On the 9th-gen Accord the front struts are about as DIY-friendly as modern Hondas get. Three 14 mm nuts at the top of the tower, two long 17 mm bolts into the steering knuckle, and a couple of 12 mm bracket bolts for the brake hose and ABS wire. Buying complete (loaded) assemblies means no spring compressor and no reusing tired mounts or bearings, which is why most people go that route.
What varies is access and rust, not sizes. Sedans and coupes, 2.4 and 3.5, all use the same fastener sizes; V6 cars just have a busier engine bay so the driver-side upper nuts need a wobble extension. The thing people get wrong is torquing the lower strut bolts with the wheel hanging in the air - do it with the suspension loaded at ride height, and always get an alignment afterward.
| Item | Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Floor jack 2 ton minimum, low profile helps Raise the front of the car and support the knuckle while realigning bolt holes. | Required | shop |
| Jack stands 2 ton pair, under front subframe jack points Support the car safely with both front wheels off. | Safety | shop |
| Lug nut socket 19 mm, 1/2 in drive (thin-wall or protective sleeve for alloys) Remove the front wheels. | Required | shop |
| Breaker bar 1/2 in drive, 24 in Crack loose lug nuts and the seized lower strut bolts. | Required | shop |
| Penetrating oil PB Blaster or equivalent Soak the lower strut-to-knuckle bolts and nuts the night before. | Consumables | shop |
| Socket set, deep and shallow 17 mm 6-point, 1/2 in drive (lower strut bolts/nuts) The two lower strut-to-knuckle fasteners take a 17 mm socket on the nut and a 17 mm wrench or second socket on the bolt head. | Required | shop |
| Combination wrench 17 mm Hold the lower strut bolt head while turning the nut. | Required | shop |
| Socket 14 mm deep, 3/8 in drive Three upper strut mount nuts in the engine bay (10 mm studs). | Required | shop |
| Socket 12 mm, 3/8 in drive Brake hose bracket bolt and ABS/wheel speed sensor harness bracket on the strut body. | Required | shop |
| Ratchet and extensions 3/8 in drive ratchet, 3 in and 6 in extensions, swivel/wobble Reach the upper mount nuts around the strut tower, especially driver's side near the brake booster. | Required | shop |
| Torque wrench 1/2 in drive, 20-150 ft-lb Torque lower strut bolts and lug nuts to spec. | Required | shop |
| Torque wrench 3/8 in drive, 10-80 ft-lb Accurately torque the smaller upper mount nuts and bracket bolts. | Recommended | shop |
| Hex key / bit 6 mm hex Holds the stabilizer link stud from spinning if you disconnect the sway bar link for clearance. | Recommended | shop |
| Wrench 14 mm (stabilizer link nut) Sway bar link nut, only if you need extra knuckle movement. | Recommended | shop |
| Pry bar 18-24 in Spread the knuckle and persuade the strut into the bracket during reinstall. | Recommended | shop |
| Dead blow or ball-peen hammer 2-3 lb Tap the long lower bolts out of the knuckle bore and free a stuck strut. | Recommended | shop |
| Trim/panel tool set Plastic pry set Pop the engine bay cowl/rain tray clips if they block the upper mount nuts. | Recommended | shop |
| Wire brush Hand brush Clean the knuckle bolt bores and strut tower studs before reassembly. | Consumables | shop |
| Anti-seize Nickel or copper, thin coat on bolt shanks only Keeps the long lower bolts from seizing in the knuckle next time; keep it off threads if you torque to spec. | Consumables | shop |
| Complete strut assembly Left and right front, model-specific (2.4 and 3.5 use different calibrations) The replacement unit, pre-loaded with spring, mount and bearing. | Parts | shop |
| Wheel chocks Rear wheels Prevents roll while the front is lifted. | Safety | shop |
| Safety glasses and gloves Rust and debris fall from the strut tower area. | Safety | shop |
Fastener sizes are identical between the 2.4 L K24W and the 3.5 L J35Y and between sedan and coupe: 19 mm lugs, 17 mm lower strut fasteners, 14 mm upper mount nuts. The only practical difference is engine bay clearance - V6 cars are tighter around the driver's side strut tower, so plan on swivel/wobble extensions. Strut part numbers and spring rates do differ by engine and body style, so order by exact model.
| Wheel lug nuts | 80 ft-lb (108 Nm) |
| Strut (damper) lower mounting bolts/nuts to knuckle | Commonly listed 98 ft-lb (133 Nm) - verify in the service manual |
| Upper strut mount nuts to body (3) | Commonly listed 29 ft-lb (39 Nm) - verify in the service manual |
| Stabilizer link nut (if disconnected) | Commonly listed 33 ft-lb (44 Nm) - verify in the service manual |
| Brake hose / ABS harness bracket bolt | verify in the service manual (small 12 mm bolt, snug only) |
Sizes here (19 mm lugs, 17 mm lower strut fasteners, 14 mm upper mount nuts, 12 mm bracket bolts) match the 2013-2017 Accord front suspension across both engines, but confirm the lower bolt and upper nut torque figures against a factory service manual before final tightening.
Yes. Pulling the strut out of the knuckle disturbs camber and, through that, toe. Get a four-wheel alignment after the job or you will wear the inner tire edges quickly.
Not if you buy complete (loaded) strut assemblies, which come with the spring, upper mount and bearing pre-installed. You only need a compressor if you are reusing the old spring with a bare strut cartridge.
The two lower strut-to-knuckle bolts and nuts are 17 mm, the three upper mount nuts in the engine bay are 14 mm, the brake hose and ABS brackets are 12 mm, and lug nuts are 19 mm.
Expect roughly $550-950 for the pair with parts and labor at an independent shop, plus about $90-130 for the alignment. DIY with quality loaded assemblies usually runs $250-450 in parts.