. I've driven plenty of other front wheel drive vehicles and never experienced anything like this, it really feels like something is off in the front suspension. My wife was the one that initially called the dealership, but I'm thinking I'll need to call and then take it in myself. Is there anything else I should have them look at? Thanks.
  • jhs24jhs24 Member Posts: 22
    I don't know what else there is to look at really. It's not torque steer, that only happens when you're giving it some decent acceleration. Also, torque steer is generally to the LEFT on transverse mounted front wheel drive vehicles, at least the ones I've had. Also, I've not had much torque steer at all on my Odyssey and I've gunned it a few times.
  • jhs24jhs24 Member Posts: 22
    Someone asked how my fix has turned out. Here's my reply:

    I just got back from a 2.5 week family vacation. I drove all of the 4,000 miles of it. I was driving for 10 hours on a couple days too. The van is much more sensitive to slants in the road and how evenly it's loaded, but it will go straight if the road is flat. The wheel still turns easily, but it seems to turn ever so slightly more easily left. All my tires are properly inflated as I had checked them. Wear seems to look ok as well as there are not any noticeable problems. In my case, I think the problem appeared to be solved sufficiently at the present as I just drove 650 miles today and 500+ yesterday and I seemed to do ok on wrists, gripping, etc. It still isn't quite as easy as driving some other cars, but it's 98% there, which is good enough for me.

    On a side note, the 2007 EXL seems to get 24 mpg on the freeway, but my 2005 got 27-28 on the freeway which is puzzling. I know they put a different transmission in the Odyssey in 2006 or 2007 (I don't know when). It also likes to keep the engine at very low RPMs and wait for it to ping a little before downshifting. It also likes to jump between 1200 to 1500 rpm at 45mph for some strange reason. I'm going to investigate that as well.
  • john_clarkjohn_clark Member Posts: 5
    Wow! This thread has been extremely helpful. Thanks for the great pics and videos!

    I have a 2008 Odyssey which has a slightly different strut assembly but does this same strange pulling, mostly right but occasionally left, that many have described here. The upper spring seat is different and it doesn't really seem possible to get it misaligned as in the pic above.

    My question is, and I haven't fully disassembled the strut yet, but I removed the 3 bolts on the top and lowered the strut down enough to turn the upper mount. When I turn it by hand It feels very stiff. How hard should it be to turn this mount? I've disassembled struts on older cars before and don't remember them being so stiff. When the strut is fully assembled on the car I can move the wheel/knuckle assembly about 5 degrees or so in either direction and the upper mount doesn't actually move. It just twists the strut and spring. After about 5 degrees or so then it begins to move on the bearing in the upper mount.

    For someone who has had these apart already, how easily should that bearing turn when the strut is assembled? The service manual doesn't specify. My plan is to order new bearings but was hoping to get some feedback from someone in this thread before I go to the trouble to completely tear it down.

    Thanks in advance,
    John
  • jhs24jhs24 Member Posts: 22
    The strut assy is slightly different from year to year as Honda changed the stiffness of the ride. I had a 2005 and now I have a 2007. They were assembled the same, but had different model numbers. If you know how to take them apart, I would HIGHLY suggest you invest in the 2008 Honda Service Manual (the big thick books) and make sure the assembly is put together correctly first. I'm willing to bet you can do it yourself. However, you can't just go buy any bearings, you have to get Honda ones or they won't fit the same. I tracked down aftermarket and they had much less surface area to distribute the load and were not quite matched to the Honda equipment, so I returned them. I bought them just in case I needed them before I took my strut assemblies apart.

    When I took mine apart I looked that all the parts, including upper strut mount bearing very carefully. If they your not damaged, I'd clean them off with a paper towel along with their mating surfaces, then put a healthy amount of while lithium grease or wheel bearing grease on them according to what it looks like was on them at disassembly.

    You will need to have a 4 wheel alignment after it's all together again and those run about $80, so you don't want to do this twice as it get's expensive and it's a lot of work to pull all that stuff apart even once. It's worth it if you get it fixed though. I tell my wife quite frequently that the van is a joy to drive again and it's still been 4 months since the fix.

