R8Pru- They are ruined. Replace them.

I just had my rear control arms replaced and did the tires at the same time. What a difference! New tires is what makes the roaring go away. Rotating the cupped tires to the front just moves the roaring around (and in my case creating an even louder throbbing shudder when coasting from 20 down to 15 mph).

I got <50 K out of my OEM Dunlops, then put on Yokohoma Avid TRZ for about 30 K more, then finally could not ignore the noise, and I just decided to replace them even though they had lots of tread life. I put on Michelin Energy Savers. Obviously I was going for LRR, but compared to cupped tires they are as quiet as any Michelin Primacy I swear.

Replace your tires and be happy.

 

Are the control arms a problem on 2008 models? How often should tires be rotated? I just bought a used 08 with 19,000 miles. I've put 3k on it now. The dealer put new tires on it when I bought it but they all have white wear marks around the tire on outside of the tire. I think this might mean uneven wear.

 

Cate:
I believe you are OK with the 08. Rotate every 10,000. I don't rotate any more because it does not give enough time to notice any uneven wear on your tires. I found by the time I realized I had a problem with a issue like the control arms I had damage all four tires. I would sooner replace two tires only. For what its worth, Cheers,H

 

Cate -- I beg to differ with Harold.

I own an 08 HCHII, and had to get new rear control arms ... Before I got them my rear tires were cupping badly, and [fill in other consequences that follow]. I would highly recommend you take the car to a dealer before the 3-year mark assuming you've not hit that mark already, and get the rear control arms replaced under warranty. Even if you have passed 3-years, I'd request that Honda cover the fix since they f***ed up.
--ag

 

I (respectfully) differ with Harold on a different point as well:

If you rotate the tires more often, you may be able to *prevent* uneven wear.

To me goal this takes priority over the desire to better be able to *detect* it after the tires are already damaged.

As for 2008 civics, googling around the internet will reveal plenty of evidence that 2008 owners suffer the same issues that have officially been acknolwedged to affect 2006 and 2007 model years. See, for instance, http://www.faqs.org/car/honda-civic-...08/suspension/ or http://www.aboutautomobile.com/Compl...ic+Hybrid/Tire

I also noticed many people asserting that Honda included a range of 2008 VINs in the TSB at some point.

use your browsers search feature to look for the words "some 2008" at pages like http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread...2225229&page=3 or http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/rea...s-cupping.html

The PDF I downloaded only mentioned 2006's and 2007's, but then again I am quite sure there is more than one version of TSB 08-001 out there: My mechanic showed me one he printed out from his system, and the target numbers for the new post-control-arm-replacement alignment were completely different form the one i had printed out.

 

I should have posted this earlier, but anyways here are some quantitative numbers showing exactly how *much* quieter the car is with new tires.

So many of the posts in this thread refer to "roaring" noise, having to shout over the noise to talk to children in the back seat, etc etc, and how unacceptable it is. I wanted to know just how loud are we talking about here?

Before I had my tires replaced (which, as noted many times in this thread, is what reduces noise, not replacing control arms: replacing control arms merely reduces the likelihood you will have to replace the tires again due to the same kind of uneven wear), I bought a sound pressure level meter from Radio Shack.

I picked a certain stretch of road a few days *before* the replacement and measured the sound in my car, and later I drove the same stretch of road (at the same speed and same time of day with similar weather and traffic conditions) *after* the tires were replaced and measured again. Here are the numbers:
This may not seem like a lot, but qualitatively, I can say 7db of road noise is *very* noticeable. The car was not only more comfortable to be in but I could hear the normal operating sounds coming from the engine that I could never hear before, giving me better feedback and allowing me to improve my mileage by changing my driving technique accordingly without always having to look away from the road to stare at gauges.

(btw the road surface was grooved concrete on a very new freeway that has no truck traffic allowed- this was a very pristine surface. I get at least 5db more when driving on rough concrete that is cracked and has weathered a lot. Also, the meter fluctuates a bit as the surface beneath you changes and as other cars pass you, anywhere in the range of + or - 3 dB. If you add these up and possibly some rainy weather (to say nothing of listening to the radio) and I could have easily been experiencing >= 85 db routinely before the tire replacement! That's a lot! Anyways, the before-and-after numbers called out above are what I think a reasonable person would agree was the "average" level.)

 

Most owners of the 2006 model were nearly at the 36 month mark when the TSB was issued in Feb 2008, others like myself were over the mileage for a free replacement of the control arms. Instead of paying the Honda dealer over $550 for the correct control arms and alignment, I fixed it myself.

Removal of the control arm was about 15 minutes (three bolts), the right side is a bit more difficult to reach due to the exhaust pipe in the way. After removal, I heated the center 2 inches or so of the control arm with a torch and the welds on the top and bottom another inch then stretched the control arm 3/32 of an inch based on my particular alignment problem. Check the measurement again after cooling, re-install and have the alignment checked. My self fix cost a few cents in gas for the torch, sears automotive checked the alignment and it was now within specifications. I did have sears put new new tires on the rear and had a four wheel alignment done three days prior to my adjustment.

How much to adjust the control arm? I used Microsoft Visio to enter the prior alignment data and determine the amount of adjustment necessary.

Tools required:
welding torch, not propane!
18 inch steel ruler
large vise or c-clamp

You may also want to join the ongoing class action law suit against Honda for this issue. Search for it on google.

 

Hey team, I've got an 06 with 108k, and my car sounds like a big truck with mud tires. It definitely seems like it's coming from the rear.

I went to my local Honda dealer and they won't do the work for free. For those that replaced the arms themselves, did anyone use an aftermarket (Beck Arnley or other brand) part? The ones from Honda are around $150+ and the aftermarkets are about a third of the price..

 

I have spent over $800.00 messing with the rear control arm and tires and alignments. I saved all receipts and sent them with letter to Honda Corporation They did Nothing!! Although the problem started when the car was still under warranty, because I was never notified that there was a problem with the control arm I and several very reputable service people couldn't figure out what was wrong. $600.00 later we bring it to the dealers, it is out of warranty and we end up paying out of pocket and Guess What?? It is still making the same sound and I just bought my 7th tire! I now have a huge lemon painted on my civic with the dealer's name Bryan Honda Fayetteville NC