Hey guys, today i noticed my driver side upper ball joint are really, really flat(not sure if that is normal.) i noticed grease are coming out from there like crazy. i saw a small cut there and started squeezing it all out.

what i like to know is, are they easy to replace? is alignment needed after installation? what would happen if i keep driving?

Thanks.

 

You have to replace the whole upper control arm in order to replace the ball joint. The ball joint should come with the upper control arm when you purchase it. Also, grease coming out and having cuts on the rubber of the ball joint doesn't sound good; it's definitely time for replacement. I'd do both sides at the same time if I were you.

 

'front end repair kits' are available on ebay for only $120 shipped, has EVERYTHING (as in upper control arm and ball joint, lower ball joint, inner and outter tie-rod ends, and endlinks)

but an alignment is really not needed when replacing the upper ball joint/control arm as it should not affect the toe in/out of the wheel unless it is a REALLY poorly made piece, and civics do not have adjustable camber. an alignment IS needed if you do the kit.

 

Das, I tried to find the kits you're speaking of but couldn't. Could you post a link to one of those kits?

 

you mean replace the one above from number 10? they don't even have a price on that one, if they do, they sure be exspensive. is it really necessary to replace that? i was thinking of replacing just number 9.

 

thank you. that's what i really wanted to know.

 

It's easiest if you replace #6/8. #9 is not the ball joint. As you can see the ball joint doesn't even have a number and it comes with #10.

 

The ball joint is circled in red below:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/92-95...Q5fAccessories

I think this is even the company I ordered mine from *Ships from Canada*

An additional reason why you want to replace the whole thing as well as that if #7 *from your image* gets worn out, it will cause your tires to camber wear.

 

Looks good, how's the quality though?

Also, is it hard to replace the lower ball joint? Do you need a press for that?

 

there are upper control arms on ebay that are adjustable and you should check the alignment after replacement

 

the bushings usually come with the new upper control arms as a whole kit and it's about $120 for both front

 

oh ok...so what part is it that the grease be coming out from? number 9 or the ball joint? in the picture, number 9 looks long but when i look at it from the car, it looks flat.

a little confused now.

 

the bushings are filled with grease, yours is leaking and needs to be replaced.

You can rent the tools you need to replace the lowers from autozone.

 

so is it number 9? why are you saying, 'lowers?'

 

As in if you buy the full kit, and you want to replace the lower ball joints they rent the tool for it, I think $ for $ you are best just buying the kit instead of just replacing the upper ball joints.

 

damn, i found out too late about that parts from ebay. i spent a hundred on one inner-tie rod, two boots, and a couple clips from the dealer.

can i drive the car like that for a few months?

 

huhhhh inner tierods arent gonna do you good. number 9 is the upper ball joint, number 10 is the upper control arm, number 7 is the control arm bushings. grease is coming out of #9, but that doesnt necessarily mean it's bad, you should replace it, but to check if it's bad you jack up the front end and grab the tire at the 6 o clock and 12 and you shake it, if you feel looseness it's bad. the inner tierods are going to be hard to replace if you dont have the proper specialty tool. save yourself the money and just replace the upper control arms

 

yeah inner-tie rod are a totally different story. to make a long story short, last month i went in for an alignment, inspector gadget told me i have 'play' on the inner-tie rod. so today before i took it to a mechanic to get it fixed, i took out two front wheels and that's when i noticed...grease out from the bushing/boot?(#9)

i will definately try that routine that you've mentioned.

that's a steal what that company from ebay is selling. c'mon, 2 upper control arms, 2 inner-tie rods, 2 outter-tie rods, 2 lower ball joints, and some sways?

 

Haven't had any problems/complaints with the kit yet.

You are best to not get aligned until you've replaced it all in all honesty..... (Which I'm sure comes as no surprise, but it is what it is)

 

truth be known; i had no choice but to get it done.(alignment)

would appreciate this one question:

would be nice if any of you can help explain to me; is it hard to replace the boots/bushings? what type of tools do i need? should i leave it to a mechanic? i'm tired of paying these mechanics.

 

The entire 'ordeal' with re-doing my front end was ALOT easier than I thought it would be.

I originally had a friend come over and asked him to help, he laughed at me, explained how to do it, and I had the whole job done in less than 2 hours fully on my own.

If you don't already have one though, you are going to want to by a map gas torch though, Lol.

 

Upper ball joints can be replaced on their own, they're like $35 each from Advance Auto for Moog joints, with a lifetime warranty.

Don't ever cheap out on lower ball joints. If one breaks, your LCA will seperate from the knuckle and you'll take a nosedive, likely losing control. This isn't a time to buy a cheap kit off eBay with parts made in some 3rd world country.

 

I've had a lower ball joint come out on my Volkswagen VR6. Thank God I was doing a turn at tiny speeds and there was hardly any traffic or else I could've been killed.

 

yeah right, vr's are tanks, you would have came to a stop quick.