    Hope this helps.
  • john_clarkjohn_clark Member Posts: 5
    I get all that. I can see up inside and see that the rubber is where it is supposed to be. The 2008 is different and you can't get it 90 degrees off like the 2007 youhave. I'm just wondering how stiff that upper mount was to turn when you pulled the strut out. Mine seem very stiff....almost too stiff. Were yours that stiff to turn when the strut was pulled out
  • jhs24jhs24 Member Posts: 22
    It was a little stiff, but I could turn it with my hands with some effort. The rubber being off by 90 deg has some impact on stiffness of turning if it's off because you end up compressing the spring as you turn the strut mount because the rubber needs to be matched to the angle of the spring end. If the angles are not correct, it will turn harder in one direction as the spring gets compressed when you turn the strut in one direction and it's expanding in the the other direction, but I wouldn't think you'd feel that as much if it's not under the vehicle load....again, my strut assy turned by hand with some effort while it was put together. My opinion is that there wasn't enough lube on my bearing plate (it was internally lubed and not something I could take apart, but it was plastic and I could tell it had needle bearings or something similar inside). I decided to put a clean all the mating surfaces on the outside and put a small amount of lithium grease on it since I could tell there was some on the outside when took it off, but it was dirty.

    I just checked Bernardi Honda's web site and that new strut assy is very different from mine. Don't know if I'd be much help there. Did you buy the factory service manual? Looks like it's about $100 on ebay. My factory manual is only for 2007 or else I'd scan and post the strut part for you.
  • marieppiemarieppie Member Posts: 3
    Everyone having this problem, PLEASE take a minute to file a complaint with the link title I've had our van in 4 times. They've switched tire positions, done the alignment, and replaced the tires, all to no avail. The thing still pulls and my warranty will be up soon and then we can't afford to take it in over and over again to figure this out. Every time we look over our shoulder to change lanes, keeping the car straight is a challenge. Driving is tiresome. Loose focus for just an instant, and you could be on the lane line. REPORT THIS!
  • marieppiemarieppie Member Posts: 3
    Just got back from the dealer for the 5th time for this problem. They say that if it takes more than 6 seconds to drift into the next lane, it is acceptable. !!!! No kidding. Honda Corporation says a 7 second maximum drift from one lane to another is allowed. Let's not even take into consideration that this will vary based on speed or road conditions. IME, it does it in 6 seconds quite frequently, but of course, they could not reproduce it in under 7.

    I've NEVER had ANY POS make of vehicle do this but HONDA finds it acceptable? Never will buy a Honda again. EVER!
  • jhs24jhs24 Member Posts: 22
    edited November 2010
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bRfrFzS2-U

    I'd had this problem and took 3 videos and posted them on the internet on youtube and in this forum. I successfully fixed mine. A 7 second drift is only an excuse to categorize a problem. We all know when a car doesn't feel right, but that's not quantifiable in a technical bulletin or warranty issue. It's not any of the things your dealer checked or it would be resolved. The struts and the springs were not assembled correctly on my 2007. I had a 2005 and it was fine. My 2007 was acting like a car that had a mind of it's own. I fixed mine after digging on this forum and it's a dream to drive again. Before I fixed it I would have traded it for ANYTHING else to drive because of how it pulled. Look at my previous posts. I've detailed the whole thing on how I fixed it according to Honda's own technical service manual for the 2007 on the front suspension. The old saying goes "if you've tried everything and it's not fixed, then you haven't tried everything". Obviously the dealer has not correctly identified the cause yet or you wouldn't be on the internet looking for the solution. Read my old posts and you'll see how to check your spring rotation as it's assembled on the strut without taking them off the car. This will tell you if you have the same problem I had.

