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Rear Suspension Acura TSX I

Wheel Hubs 34 illustrations ~2394 words

Scheme 1

Scheme 1: Exploded View
Scheme 1: Exploded View

Special Tools Required

Ball joint remover, 28 mm 07MAC-SL0A202

Scheme 2

Scheme 2: Hub Bearing Unit Replacement
Scheme 2: Hub Bearing Unit Replacement

Scheme 3

Scheme 3
Scheme 3

Scheme 4

Scheme 4
Scheme 4

Scheme 5

Scheme 5
Scheme 5
  1. Raise the rear of the vehicle, and support it with safety stands in the proper locations (see «LIFT AND SUPPORT POINTS»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#general-information__lift-and-support-points) ).
  2. Remove the wheel nuts, and rear wheel.
  3. Remove the brake hose mounting bracket (A).
  4. Remove the brake caliper bracket mounting bolts (B), then remove the caliper assembly (C) from the knuckle. To prevent damage to the caliper assembly or brake hose, use a short piece of wire to hang the caliper assembly from the undercarriage. Do not twist the brake hose excessively.
  5. Remove the two washers (A).
  6. Remove the brake disc (see «REAR BRAKE DISC REPLACEMENT»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/mechanical-hydraulic/#conventional-brake-components__rear-brake-disc-replacement) ).
  7. Remove the hub bearing unit (A) and O-ring (B).
  8. Check the hub bearing unit for damage and cracks.
  9. Install the hub bearing unit in the reverse order of removal, and note these items: Use a new O-ring on reassembly. Before installing the brake disc, clean the mating surfaces of the hub bearing unit and brake disc. Before installing the wheel, clean the mating surfaces of the brake disc and the inside of the wheel. Check the wheel alignment, and adjust it if necessary (see «WHEEL ALIGNMENT»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/wheel-alignment/#front-suspension-and-rear-suspension-alignment__wheel-alignment) ).

Scheme 6

Scheme 6: Knuckle Replacement
Scheme 6: Knuckle Replacement

Scheme 7

Scheme 7
Scheme 7

Scheme 8

Scheme 8
Scheme 8

Scheme 9

Scheme 9
Scheme 9

Scheme 10

Scheme 10
Scheme 10

Scheme 11

Scheme 11
Scheme 11

Scheme 12

Scheme 12
Scheme 12

Scheme 13

Scheme 13
Scheme 13
  1. Remove the hub bearing unit.
  2. Remove the splash guard (A).
  3. Remove the lock pin (A) from the upper arm ball joint, then remove the castle nut (B). NOTE: During installation, install the lock pin as shown after tightening the new nut.
  4. Disconnect the upper arm ball joint from the knuckle using the ball joint remover (see «BALL JOINT REMOVAL»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/wheel-alignment/#front-suspension-and-rear-suspension-alignment__ball-joint-removal) ).
  5. Remove the flange nut (A) while holding the joint pin (B) with a hex wrench (C), and disconnect the stabilizer link (D) from the stabilizer link bracket (E). NOTE: Use a new flange nut on reassembly.
  6. Remove the damper lower mounting bolt (F), and disconnect the damper from the knuckle. NOTE: Use a new mounting bolt on reassembly.
  7. Remove the wheel sensor (A) from the knuckle. Do not disconnect the wheel sensor connector.
  8. Remove the stabilizer link bracket (B) from the knuckle. NOTE: Use a new bolt on reassembly.
  9. Remove the leading arm mounting bolt (A) from the knuckle. NOTE: Use a new mounting bolt on reassembly.
  10. Remove the control arm mounting nut (A) and washer (B). NOTE: Use a new mounting nut on reassembly.
  11. Remove the trailing arm mounting bolt (A) from the knuckle. NOTE: Use a new mounting bolt on reassembly.
  12. Remove the lower arm mounting bolt (A), and remove the knuckle (B). NOTE: Use a new mounting bolt and a new nut on reassembly.
  13. Install the knuckle in the reverse order of removal, and note these items: First install all of the components, and lightly tighten the bolts and nuts, then raise the suspension to load it with the vehicle's weight before fully tightening to the specified torque values. Be careful not to damage the ball joint boot when connecting the knuckle. Torque the castle nut to the lower torque specification, then tighten it only far enough to align the slot with the ball joint pin hole. Do not align the castle nut by loosening it. Before installing the wheel, clean the mating surfaces on the brake disc and the inside of the wheel. Check the wheel alignment, and adjust it if necessary (see «WHEEL ALIGNMENT»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/wheel-alignment/#front-suspension-and-rear-suspension-alignment__wheel-alignment) ).

