I'm considering new struts for the front and shocks for the back on my 2009 120k fit. Overall, my suspension seems and feels fine. Did anyone replace their struts with KYB and find that the ride improved considerably?

Thanks.

 

I am at 100k and did not go with KYB Excel-G's (but I should have), instead I let my shop do the work with random O'Reilly shocks and struts. My old ones were just starting to weep so not completely blown yet and the replacements feel pretty much the same.

I have used the KYB Excel-G replacements in our previous Mazda3 and they felt OEM. So I would think that unless your current shocks/struts are blown, it will probably feel about the same.

 

Thank you. I appreciate the input. Looks like I will let it ride till I notice something is off.

 

Following up to my initial post with an update. I recently rented a new Prius and was amazed by how much better the suspension and steering felt than my 2009 fit with 120k miles.

I finally sucked it up and replaced all 4 struts with KYBs from rock auto (with assembled springs on the fronts). For $250 my mechanic provided the labor to replace them.

The ride is way better now. Less micro vibrations and rolls way less when I make turns. Super glad I took a chance on this. The deterioration of the original shocks must of been very gradual.

 

It always is. Ditto with tires. They usually get worn so slowly it's hard to pick up on it until you have an event that makes you remember how well it used to work.

 

I'm glad you brought this up. I've been wrestling with the same idea for a while now. Thanks for the feedback.

 

Thanks for the update and the Rock Auto info, I think this is my next project on my 08 with 150K.

JimW

 

To be fair, pretty much any 2023 car will ride better than a second-generation Fit, even if you somehow have access to 15-year-old Fit with 0 miles. Suspension technology, NVH characteristics, and vehicle structural integrity have improved dramatically and there's really no comparison. I don't drive a 2010 Fit because it's objectively better than a new car, I drive it because when considering multiple factors (exterior dimensions vs interior space, efficiency, handling, cost of ownership, and the fact that I think it looks better than most new cars), it's better for me than any new car I could afford and would want to drive.

 

Yup, I got my fit new in 2009 and the suspension felt like it was never meant to be built for a long highway commute. Thats a huge reason why reason why I forgoed replacing my struts. I falsely remembered my ride being always as rough. I didn't think they were deteriorating at all, till I noticed how much better the handling was in a bigger car such as the Prius. Its also possible the new springs included in the strut+ has had an impact too.

 

Just adding that I went from DD a Lexus GX470 to an 2009 Honda Fit w/ 90k, so you can imagine the NVH was a shock. I felt like the shocks/struts were having a hard time controlling the ride over repetitive expansion joints that would have the car teeter-tottering. After replaced the oem with loaded kyb struts and new rear shocks that performance has improved, but the ride quality is still not impressive. I would like to drive a newer Fit to see if Honda was able to refine the chassis a bit, as I don't think it could get much worse. haha

 

I think jonshonda is on to something in that some of the NVH of small cars is tied to their short wheelbase.

In college I drove a 1994 Ford Escort and quickly learned that the wheelbase exactly matched the expansion joints in a 40 mile stretch of concrete road I drove whenever I went home to see my family. Normally the car rode pretty nicely (to the sensibilities of a college kid in a 1994 Ford Escort who's previous cars had been a 1987 Pontiac Grand Am and a 1990 Dodge Shadow), but on that stretch it was a nausea-inducing pogo stick ride from hell. Speed didn't matter (within the moderate range that I was willing to try), it was just torture.

I feel the same in my Fit (and previous Yaris hatchback) sometimes, especially on overpasses and bridges. I'm not sure suspension component updates or modifications can help (much) in this area, it's just a simple function of the short wheelbase.

 

The solid rear beam of the Fit surely as to do with the roughness of the ride!

 

Yup. The GE was built for Japan and south east Asia with lots of turns, not the classic American commute going 80 mph on a 5 lane highway with cement panels. That said, I'm extremely happy with my new struts. My fit feels like new and its 14 years old.