    Jack
  • amberdramberdr Member Posts: 7
    marieppie - on your post it says "link title", I clicked on it but couldn't find where I could file a complaint, possibly it's automatically changed for safety reasons. I'd love to file a complaint, since the link isn't working for me will you let me know where you filed one and I'll do that rather than trying to use a link.
    appreciate your help,
    thanks so much
  • bonzyferbonzyfer Member Posts: 2
    Would you be willing to scan in an post the applicable pages from the service manual as they relate to the correct alignment of the struts?
  • bonzyferbonzyfer Member Posts: 2
    I just filed a complaint - it took 4 minutes. There are a few posted. But WE NEED more for recognition of this issue. Here is the direct link to the online complaint page.

    https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/online.cfm
  • marieppiemarieppie Member Posts: 3
    jhs, we showed them your post and fix and they say the struts are fine. They have finally acknowledged a grinding noise as both CV Joints needing replacement AND the steering column needing lubed AND they found the steering column not lined up and fixed that but it STILL pulls. They don't know what else to do, though. I'm going to ask them about the steering rack and calipers when we take it back in. Having only one vehicle makes it difficult to leave it with them; I've got kids, but the warranty is almost up.
  • jhs24jhs24 Member Posts: 22
    edited November 2010
    Wow, that's a lot of things that have gone wrong. I've never heard of both CV joints going so early. Usually they have to have torn CV boots to go.....and then they have loud clicking when you turn, but I've not heard of pulling from CV joints. Never heard of steering column out of place before. Calipers not releasing is possible, but not really common unless you've burnt up the brakes a time or two instead of downshifting. Steering rack is all that is left if they say your struts are lined up....unless your subframe is not straight. If you bought it new and have never been in an accident then that should not be the case.

    I always resort to "If the problem still persists then whatever was fixed, no matter how good the effort was, was not what is causing the problem."

    The dealership may really give an honest effort, but if they haven't fixed it, they haven't fixed it. Just be polite and keep repeating "I'm sorry about being a bother to you, but it still pulls. What can you do to fix this before the warranty expires? Will you fix this before the warranty expires? I can't keep a car that does this." If they say they can't do anything, then ask "why not?" Keep asking "Why or Why not" until you get to the root cause. If may end up in corporate Honda's lap, but don't ever threaten to go there because all negotiations are dead if you make threats. It's much easier to get it done if you can swing the dealer to your side. Perhaps a well worded "how can you fix this steering problem for me before my warranty expires?" would be in order while telling them you're not trying to make problems, just trying to get a car that works. Maybe you could offer to help with whatever paperwork you need to fill out to vouch to the warranty department at Honda that your van is not right to help the dealership get reimbursed etc. That may let them know you want to work with them.

    Jack
  • jhs24jhs24 Member Posts: 22
    edited November 2010
    The link is in message #105 for a picture of the page from my manual. It was dead for a while as the file was moved on my computer. The link is working again. I hope it helps. In my opinion, the page in the book needs to be seen while looking at the videos to understand what the page is trying to convey for alignment. I can see someone mistakenly reading it incorrectly and actually putting the spring in wrong, but thinking they did it right (which is how I think mine was incorrectly assembled was from the factory). There's a night a day difference to how my van follows the road after doing it by the book.

    As a side note, spring compressors are really dangerous and you have to be REALLY careful. If you've done it before then you already know what I'm talking about, but I can't stress enough to the first time DIY'er to have someone around who has done it before to keep an eye out. Safety first.
  • jeepin93jeepin93 Member Posts: 2
    I had the memory steer problem on my 2007 odyssey. I removed the strut assembly and cleaned, lubed and reinstalled the strut bearings aligning the assembly marks. Then put the van back on the alignment rack to set the tow. This didn't solve my problem until I replaced the strut bearings. For approximately $20.00 per bearing I recommend replacing the bearings at the time of working on the strut assembly. Instead of the white lithium grease might I suggest bearing grease. This worked for me and was what the Honda techs recommended when I spoke with them. These are just my thoughts and what worked for me. Good luck to all with this problem.
  • john_clarkjohn_clark Member Posts: 5
    edited January 2011
    I purchased all the parts that install above the springs for my 08 Odyssey (I hate getting into a job and not having everything I need) and have them all sitting here. I haven't yet replaced anything but I've noticed a couple things so far. The 07 and 08 assemblies are quite a bit different. It looks to me like the 07 and older struts are able to be assembled incorrectly as others here have noted. The upper spring seats are different and the 07 spring seat has to be lined up correctly with the spring mount rubber and the spring during installation. The 08 spring seat is not directional. Also, the spring mount rubber and the dust cover are separate on the 07 and one piece on the 08. The one piece rubber mount/dust cover can't really be installed incorrectly. The the end of the spring should butt up against the spring mount rubber and then the lower spring mount rubber looks like it only goes in one way with the spring and seat, as well.

