Thanks for the kind words, appreciate the feedback. Be sure to check out our video on the Front Suspension - ua-cam.com/video/6l8iJL3Fu5g/v-deo.html Glad you enjoyed the video. Cheers!
Thanks man! This was tremendously helpful. Just bought a AWD 2004 Element EX last month and the sway bar links need replacing. Your video here is the only one I've viewed which mentions pulling off the sway bar itself to make installing the end links easier and also replacing the middle bushings. Appreciated too the mention of the socket sizes. I live in SoCal too and the Element's been here all its life so shouldn't be any real rust to deal with. The mechanic I had do a vehicle inspection wants $275 to do just the sway bar links, which seems quite high. I'll do it myself and the bushings too. Thanks again. Subscribed.
Thanks for the comments Evans, glad the video helped you out with your Element repair. With the parts being less than $50 for the end links and bushings, you will save over $225 by tackling this repair yourself. You will only need a few simple tools so it shouldn't be too much trouble. We will be posting the Front Suspension video up this weekend as well if you are looking to do anything up front, just working on the final edits for that one. Thanks again for hanging out and for the Sub to the Channel, Cheers!
@@BradleysGarage Thanks again. 👍 I'll be looking for that video too. Oh, and one more thing, I don't even have a floor jack and jackstands anymore. Any thoughts on good affordable ones? I saw the Elements weigh about 3500 lb.Have a great Friday and weekend.
@@BCE-111 We have been pretty happy with the Daytona Jacks from Harbor Freight. We use this one most of the time which currently has a coupon - go.harborfreight.com/email/2023/07/182264-56643/ We also have a 1.5 ton aluminum version for remote work, since it only weighs about 33 lbs compared to the big boy that weighs 79 lbs. Here's a coupon for that one as well which will have no problem lifting the front or rear of the Element - go.harborfreight.com/email/2023/06/180840-64545 These Jack Stands should also be just fine for most jobs - www.harborfreight.com/automotive/jacks-jack-stands/jack-stands/3-ton-aluminum-jack-stands-91760.html The normal price on the full size 3 ton jack is $189 so that coupon is pretty solid. If the budget is tight you can get the 1.5 ton Jack and Jack Stands for $140. Add that to the $50 for the parts and you are still saving $85 over having a shop do the repair and you got sweet tools for the next job. Let us know how the project goes, Cheers!
@@BradleysGarage Thanks! That's very useful info and very nice of you to provide that especially with the links. I'm like that too. Always looking to help whoever I can. We're all sharing this life. That was my thought too that by buying these tools now too I'll be setup for future jobs, like brake jobs, etc. I have some basic tools. Was just watching a video about installing iBoard Running Boards, as when I was in a park yesterday to measure the floor area for possible bedding setups with the rear seats up, without a curb to stand on, in my old age, I had a hard time climbing up into the back. :) Ha. Heading off to bed as I was up til 6 AM yesterday morning. Thanks again for your help. 👍
@@BCE-111 No worries, glad we could help you with your Element repairs and get you some new tools for the garage. The whole reason for our channel is to try to help everyone save some cash and tackle these repairs on their own. We want to show the average guy it's very doable and that they shouldn't be intimidated by the shops. Keep us posted on how things go, Cheers!
Wow ! Very good video, keep up the good work if I have a chance I will attempt to change the suspensions of my E. Hope this summer or next if I will not sell it. Hope I can find this video again by that time. Thanks!
Thanks for the kind words, glad you enjoyed the video. Just hit the Subscribe button and you will be able to come back anytime to see all the Honda Element content. Cheers!
This should be the go-to resource for anyone looking to tackle rear suspension. I installed Monroe quick struts on the rear 6 months ago using the 1A Auto video for reference. While I got the install done, I had creaking noises on the rear driver side that got progressively worse with time. Short of replacing the strut (again), I tried literally everything. It got to the point I was too embarassed to drive the car, and I finally replaced the strut once more under warranty. Using Bradley's video is all it took. Everything is perfectly quiet now and I couldn't be more relieved. The info at 9:30 was key. I installed the previous strut rotated 180°, and while I doubt that was the entire issue, it certainly seemed to be a contributing factor. I also jacked up the suspension and torqued the bolt to 69ft lbs under load, something that I overlooked before. If I may offer one suggestion though, that cheater bar location isn't ideal. The upper control arm bolt would just break loose as I pulled down. Instead, I used a 25" breaker bar and 21mm socket, placing this on the lower control arm(?) bolt. Since I was working alone, I was able to sit on the bar to force it down, then had both hands free to adjust the strut and insert the bolt.