Upper Arm Removal/Installation

Special Tools Required

Ball joint remover, 28 mm 07MAC-SL0A202

Scheme 14

Scheme 14: Upper Arm Removal/Installation
Scheme 14: Upper Arm Removal/Installation

Scheme 15

Scheme 15
Scheme 15

Scheme 16

Scheme 16
Scheme 16
  1. Raise the rear of the vehicle, and support it with safety stands in the proper locations (see «LIFT AND SUPPORT POINTS»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#general-information__lift-and-support-points) ).
  2. Remove the rear wheel.
  3. Remove the lock pin (A) from the upper arm ball joint, then remove the castle nut (B). NOTE: During installation, install the lock pin as shown after tightening the new nut.
  4. Disconnect the upper arm ball joint from the knuckle using the ball joint remover (see «BALL JOINT REMOVAL»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/wheel-alignment/#front-suspension-and-rear-suspension-alignment__ball-joint-removal) ).
  5. Remove the brake hose mounting bracket (A). Do not disconnect the brake line.
  6. Remove the wheel sensor harness mounting bracket (B).
  7. Remove the mounting bolt (A), and remove the upper arm (B). NOTE: Use a new mounting bolt on reassembly.
  8. Install the upper arm in the reverse order of removal, and note these items; First install all of the components, and lightly tighten the bolts and nuts, then raise the suspension to load it with the vehicle's weight before fully tightening to the specified torque values. Be careful not to damage the ball joint boot when connecting the knuckle. Torque the castle nut to the lower torque specification, then tighten it only far enough to align the slot with the ball joint pin hole. Do not align the castle nut by loosening it. Before installing the wheel, clean the mating surfaces on the brake disc and the inside of the wheel. Check the wheel alignment, and adjust it if necessary (see «WHEEL ALIGNMENT»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/wheel-alignment/#front-suspension-and-rear-suspension-alignment__wheel-alignment) ).

Scheme 17

Scheme 17: Lower Arm Replacement
Scheme 17: Lower Arm Replacement
  1. Raise the rear of the vehicle, and support it with safety stands in the proper locations (see «LIFT AND SUPPORT POINTS»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#general-information__lift-and-support-points) ).
  2. Remove the rear wheel.
  3. Remove the lower arm mounting nut (A) and mounting bolt (B) from the knuckle side.
  4. Remove the flange bolt (C), and remove the lower arm (D).
  5. Install the lower arm in the reverse order of removal, and note these items: First install all of the components, and lightly tighten the bolts and nuts, then raise the suspension to load it with the vehicle's weight before fully tightening to the specified torque values. Use new mounting bolts and new mounting nut on reassembly. Before installing the wheel, clean the mating surfaces on the brake disc and the inside of the wheel. Check the wheel alignment, and adjust it if necessary (see «WHEEL ALIGNMENT»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/wheel-alignment/#front-suspension-and-rear-suspension-alignment__wheel-alignment) ).

Scheme 18

Scheme 18: Control Arm Replacement
Scheme 18: Control Arm Replacement
  1. Raise the rear of the vehicle, and support it with safety stands in the proper locations (see «LIFT AND SUPPORT POINTS»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#general-information__lift-and-support-points) ).
  2. Remove the rear wheel.
  3. Remove the control arm mounting nut (A) and washer (B) from the knuckle side.
  4. Mark the cam positions of the adjusting bolt (C) and adjusting cam plate (D), then remove the self-locking nut (E), adjusting cam plate, and adjusting bolt. Discard the self-locking nut and control arm mounting nut.
  5. Remove the control arm (F).
  6. Install the control arm in the reverse order of removal, and note these items: First install all of the components, and lightly tighten the bolts and nuts, then raise the suspension to load it with the vehicle's weight before fully tightening to the specified torque values. Align the cam positions of the adjusting bolt and the adjusting cam plate with the marked positions when tightening. Use a new self-locking nut, new adjusting bolt, and new mounting nut on reassembly. Before installing the wheel, clean the mating surfaces on the brake disc and the inside of the wheel. Check the wheel alignment, and adjust it if necessary (see «WHEEL ALIGNMENT»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/wheel-alignment/#front-suspension-and-rear-suspension-alignment__wheel-alignment) ).

