You're cruising down the road in your 5th gen, listening to VTEC sing, and all is right with the world. Suddenly the peace is shattered, you hit a minor bump just the wrong way and you hear it, the dreaded "shock knock". The moment isn't quite ruined but the mood is lost....
If this sounds like you chances are you've tried Matt Hyder's shock knock washer fix at
http://www.prelude.clara.net/prelshok.htm . Maybe it worked for you, maybe not. Honda acknowledged the problem in TSB 99-084 which called for some pretty drastic measures to fix it, and in November of 2000 released an updated TSB 00-090 which replaces 99-084. This new TSB calls for the simple replacement of two steel collars which sit around the shock shafts in the rear suspension.
Disclaimer
I take no responsibility if you destroy your car or stab yourself with a screwdriver. If you have any concerns about what you see here, just take your car to Honda as they should do the repair under warranty. I'd rate this as a 2.5 on a difficulty scale of 1-10, 1 being an oil change and 10 an engine rebuild.
I should also mention that I STILL have some knock even after doing this but it is definitely better than before (and better than having the washers installed). Matt was on the right track with the washer fix though, as you will see. For me the next step will be to install some firmer bushings if I can find them.
On To The Procedure
What You'll Need
* (2) Honda part# 52728-S30-004, replacement collars
* Flat head screwdriver
* Pair of channel locks/pliers
* Silicone (or equivalent) lube, preferably aerosol
* Metric allen wrench set
* 14mm box wrench
* Band-aids (for skinned knuckles)
I got the collars from
http://www.handa-accessories.com. They're about $4.50 each and Trevor was nice enough to add them to the "Maintenance" section of their www page so you can order them online.
Step 1
Take the light bulb out of your trunk light and remove all the trunk trim, jack, etc. You can leave the spare. I'm not going into detail here and if you have any problems this early in the game you should probably just take your car to the dealer.
Step 2
Pick a side to do first. Looking at the shock mount, you should see something like this (you can't see the collar yet):
Notice I already have washers installed per Matt's fix.
Step 3
Using your hex set and 14mm wrench, remove the top locknut like so:
You'll need to hold the shaft still with the hex set while you loosen the locknut as the shaft will rotate otherwise. Put the locknut and top plate aside.
Step 4
Pry out the upper bushing. Carefully work your screwdriver around, prying from several angles carefully until it pops out:
You should now see something like this:
The collar is that brassy-looking steel piece around the shaft.
Step 5
Remove the collar, pulling it straight up with your channel locks/pliers. Get a good grip on it and just wiggle it out. Nothing is holding it in place except the lower bushing which is gripping it.
Now that the old collar is out let's compare the old with the new. They both have the same OD (14mm). The ID is also the same (10mm), but the new collar is 2mm shorter than the old one, 39mm vs 41mm:
If you visualize everything put back together with the new collars, you will see that by installing them you will be allowing the top plate to come down further before it contacts the top of the collar, compressing the top bushing further than with the stock collar length.
Step 6
Lube the new collar up on the outside (spray some lube down the shock shaft for good measure) and install the new collar. Just put it over the shock shaft and push down on it with hands/screwdriver/etc. You may find that the shock shaft is now off-center in the hole in the lower bushing. If this is the case you will have to put some lateral pressure on the shock shaft to center it better while you push down on the collar to get it seated. When you are successful it should look something like this:
Step 7
Lube the edge and inside of the upper bushing and replace it over the old collar. Reinstall the top plate and locknut, remembering to hold the shaft in place with the hex wrench while you tighten down the nut. I believe this is supposed to be torqued down to ~25ft/lbs but I had no way of doing this due to the need to hold the shock shaft with the allen wrench. Just tighten it down good, not too tight (don't strip anything).
Step 8
Do the other side (rinse, lather, repeat....)
Step 9
When you're all done with both sides reinstall the trunk light bulb and all trim pieces.
Drive around and be sure to hit a few bumps. Hopefully your knock is now gone, or at least greatly reduced.
Good luck!
KrautLude
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