Thanks for the kind words, appreciate the feedback. Glad to hear you got yours sorted out and is running great again. Thanks again for hanging out. Cheers!
Thanks for the question, we took a look at 0:26 seconds in the video and are not sure what you are referring to? Feel free to send over a screen grab with the part circled over to our Instagram page. instagram.com/bradleygarage/ Cheers!
Awesome! Looks quite a bit easier than the fronts. Do you ever consider replacing the rear lower control arms? I plan on replacing the struts and rear sway bar links and rear upper control arm, just not sure if lower control arm is worth the effort...
Thanks for the comments Gregory, the rear is a lot easier since you don't have any steering related components to deal with. Both of our Element's have around 200k on them and we are not seeing any degradation on the rear like we had on the front. It really depends on what yours look like and if you want to tackle more components while doing the repair. Good luck on your Honda project, Cheers!
Hey Aaron, apologies for the delayed response. If the bottom hole is a little off from the factory, the strut can be rotated to line up the bolt hole. You can use a long Phillips screwdriver for leverage to rotate it. Good luck on your Honda project, Cheers!
@@BradleysGarage Hey :). Hope you're doing great man. We discussed a number of things before from my original comments. For now I'm just aiming to replace the sway bar end links and middle bushings. And as you've demonstrated this is a relatively easy job, especially for a car that's been in SoCal its whole life. Thanks for all your help. BC
Thanks for the comments, SoCal doesn't have too many things going for it these days. The weather is about all we got left to enjoy. That does make it a lot cleaner to work underneath cars as there is little to no rust on any surfaces. Cheers!
Thanks for the comments Matt. We definately had clunks in the rear so it was a good time to swap those out along with the sway bar bushings. Those parts are relatively inexpensive so it's a good idea to swap them out while you are replacing the rear struts. Thanks again for hanging out, Cheers!
@@BradleysGarage Same here. My sway bar links were bad and nuts were rusted on, had to cut through nut and bolt with saw to remove. You got lucky with no rust! I'm in PA, lots of road salt in winter. I also replaced rear shocks (kept the old springs to save $), bolt hole alignment was difficult, had to use a 8' 4x4 board to get leverage to push wheel down enough to align holes!
Fortunately we are in SoCal, at least for weather reasons 😎 We don't typically have any rust issues, so that makes things easier to remove. We had good success with using that cheater bar to provide a little downward pressure to get that bottom bolt lined up. Thanks again for sharing your experiences, Cheers!
@@BradleysGarage LOL I was gonna ask if you're in CA or AZ. Must be nice. I consider myself lucky since my 2003 Element has relatively little rust on her. Still on original exhaust except for tailpipe! I've owned cars from the 70s that rusted out mufflers in a few years.
Well, the weather is nice not much else 😜 But it is good to not have to deal with rusted out cars. It makes it fun to look for future projects and not have rust as an additional concern. Have fun out there in the snow, I'm assuming you have an AWD version. Cheers!
Best tutorial I have ever seen on Element suspension repairs.
Thanks for the kind words, appreciate the feedback. Be sure to check out our video on the Front Suspension - ua-cam.com/video/6l8iJL3Fu5g/v-deo.html
Glad you enjoyed the video. Cheers!
Thanks man! This was tremendously helpful. Just bought a AWD 2004 Element EX last month and the sway bar links need replacing. Your video here is the only one I've viewed which mentions pulling off the sway bar itself to make installing the end links easier and also replacing the middle bushings. Appreciated too the mention of the socket sizes. I live in SoCal too and the Element's been here all its life so shouldn't be any real rust to deal with. The mechanic I had do a vehicle inspection wants $275 to do just the sway bar links, which seems quite high. I'll do it myself and the bushings too. Thanks again. Subscribed.