Scheme 19

Scheme 19: Trailing Arm Removal/Installation
Scheme 19: Trailing Arm Removal/Installation
  1. Raise the rear of the vehicle, and support it with safety stands in the proper locations (see «LIFT AND SUPPORT POINTS»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#general-information__lift-and-support-points) ).
  2. Remove the rear wheel.
  3. Remove the parking brake cable bracket (A) from the trailing arm (B).
  4. Remove the mounting bolts (C), and remove the trailing arm.
  5. Install the trailing arm in the reverse order of removal, and note these items: First install all of the components, and lightly tighten the bolts and nuts, then raise the suspension to load it with the vehicle's weight before fully tightening to the specified torque values. Use new trailing arm mounting bolts on reassembly. Before installing the wheel, clean the mating surfaces on the brake disc and the inside of the wheel. Cheek the wheel alignment, and adjusting it if necessary (see «WHEEL ALIGNMENT»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/wheel-alignment/#front-suspension-and-rear-suspension-alignment__wheel-alignment) ).

Scheme 20

Scheme 20: Leading Arm Replacement
Scheme 20: Leading Arm Replacement
  1. Raise the rear of the vehicle, and support it with safety stands in the proper locations (see «LIFT AND SUPPORT POINTS»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#general-information__lift-and-support-points) ).
  2. Remove the rear wheel.
  3. Remove the mounting bolts, and remove the leading arm (A).
  4. Install the leading arm in the reverse order of removal, and note these items: First install all of the components, and lightly tighten the bolts and nuts, then raise the suspension to load it with the vehicle's weight before fully tightening to the specified torque values. Use new mounting bolts on reassembly. Before installing the wheel, clean the mating surfaces on the brake disc and the inside of the wheel. Check the wheel alignment, and adjust it if necessary (see «WHEEL ALIGNMENT»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/wheel-alignment/#front-suspension-and-rear-suspension-alignment__wheel-alignment) ).

Scheme 21

Scheme 21: Stabilizer Link Removal/Installation
Scheme 21: Stabilizer Link Removal/Installation

Scheme 22

Scheme 22
Scheme 22

Scheme 23

Scheme 23
Scheme 23
  1. Raise the rear of the vehicle, and support it with safety stands in the proper locations (see «LIFT AND SUPPORT POINTS»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#general-information__lift-and-support-points) ).
  2. Remove the rear wheel.
  3. Remove the self-locking nut (A) and flange nut (B) while holding the respective joint pin (C) with a hex wrench (D), and remove the stabilizer link (E).
  4. Install the stabilizer link (A) on the stabilizer bar (B) and stabilizer link bracket (C) with the joint pins set at the center of their range of the movement. NOTE: The left stabilizer link has a white paint mark (D), while the right stabilizer link has a yellow paint mark.
  5. Install a new self-locking nut and a new flange nut, and lightly tighten them.
  6. Place a jack under the knuckle, and raise the suspension to load it with the vehicle's weight.
  7. Tighten the self-locking nut (A) and flange nut (B) to the specified torque values while holding the respective joint pin (C) with a hex wrench (D).
  8. Clean the mating surfaces of the brake disc and the inside of the wheel, then install the rear wheel, and test-drive the vehicle.
  9. After 5 minutes of driving, tighten the self-locking nut again to the specified torque value.

Scheme 24

Scheme 24: Stabilizer Bar Replacement
Scheme 24: Stabilizer Bar Replacement

Scheme 25

Scheme 25
Scheme 25
  1. Raise the rear of the vehicle, and support it with safety stands in the proper locations (see «LIFT AND SUPPORT POINTS»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#general-information__lift-and-support-points) ).
  2. Remove the rear wheels.
  3. Disconnect the stabilizer links from the stabilizer bar (A) on the right and left (see «STABILIZER LINK REMOVAL/INSTALLATION»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/wheel-hubs/#rear-suspension) ).
  4. Remove the flange bolts and the bushing holders (B), then remove the bushings (C) and the stabilizer bar.
  5. Install the stabilizer bar in the reverse order of removal, and note these items: Make sure the right and left ends of the stabilizer bar are installed on their respective sides of the vehicle. Align the ends of the paint marks (A) on the stabilizer bar with the bushings (B). Note the direction of the bushings. Refer to stabilizer link replacement to connect the stabilizer to the links (see «STABILIZER LINK REMOVAL/INSTALLATION»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/wheel-hubs/#rear-suspension) ). Before installing the wheel, clean the mating surfaces of the brake disc and the inside of the wheel. Check the wheel alignment, and adjust it if necessary (see «WHEEL ALIGNMENT»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/wheel-alignment/#front-suspension-and-rear-suspension-alignment__wheel-alignment) ).

