PrivateRyan

Hello. I need to replace my front left lower control arm on my 92 Honda Accord. Is this something I can do myself? Or should I take it to a mechanic. Also, my main concern with doing it myself is how the control arm is connected to the damper fork. If I remove the bolt that connects the damper fork and control arm, will the strut do anything? I've never worked with struts and shocks before, so I don't know the dangers.....So, I guess I'm asking if anyone has the proper steps to remove and replace the front left lower control arm on a 92 Honda Accord.

slomofo

iTrader: (1)

It's pretty easy and straightforward to do yourself, even if it's your first time. I haven't done one in a while, but I think you can remove it with your only tools being a 17mm socket, a ratchet, and a 17mm wrench. I'm not positive on the tools needed, but they are very minimal. It's extremely easy to do though.

PrivateRyan

I have a Chilton manual, and it doesn't say anything about compressing the spring. The manual makes it seem like a straightforward fix. But when I talk to people about the difficulty of the fix, half say I have to compress the spring, and half say I don't. Kind of like the two posts. One says it's hard, one says it's easy.

Here is what my Chilton manual says:

1. Disconnect the negative battery cable. If equipped with an air bag, properly disable the SRS.
2. Raise the vehicle and support it safely. Remove the front wheels.
3. Properly support the hub and knuckle assembly with a jack. Use a ball joint separator to disconnect the lower arm ball joint. Be careful not to damage the seal.
4. Remove the stabilizer bar retaining bolts
5. Remove the bolt securing the damper fork to the control arm.
6. Remove the lower pivot arm.
7. Remove the lower arm. Check the bushings carefully for wear or deterioration. Replace the bushings if any wear is found. Even if the bushings are not replaced, clean the centers and the bolt shafts.
8. Install in reverse order. Tighten the lower control arm to chassis bolt to 40 ft. lbs. (55 Nm.)
9. Properly enable the SRS system, if equipped, and connect the negative battery cable.
"Chilton Manual for 84-95 Honda Accord/Prelude"

I don't have the ability to raise the entire car, but I think if I just raise the front I can still do it.

02 accord

That's pretty much it. You have to lift the whole front end of the car, or you'll be fighting tension from the sway bar. There's no need for a spring compressor. Once you unbolt the LCA like the manual says, it will come right out. It's a simple job once you get the bolts loose.

nysdriver

I replaced both LCAs myself last year on my '92 accord. In principle, it wasn not all that bad, except I did it while replacing the drive shafts, and that made it a whole lot easier.

02accord is right that you *have* to raise the front of your car. With the wheels off the ground, there will be *no* tension on the LCA bolts and bushings (or maybe only very minor tension, if your bushing are old and deformed).

However. There is a catch: you will also need to disconnect the radius rod from the LCA (item 6 on your list, I think), which is attached with two bolts torqued to 76 lb-ft. Unless you have power tools, you will need a breaker bar, and it's very hard to get to these bolts because the drive shaft and the damper fork are in the way. So, I would suggest that you first raise your car, get under there and see if you can even get to all the nuts and bolts, and then decide if it's worth the hassle dealing with all of this yourself.

Also, if you do decide to do it, be carefull with the knuckle after you disconnect it from the LCA: don't swing it too far out or you will risk pulling the drive shaft from the inboard CV joint, which will take you to the whole new level of hell, especially if the rollers come off the spider...

PrivateRyan

Thanks ya'll. I replaced the control arm this afternoon. No spring compressor was needed. It was pretty simple, just tedious....Although, I was very stupid and I think I did pull the hub and knuckle too far out after disconnecting it from the ball joint and control arm, therefore, tearing up the CV joint. At least I think that is the problem, because the ball joint bolt won't line up with the hole in the control arm. Wish I would have got the post from 02Accord before I went and jacked everything up. Guess now, I'll have to go replace the CV joint. I shouldn't have been so stupid.

02 accord

You can pull the boot off the inner CV joint, and put the slides back in the cup. It's pretty straight forward. You'll need new CV boot clamps though. Once you open it up, it'll be pretty self explanatory. It goes in one way.

When i got my axle from the junkyard, they let it hang off the intermediate shaft, and split the inner CV. I put it back together.

PrivateRyan

Would it not be easier to just replace the whole shaft?