Thanks for the comments Evans, glad the video helped you out with your Element repair. With the parts being less than $50 for the end links and bushings, you will save over $225 by tackling this repair yourself. You will only need a few simple tools so it shouldn't be too much trouble.
We will be posting the Front Suspension video up this weekend as well if you are looking to do anything up front, just working on the final edits for that one.
Thanks again for hanging out and for the Sub to the Channel, Cheers!
@@BradleysGarage Thanks again. 👍 I'll be looking for that video too. Oh, and one more thing, I don't even have a floor jack and jackstands anymore. Any thoughts on good affordable ones? I saw the Elements weigh about 3500 lb.Have a great Friday and weekend.
@@BCE-111 We have been pretty happy with the Daytona Jacks from Harbor Freight. We use this one most of the time which currently has a coupon - go.harborfreight.com/email/2023/07/182264-56643/
We also have a 1.5 ton aluminum version for remote work, since it only weighs about 33 lbs compared to the big boy that weighs 79 lbs.
Here's a coupon for that one as well which will have no problem lifting the front or rear of the Element - go.harborfreight.com/email/2023/06/180840-64545
These Jack Stands should also be just fine for most jobs -
www.harborfreight.com/automotive/jacks-jack-stands/jack-stands/3-ton-aluminum-jack-stands-91760.html
The normal price on the full size 3 ton jack is $189 so that coupon is pretty solid. If the budget is tight you can get the 1.5 ton Jack and Jack Stands for $140.
Add that to the $50 for the parts and you are still saving $85 over having a shop do the repair and you got sweet tools for the next job.
Let us know how the project goes, Cheers!
@@BradleysGarage Thanks! That's very useful info and very nice of you to provide that especially with the links. I'm like that too. Always looking to help whoever I can. We're all sharing this life.
That was my thought too that by buying these tools now too I'll be setup for future jobs, like brake jobs, etc. I have some basic tools. Was just watching a video about installing iBoard Running Boards, as when I was in a park yesterday to measure the floor area for possible bedding setups with the rear seats up, without a curb to stand on, in my old age, I had a hard time climbing up into the back. :) Ha.
Heading off to bed as I was up til 6 AM yesterday morning. Thanks again for your help. 👍
@@BCE-111 No worries, glad we could help you with your Element repairs and get you some new tools for the garage. The whole reason for our channel is to try to help everyone save some cash and tackle these repairs on their own. We want to show the average guy it's very doable and that they shouldn't be intimidated by the shops.
Keep us posted on how things go, Cheers!
Wow ! Very good video, keep up the good work if I have a chance I will attempt to change the suspensions of my E. Hope this summer or next if I will not sell it. Hope I can find this video again by that time. Thanks!
Thanks for the kind words, glad you enjoyed the video. Just hit the Subscribe button and you will be able to come back anytime to see all the Honda Element content.
Cheers!
Clear and Concise tutorial, well done
Thanks for the comments, glad you enjoyed the video. Cheers!
This should be the go-to resource for anyone looking to tackle rear suspension. I installed Monroe quick struts on the rear 6 months ago using the 1A Auto video for reference. While I got the install done, I had creaking noises on the rear driver side that got progressively worse with time. Short of replacing the strut (again), I tried literally everything.
It got to the point I was too embarassed to drive the car, and I finally replaced the strut once more under warranty. Using Bradley's video is all it took. Everything is perfectly quiet now and I couldn't be more relieved. The info at 9:30 was key. I installed the previous strut rotated 180°, and while I doubt that was the entire issue, it certainly seemed to be a contributing factor. I also jacked up the suspension and torqued the bolt to 69ft lbs under load, something that I overlooked before.
If I may offer one suggestion though, that cheater bar location isn't ideal. The upper control arm bolt would just break loose as I pulled down. Instead, I used a 25" breaker bar and 21mm socket, placing this on the lower control arm(?) bolt. Since I was working alone, I was able to sit on the bar to force it down, then had both hands free to adjust the strut and insert the bolt.
