So I picked up a set of Civic type r struts and springs and Moog UCA's and Balljoints for under $250 for everything. I went with this setup because I want a stock like ride and little lower ride height, a inch is enough around here upstate NY sucks. I have a old set of tokico illumina struts one is blown at the seal and possible another one about to with a set of unkown coil over sleves and adjustable UCA's that are supper old rusty and shot balljoints.

It's all going on a 98 Civic ex, Struts a straight bolt on affair along with the Oem Moog UCA's and balljoints. I'm installing it all tmrw and I'll let everyone know how the Moog Uca's and balljoints hold up within a few months, I would of got skunk2 or blox uca's but there balljoints crack from the cold here. I just can't wait to have a smooth ride and better handling compaired to whats on there now.

Here's some pictures of everything.



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I have only heard good things about Moog parts and those look pretty good.

 

The moog parts look stout, and I've only read good things about there parts. I orderd them from www.rockauto.com or something like that I think, it was like $110 for Both upper control arms with balljoints! Couldn't go wrong with that and that was shipped to my door even better.

I'll snap some pic's today of my old tokico's coming off along with my adjustable Uca's that got shot balljoints and all rusted up. Upstate NY is super rough in the Winter's with all the salt on the roads eats up cars in less then 10 years. I got one of the cleanest 98 civic's that's daily driven around my area. I wash it like twice a week in the winter

 

we got all but the rear passenger side strut on the bolt in the Lca was seized and snapped we tryed drilling it out and ended up wrecking the bushing...

Went to Napa and Advanced Auto neither had in stock so hopefully the Honda dealership will have one in stock tmrw or I'll have to overnight it.

 

best bet would be to see if you could get the whole control arm out with the shock, and get a new moog lca. you should be lucky, or maybe not since you live in ny (how do you people live with all that rust?). the bolt near the hub, and the bolt that connects to the subframe should come off. just remember to spray a bunch of pb blaster (or a trans mix special) on the bushing areas.

best of luck, it's a bitch when that happens, but a breeze if you have all the new parts.


*a note, ANTI-SEIZE all the bolts before you put them back in for the lca. if by chance you decide to change out later, you won't be in this predicament.

 

We didnt want to chance trying to take out other bolts because they didn't want to budge and they would prolly snap like that one..

so with the control arm still bolted up, even with the 1inch shorter struts we couldnt get the fork on the bottom of the strut over the LCA without using a 6ft prybar to push the lca down as much as possible and we had a spring compressor on the struts to help him compress the strut with another pry bar to get it over... huge PITA,.

My old tokico's illumina's were already to go to ****, around the top of the piston/shaft and seal it was so rusted out i could almost break the top of the strut casing off.. Here's some pics., and u can see the old as hell adjustable UCA's, they got replaced with the new Moog ones .



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Do you have access to a impact?

Short bursts normally will pop a stuck bolt free.
I mean, just hit the trigger for a second a let go, don't just grab on it and go. That WILL snap bolts.

But what he said spraying PB or some other good penitrating oil will work. Let it soak in for a while.

Personaly, I would go ahead and replace both rear lower control arms. When re-installing everything cover the bolts in anti-seize to stop this from happening again.

Look at majestic honda, it's something autoparts. rear should run $60ish a side for the rear LCA's. I am not sure, if honda sells the bushings seperatly. But check with your local dealer, they might have decent prices, and you won't have to cover shipping/majestics's handling fee.

Good luck getting this taken care off.

 

I wouldnt replace the lower control arm's there's nothing wrong with them, yeah we snapped one bolt it was seized that doesn't call for replacing the entire arm, I got the new bushing and bolt overnighted cause the dealership didn't have it in stock.

Will be up and running tmrw. Then getting a alignment this week when i get paid, I can't wait to take it for a ride. Better ride smooth or ill be pissed..

 

Moog should've ordered from advance auto's website, free shipping+15% off any item over $100...