    Before ordering parts I did notice that when I turned the wheel that the strut did not turn on the bearing until about 5-10 degrees of turn. Instead it just twisted the spring. So, as I mentioned in my first post above, I unbolted the three bolts that hold the strut in place under the hood and lowered the assembly down. When I tried to turn the mount it was very stiff and quite difficult to turn. So, in my case, it appears that the original strut bearing is so tight that the top of the strut doesn't turn on the bearing until the twisting tension in the spring gets to a certain point. I believe this is what is causing the "memory steer" on the 08 (and maybe other) models. If there is twisting tension in the spring after you make a right or left turn then the springs are going to tend to push the wheels back the other way. This is why the vehicle pulls right after a right turn and left after a left turn.

    I will post again after I get these parts replaced (hoping for this weekend) but having played with all the new parts together on the bench this is my take on the "memory steer." The bearings in the 07 and the 08 are the same part numbers and they seem to just be some kind of plastic bearing--not real impressive. My Odyssey has done this since the day I bought it but I don't drive it that much and let the warranty expire before doing anything about it. I have about 45k miles on it.

    One last note...I've read through the OEM maintenance manual for this several times and it doesn't talk about adding any grease anywhere to any of these strut parts/bearings. Where are you all adding the grease? I don't see anywhere I would want to add grease. The bearing should turn internally when assembled so it seems to me grease shouldn't be necessary. I have noted a small amount of white grease seeping out of the center of the new bearings though. Maybe this is what is being referred to? That seeping would end up on the raised center portion of the steel spring seat but, again, I wouldn't think that shouldn't need any grease.

    --Edit: I read up again where you said you found the grease. I have to believe that grease just ended up there from seeping from the center of the bearing. I'm just not sure how grease would help in that area. If grease helps it means the bearing is not turning and the plastic is just rubbing on the steel. Just my $.02.

    ~John
  • jhs24jhs24 Member Posts: 22
    edited January 2011
    What you say makes perfect sense to me. When I took my 07 apart I thought it interesting to have grease outside of the bearing on plastic plates...but then again the bearing had a plastic housing as well. My bearings were not free spinning when out of the assembly and were slightly stiff so I figured the grease inside was making them stiff. Again, I attributed the lion's share of my steering pull to the rubber mount being incorrectly rotated, but there may also be something going on with my bearings that was somewhat bypassed by the grease on the outside. Since nothing was cracked on the bearings, I figured as long as the plastic parts are clean and have grease, it doesn't hurt and I just put grease on them again. As per a previous post on white lithium vs. wheel bearing grease, I agree that wheel bearing would be ok as well. It's just been a few years since I've seen white wheel bearing grease and I currently have red wheel bearing grease so it didn't dawn on me to use it.

    I find it very interesting that the upper bearing didn't move until the spring had enough torsion in it. What was described makes perfect sense.

    Thanks for taking the time to share all about it. It's nice to know there are other DIY'ers out there. I may yet have my strut assemblies out in a year or two to replace the bearings if anything starts to act up.

    Jack
  • john_clarkjohn_clark Member Posts: 5
    edited January 2011
    Well, I dug into one of these today. Again, I'm describing the 08 here and it's much different than the 07. I started on the left/driver's side. It seemed to be the worst.

    When I removed the strut I found the top mounting rubber very difficult to turn. When I got it apart I found a bearing that was quite a bit stiffer than the new one. I replaced the rubber dust cover which is also the upper rubber spring seat. If anyone decides to do this to their 08 I recommend replacing the bearing, the rubber dust cover/upper rubber spring seat and the lower rubber spring seat. I didn't replace my lower spring rubber mount but when I disassembled it I did find a very small hole in the bottom of it where the end of the spring had worn it through.

    On the 08 for reassembly the manual describes lining up the upper mount with the three studs in it with the damper bracket at the bottom of the strut. I don't quite understand as that is the piece that turns when assembled. What it doesn't mention is the "R" on the rubber dust cover/upper rubber spring seat like it does for the 07. However, I assumed that is supposed to line up as well. Really it can only go together one way and when I assembled it they wouldn't quite line up. The bottom of the spring and rubber seat only goes in one spot. The upper rubber spring seat also only goes in one spot on the spring. The only way I could get the upper rubber seat to line up with the bottom was to twist hard on the spring when releasing the spring compressor and I managed to get the R on the upper rubber piece to pretty much line up with the lower bracket.