Thanks for the kind words, appreciate the feedback. Glad to hear you got yours sorted out and is running great again.
Thanks again for hanging out.
Cheers!
Excellent tutorial.
Thanks for taking the time to create this fantastic video.
Thanks for the kind words Jeff, appreciate the feedback. Good luck on your Honda project.
Cheers!
What is the black plastic piece that kinda clips on just adjacent to the three bolts on the left side of the screen around 0:26 seconds? - thanks
Thanks for the question, we took a look at 0:26 seconds in the video and are not sure what you are referring to?
Feel free to send over a screen grab with the part circled over to our Instagram page.
instagram.com/bradleygarage/
Cheers!
Awesome! Looks quite a bit easier than the fronts.
Do you ever consider replacing the rear lower control arms? I plan on replacing the struts and rear sway bar links and rear upper control arm, just not sure if lower control arm is worth the effort...
Thanks for the comments Gregory, the rear is a lot easier since you don't have any steering related components to deal with. Both of our Element's have around 200k on them and we are not seeing any degradation on the rear like we had on the front.
It really depends on what yours look like and if you want to tackle more components while doing the repair.
Good luck on your Honda project, Cheers!
A lot of guys use the KYBs on the element vs the Monroe... My guy wants to use Monroe how did these hold up?
Thanks for the question, we have been very happy with the Monroe struts/shocks. We have (2) Elements and have used them on both.
Cheers!
Very good content thanks. Are the bottoms suppose to line up? The struts. Do they twist?
Hey Aaron, apologies for the delayed response. If the bottom hole is a little off from the factory, the strut can be rotated to line up the bolt hole.
You can use a long Phillips screwdriver for leverage to rotate it.
Good luck on your Honda project, Cheers!
2:05
Glad you enjoyed the video 😎
Cheers!
Excellent video.
Thanks for the kind words Howard, glad you enjoyed the video. Good luck on your Honda project.
Cheers!
13:51
Thanks for the comments BC, let us know if you have a question on your Element suspension repair. Cheers!
@@BradleysGarage Hey :). Hope you're doing great man. We discussed a number of things before from my original comments. For now I'm just aiming to replace the sway bar end links and middle bushings. And as you've demonstrated this is a relatively easy job, especially for a car that's been in SoCal its whole life.
Thanks for all your help.
BC
Dude how is all that stuff so clean? So much more rust over this way.
Thanks for the comments, SoCal doesn't have too many things going for it these days. The weather is about all we got left to enjoy. That does make it a lot cleaner to work underneath cars as there is little to no rust on any surfaces.
Cheers!
Don't need to replace sway bar links until they go bad, which is when they get loose and make clunking noise. Same for bushings.
Thanks for the comments Matt. We definately had clunks in the rear so it was a good time to swap those out along with the sway bar bushings. Those parts are relatively inexpensive so it's a good idea to swap them out while you are replacing the rear struts.
Thanks again for hanging out, Cheers!
@@BradleysGarage Same here. My sway bar links were bad and nuts were rusted on, had to cut through nut and bolt with saw to remove. You got lucky with no rust! I'm in PA, lots of road salt in winter.
I also replaced rear shocks (kept the old springs to save $), bolt hole alignment was difficult, had to use a 8' 4x4 board to get leverage to push wheel down enough to align holes!
Fortunately we are in SoCal, at least for weather reasons 😎 We don't typically have any rust issues, so that makes things easier to remove.
We had good success with using that cheater bar to provide a little downward pressure to get that bottom bolt lined up.
Thanks again for sharing your experiences, Cheers!
@@BradleysGarage LOL I was gonna ask if you're in CA or AZ. Must be nice. I consider myself lucky since my 2003 Element has relatively little rust on her. Still on original exhaust except for tailpipe! I've owned cars from the 70s that rusted out mufflers in a few years.
Well, the weather is nice not much else 😜 But it is good to not have to deal with rusted out cars. It makes it fun to look for future projects and not have rust as an additional concern. Have fun out there in the snow, I'm assuming you have an AWD version. Cheers!