Scheme 26

Scheme 26: Removal
Scheme 26: Removal

Scheme 27

Scheme 27
Scheme 27
  1. Raise the rear of the vehicle, and support it with safety stands in the proper locations (see «LIFT AND SUPPORT POINTS»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/paintcoatings/#general-information__lift-and-support-points) ).
  2. Remove the rear wheel.
  3. Remove the rear shelf (see «TRIM REMOVAL/INSTALLATION - REAR SHELF AREA»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/exteriorinterior-trim/#interior-trim__trim-removalinstallation-rear-shelf-area) ).
  4. Remove the seat side bolster (see «REAR SEAT REMOVAL/INSTALLATION»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/seats/#seat-system__rear-seat-removalinstallation) step 2, see scheme 49).
  5. Remove the two flange nuts (A) from the top of the damper.
  6. Remove the flange nut (A) while holding the joint pin (B) with a hex wrench (C), and disconnect the stabilizer link (D) from the stabilizer link bracket (E).
  7. Remove the damper lower mounting bolt (F), and disconnect the damper from the knuckle.
  8. Lower the rear suspension, and remove the damper (G) from the vehicle. Mark the damper springs left and right before you continue.

Scheme 28

Scheme 28: Installation
Scheme 28: Installation

Scheme 29

Scheme 29
Scheme 29
  1. Lower the rear suspension, and position the damper (A) in the body.
  2. Loosely install the new flange nuts (B) onto the top of the damper.
  3. Loosely install a new damper lower mounting bolt (A) on the bottom of the damper. Connect the stabilizer link (B) on the bracket (C), and loosely install a new flange nut (D).
  4. Raise the rear suspension with a jack to load the vehicle's weight, and tighten the damper lower mounting bolt to the specified torque value.
  5. Tighten the flange nut while holding the joint pin (E) with a hex wrench (F).
  6. Tighten the two flange nuts on top of the damper to the specified torque value.
  7. Install the seat side bolster (see step 2 of «REAR SEAT REMOVAL/INSTALLATION»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/seats/#seat-system__rear-seat-removalinstallation) ).
  8. Install the rear shelf (see «TRIM REMOVAL/INSTALLATION - REAR SHELF AREA»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/exteriorinterior-trim/#interior-trim__trim-removalinstallation-rear-shelf-area) ).
  9. Clean the mating surfaces of the brake disc and the inside of the wheel, then install the rear wheel.
  10. Check the wheel alignment, and adjust it if necessary (see «WHEEL ALIGNMENT»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/wheel-alignment/#front-suspension-and-rear-suspension-alignment__wheel-alignment) ).

Scheme 30

Scheme 30: Exploded View
Scheme 30: Exploded View

Note. When compressing the damper spring, use a commercially available strut spring compressor (Branick MST-580A or Model 7200, or equivalent) according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Scheme 31

Scheme 31: Disassembly
Scheme 31: Disassembly
  1. Compress the damper spring, then remove the self-locking nut (A) while holding the damper shaft with a hex wrench (B). Do not compress the spring more than necessary to remove the self-locking nut.
  2. Release the pressure from the strut spring compressor, then disassemble the damper as shown in the Exploded View.

Scheme 32

Scheme 32: Inspection
Scheme 32: Inspection
  1. Reassemble all parts, except the damper spring.
  2. Compress the damper assembly by hand, and check for smooth operation through a full stroke, both compression and extension. The damper should extend smoothly and constantly when compression is released. If it does not, the gas is leaking and the damper should be replaced.
  3. Check for oil leaks, abnormal noises, and binding during these tests.

Scheme 33

Scheme 33: Reassembly
Scheme 33: Reassembly

Scheme 34

Scheme 34
Scheme 34
  1. Install all parts except the self-locking nut and washer onto the damper unit by referring to the «EXPLODED VIEW»(/acura/tsx/i-2003-2008/remont/wheel-hubs/#rear-suspension) . Align the bottom of the damper spring (A) and the stepped part of the lower spring seat (B), and align the damper mounting base (C) as shown.
  2. Install the damper assembly on a commercially available strut spring compressor (D).
  3. Compress the damper spring with the spring compressor. Do not compress the spring excessively.
  4. Install the washer (A), and loosely install a new self-locking nut (B).
  5. Hold the damper shaft with a hex wrench (C), and tighten the self-locking nut to the specified torque value.
  6. Remove the damper assembly from the strut spring compressor.