    When I finally got it all back together I found the upper mount was still quite difficult to turn on that bearing but not as bad as before. The spring puts a lot of pressure on the shock and makes it quite difficult to turn. However, when I put it back on the car I noticed that it requires significantly less torsion on the spring before it turns at the top. I do see a slight amount of twisting in the spring but it's much less than before. I took the car for a spin and am happy to report that the "pull right after a right turn and pull left after a left turn" is gone!! Yay!!

    Thanks to everyone here for getting me on the right track with this. I've had lots of struts off cars (I seldom ever disassemble them though) but never have I felt such stiffness on these upper bearing assemblies. It's possible that once there is some weight on the strut spring and the shock absorber isn't being pushed up against its internal stop with all the pressure of the spring, that the top plate will turn easier on the bearing. That may be why it works fine on the car. Still, I think the plastic bearings are cheesy and don't look like a good design to me. Honda could have engineered this better for what I paid for this van.

    Again, to sum up...For anyone having the issue of pulling right after a right turn and pulling left after a left turn, I recommend replacing these bearings and upper and lower rubber seats. It worked for me. I don't think I'm going to worry about an alignment at this point since there is no adjustment in any of the components I removed. The two bolts that hold the knuckle to the strut really have no adjustment, nor do the upper three bolts. Since it now tracks perfectly straight down the road I'll just wait until the next tire change to have a routine alignment check.

    ~John

    2008 Odyssey Touring
  • jeepin93jeepin93 Member Posts: 2
    I think your take on the situation is correct. I am talking about the twisting tension on the springs. I agree that the plastic bearing is a "cheesy" set up by Honda. I have seen a lot of bearings in my time but this one takes the cake. The only thing I can think of is between the road grime and the grease between the plastic plates getting old causes the bearing to get stiff and not turn freely. As I stated before I removed, cleaned, greased and reinstalled the old bearings and was not successful in solving the problem until I replaced the bearings with new ones, even though there was no visible damage at all to the old ones.
  • john_clarkjohn_clark Member Posts: 5
    All I know is that before I replaced them there was quite a bit of twisting (torsion) occurring on the springs. After replacing the bearing and working to get the upper rubber seat lined up with the lower bracket I don't have near the torsion occurring anymore. The old bearing was definitely stiffer than the new one. I would love to see an aftermarket bearing and see if maybe it would actually work better. I doubt it could work worse. Someone mentioned the surface area of the aftermarket was less but, really, I don't think that would matter that much. It just needs a better designed bearing.

    ~John
  • satishksatishk Member Posts: 1
    Hi,

    Today I have gone there to go look for new Civic, The response from the sales rep was to bad, the time we meet him do sent even care to show the vehicle, The sales rep was in way that when we meet him he was looking in a such a way that when would we leave the showroom. On the same day i have gone to another honda dealer, where he has take full care of us and got a good deal. I only want say go for Honda but never go to this dealer.
  • jjlove74jjlove74 Member Posts: 1
    I dont see in the picture of the service manual where it says to line every thing up with the center of the bolt flanges at the bottom. I am having the same issue, pulls hard to the right after a right hand turn, will correct itself after a left hand turn somewhat, or if you jerk the wheel to the left really hard, and sometimes pulls to the left but never as hard as it pulls to the right. My first guess was a problem in the steering hydraulics, seems like a sticking valve or something. Im having a hard time figuring out why a misaligned strut assembly would cause this. what does misaligning the assembly do? does it cause the spring to be more or less compressed? and if so why wouldnt the problem be consistent.
  • jhs24jhs24 Member Posts: 22
    edited May 2012
    Look at post #105 (August 8, 2010). I've got a link to the picture of the page there. I have the 2007 Honda Odyssey Service Manual (the official factory one from Honda with a blue cover). It's two volumes. This is in the second volume. The page I took a picture of is 18-28. My van is a 2007. It's been fine ever since I made the repair and that's almost 2 years ago.

    Jack
Sign In or Register to comment.