So I tried to use a puller...ruined the end of the ball joint threads...can't even get the nut on because the metal is mishapen and warped....

Besides that, the ball joint is completely busted...

I know this is the kind of thing that needs to be pressed in by a shop, but I can't even drive my car 3 miles to get it to a shop....

What am I to do? Is there ANY way it can be replaced at home?

 

You can take the whole lca off and take it to the dealer. I also stripped my ball joint thread and went to pepboys and got a re-threader, threaded it back up and had been workin ever since. Since you joint is actually broke, I wouldn't try and drive it to the dealer. I don't think there is any way to get it out without a press .

 

hmm....

do you have any idea how much it would cost at the dealer?

 

Yeah i hate that crap. I did the same thing.

I worked on fixing that problem for like 90 minutes before i finally got it. I kept on hacking, dremeling, and trying to impact the castle nut on so it would spin faster than the ball joint.

Eventually after some cutting with my dremel around the treads, it went on. Maybe you can hold the joint with vicegrips, and get a tap and die set to clean the threads?

 

hey i drive a 92 civic hatch... i broke my passenger front ball joint... i disconnected the strut...took the lower control arm apart..it is 2 pieces...and took off the caliper and all that junk...pulled the whole knuckle off the axle... and pulled it all away..keepin it attached to the upper control arm... on the back of the knuckle there is a plate that surrounds the hole that the axle goes in...u can pop that off with a screw driver... no u rip off all the rubber from the lower ball joint... then u pound the sh*t outta it from the bottom till it pops out...then u take the new one..place it in there nice and level... take a rubber mallot and hammer it in...and pow u put it all back together and ur set...thats how i did it myself...worked like a charm... i dunno if it was the right way but i was my way and it worked..maybe that will help ya out... when my ball joint broke i was driving so my rim bent my fender and broke my axle... since i had to change my axle i am a little outta alignment..but it isnt that bad.... try doin it urself..u will feel bettter when ur done... the whole job took me and hour and a half...the longest part was the trip to autozone...morons dont know anything about cars.... if u got questions email me.. cres_tim@hotmail.com

 

ps- to get the old one out i also used a pry bar to help after i pounded it up enough to get the end of the bar under neath the lip of the ball joint on the top side... make sure you got a helms or haynes manual or something so u know how to put it all back together..just in case u never messed with it before

 

I also replaced mine by myself too. I was a lot easier for me considering that I already had the motor out.

 

Dealer will probably charge out the *** for the install. I think the actual ball joint is only like $25. I would buy it and take it to another shop if they try and jack up the price for install . Rusty Wallace especially trys to rip you off.

 

yeah i got the motor and axles..all that ish out

Did you do yours the same way as Tim Anto?

 

Pretty much the same way. I used a 5lb sledgehammer (the mini-sledge) and a 18 or 19mm deepsocket over the stud.

The only thing that's in the way is that ring on the back side of the hub. Pry that off so the balljoint has enough clearance to come straight up.

Put the entire hub assembly on a jackstand and rotate it so that the back-side faces outwards.

 

Last time I did this, it was $86.78 for the joint and the install. (with the steering knuckle off the car, mind you).

Shawn

 

I forgot to say that I paid $43+ for a balljoint (which includes a new boot and circlip already prepackaged with the balljoint). This was from a local Honda dealership.

http://www.acuraautomotiveparts.net sells them for $19.

http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com sells them for $28.

I think that's a price typo on the Acura Carland site.