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I have a 1992 accord and it needs both of the items in the title. Just wondering how hard it is to do myself. Never done this before but the ball joint looks easy. thanks
There are plenty of you tube vids as well as some diy here. Really not hard as you just need the axle socket, a good prybar and some basic hand tools as well as the usual jack + stands
I'd replace the whole upper control arm; they're cheap and easy to swap.
Both are pretty easy and straight forward.
Unless on a really tight budget I'd do this as well. The first time I did them on an Accord I replaced just the joint (a ball joint press really helps, although you can do it with sockets and a hammer). The second time I did it I replaced the whole arm and I honestly had it done in about 15 minutes. You basically pull the wheel, pop it loose at the ball joint, and remove two nuts in the engine bay that hold the control arm on.
For the axle, it's pretty simple as well. You should be able to find a DIY guide or a YouTube video. You basically just take the axle nut off (32mm). If you don't have an impact wrench, loosen this before taking the brakes off. This way someone can hold the brakes. Then remove the caliber, pop the upper and lower ball joint loose and remove the knuckle, and then pry the axle out of the transmission with a prybar or big screwdrivers. Putting the new one in, if it won't go all the way in, you may have to get it set correctly and then tap on the end of the shaft with a hammer to pop it in.
Don't cheap out on on these parts. You can find upper control arms for less than $20 but IMO they are dangerously low quality. I also had major problems with the crappy low quality cv axles from the local houses.
^^ +1 on the quality. And if you can afford it, do the right one too. Best done in pairs to avoid a surprise down the road.
And on axles, I've had pretty good luck with Napa's. I've seen others, and have had myself, problems with balance on big name parts house aftermarket axles like Autozone or PepBoys, but Napa has been pretty good to me so far.
I agree with those guys. IMO OEM is the way to go for axles. The control arms I've used Moog and while they aren't the quality of OEM, they seem to work decently.
Axles on the other hand, I've had horrible luck with Advance Auto axles. They last a few months at most for me before I start having issues, while factory ones have always lasted me 5-7 years. Now I only use OEM. I've had several friends use other aftermarket CV Joints and they all seem to have the same issue of vibration, wearing out quickly, etc. The factory ones aren't that expensive, especially if you get them online.
I agree with those guys. IMO OEM is the way to go for axles. The control arms I've used Moog and while they aren't the quality of OEM, they seem to work decently.
Axles on the other hand, I've had horrible luck with Advance Auto axles. They last a few months at most for me before I start having issues, while factory ones have always lasted me 5-7 years. Now I only use OEM. I've had several friends use other aftermarket CV Joints and they all seem to have the same issue of vibration, wearing out quickly, etc. The factory ones aren't that expensive, especially if you get them online.
Not cheap, but cheaper than OE and they exude quality. Legit European Lobro CV joints and OE axle shafts.
Where are you guys getting Raxles cheap? When I needed axles for my 06 a few months ago I found the OEM ones for $150 shipped per side from a Honda dealer online. I couldn't find the Raxles or Insane Shafts (the other performance brand with good reviews) for anywhere near that price.
I think Raxles were about $170/ea with an OE core, $229 without. Might not be 100% accurate.
I checked OE axles for my 93 and the price was outrageous, like $400/ea even on Majestic Honda. It seems to vary a lot based on model year.
Yeah. The other thing with OEM axles that's confusing is how they list them. When I got my last set the listing had what appeared to be the whole assembly at first glance for around $400. Then for $130 underneath it, it had what actually said it was the assembly. After further investigation the expensive part was just the axle shaft that you use if rebuilding the axles while the $130 party really was the whole thing that I needed. I found it quite odd, but I guess they don't want you rebuilding your axles yourself. It ended up costing me around $150 each once shipped from Honda Village. (They were cheaper than Majestic) The dealer was also confused on which one was the whole assembly and quoted the higher price just to be safe.
On my 96, the dealer knew which one to get and I got it through them. They were right around $170, but I get stuff at the "wholesale" price from our local dealer. I could have probably saved $30-40 online, but I just needed one and didn't want to wait 2 weeks for it to get here.
Here is what shows for my model, looks like each one is $318 (not $400), still outrageous.
44010-SM4-A11 002 001 DRIVESHAFT SET, R. May Have Been Discontinued 454.73 318.31 Qty: 1
44010-SM4-A11 004 001 DRIVESHAFT SET, R. May Have Been Discontinued 454.73 318.31 Qty: 1
02-11-2016, 07:01 PM
left axel and upper ball joint
