Monroe Load Adjusting Rear Suspension Shock Absorber and Coil Spring Assembly

I own a 2001 Honda Odyssey EX with around 96K miles on the odometer...and my main rear suspension springs & shocks are the originals. My choice was to purchase either regular shocks or go with the Monroe 58645 Sensa Trac Load Adjusting shocks. I do not tow anything other than a bike carrier with 4 bikes and the usual load of four to six passengers - but add camping gear and luggage as well and the rear end is challenged to say the least. Since I didn't feel like buying new rear springs along with shocks, I went with the Sensa Tracs. I was concerned that these shocks would make my van ride more like a truck unloaded; however, no worries - the ride is smooth and compliant. Fully loaded, the ride gets even better and takes away that "boat suspension" feeling going over bumps. Keep an eye on the frequent Advance Auto sales and their price for a pair of these beats anyone else hands down. Installation Notes: Spray the upper and lower shock absorber mounts with WD-40 the day before you do the job - it makes loosening the nuts & bolts a lot easier. Start the job by loosening the lug nuts on both rear tires, raise the van up, use jack stands for support (you will need your floor jack later), and take off the tires. You can install these shocks without any special tools; however, I would strongly recommend a spring, strut or ratcheting strap compressor (borrow it from Advance Auto - they loan out tools) to shorten the spring a few inches so that the upper part of the shock clears the undercarriage (upper mounting bracket area) completely...this will ensure that you will have the proper angle to slide the bottom part of the shock on first and loosely install the nut. Remove the compressor tool and guide the top of the shock through the upper mounting bracket. If your shock comes up a bit short and your upper flange bolt won't go through, use your floor jack to lift it up the rest of the way. Just place the jack under the rear suspension near the lower shock absorber mount and raise it until your flange bolt fits through. Torque the upper and lower mounting hardware to specs. That's it...Enjoy your ride!

I put these on my 2003 Odyssey. They work fine with a light load, but I haven't tried them with a heavy load. I had to use a ratcheting strap to compress the springs a bit while installing them to work them into position. It's a little fussy due to the installation angle but it's workable.

Installation is very easy on 2004 Honda Odyssey, following the "hammering" method for lower ends installation shown on Youtube. One concern is the shocks have no dirt protection boot, exposing the rods to the sand and dirt in daily use. That may be one of the reasons others had reported relatively short life of the shocks in spite of Monroe's assurance with their "life time" warranty. Monroe, please comment.