I'm not sure if i posted this in the correct place since it doesn't say CL in the forum name, but i don't see CL listed anywhere else.

Anyways I'm looking to replace the Strut , Strut mount, and Lower Ball joint.
I was wondering if anyone had any experience changing these out and what I might have to look to when the parts ship here and any specialty tools i might need to get the job done.
thanks!

 

You don't need any special tools except for a spring compressor. The 97 CL is the same as an Accord Coupe, everything is the same except the interior and the way it looks.

Strut is simple change out:

Remove 14mm bolt from lower strut fork, remove 17mm nut/bolt from strut fork, knock the fork down.

Remove 12mm brake line retaining bolt from strut.

Remove 3 14mm that hold the strut tower in place and remove strut assembly.

Put strut in a spring compressor (unless you have the crappy kinds from autozone). Compress spring, remove one nut on top of strut, remove spring assembly, strut mount, and bump stop.

Replace the parts that are broken, usually the bumpstop is damaged, sometimes the strut mount is broken.

Install everything onto new strut.

Put it back in the same as it came off.


Lower ball joint might require special tools depending on what you have:

Remove cotter pin and 17mm ball joint nut.

Take a hammer and hit lower control arm to separate ball joint or use a pickle fork.

Remove 36mm axle nut.

Remove axle completely from the car or you can remove the knuckle completely from the car, either one works.

If you have an air hammer handy, you can just drive the ball joint out, then drive the new one in. It'll take about 30 seconds.

If you don't have an air hammer, you'll need a ball joint removal tool or GM Pitman arm removal tool. You can get the GM Pitman arm tool from harbor freight for $4.00, better get two of them because they break pretty easily. Don't try using the pitman arm removal tool on a GM pitman arm either because it won't fit, yeah, go figure.

Use your ball joint removal tool to drive the ball joint out, then back in. Should take you about 30 minutes. The new ball joint will usually come with a snap ring, but there's no place to put it, so you can just discard it.

Put the axle back in.

All done.


Both strut and ball joint should take up about two hours of your day with hand tools or about 30 minutes with air tools.


If you need further assistance, I'd go post in the 1990-2002 Accord Forum and take advice from either TheMuffinMan or P.Adams and a select few others in that forum.

 

ive never done a lowerballjoint on a cl without having to push the wheel bearing. wheel bearing gets in the way or the lowerball joint. so my question is what is your way around it?

 

I just take the knuckle off the car, put it in a vise, and use an air hammer with long attachment, then I put a spacer (like an old brake pad) in between the ball joint and air hammer attachment.

 

i dont understand but inorder to the lower balljoint out the wheelbearing needs to come forward.. u cant get the balljoint out because it hits the wheel bearing sooo?? im still lost on how you do it.

 

I'll snap some pics next time I do one on an Accord (same setup).

 

Slomofo , thanks for the reply.
Right now im working on the Strut and obviously they need to be seated a certain direction and i got it wrong. I don't know which way it should be ?
I'm trying to work with the attachments here so i can upload.
I took pictures as i was going so it could help people do it themselves as well.

 

This is the strut replacement.



This is the strut I am working with on the drivers side



This is the picture of the brake line.




I removed the two bolts from the brake line here.



This is the lower bolt strut fork bolt



Removed strut bolt fork bolt


Upper strut bolts under the hood



I didn't take a picture of removing the bolt from the strut tower...but it was done before removing the strut from the car.



Strut spring compressors put on



Springs compressed


I used a flat head screw driver to pop off the spring from the upper strut plate



Removed the bolt holding the strut in the spring




Twisted the new strut rod out



Strut back in place...but there is where i went wrong. I need to figure out how to put it back in correctly!

 

I'm not sure what i did wrong, but it makes a popping noise when i turn or go over a bump after putting the new one in. I'm thinking its either got to be put in a certain way or its the upper plastic cover catching on the strut when it compresses.

 

Bump bump...
anyone know why i would have a loud sound when hitting a bump and when i turn it makes a loud noise too.....with the new strut installed.

 

loose subframe bolts, axle

 

Im pretty sure nothing is loose...i've tightened everything even after a drive. I am starting to think it is the sleeve that comes with the original ( or the ones i have at least) struts.... I don't think it should have it on this one that i bought. So my question is....are the sleeves a necessity for struts? Or should i buy one for this particular strut

 

Spring isn't seated properly or you have a bad strut mount, but I'm leaning more towards improper seating. I'd give you a suggestion on the easiest way to fix this, but the rest of the forum would frown upon my method, so google up a quick fix on how to seat springs in struts.

 

Whoops I didn't post that i figured out that the bolt on the top of the strut wasn't tightened enough, but i still have this loud straining sound that i had before, but now it is worse. Just a creeking sound....It is very difficult to figure out where it is coming from because it only happens when i hit a bump or go over something that presses down the car a bit. if i jack it up so i can see under it....well the wheel will be hanging down and i can't do anything with that :p