Picked up a 2006 RSX Type S that was wrecked on the front passenger side. Did some pretty good damage to the wheel and lower control arm. I decided to swap everything out on that side to be safe and have already swapped in a new subframe. The issue/questions I am running in to pertain to the lower control arm, knuckle and ball joint...

I've done tons of reading, part number looks up and so on and I am still a bit confused...I found the knuckle for my Type S will fit all models 05-06 but the LCA will ONLY fit 05-06 Type S. I'm reading the reason for the LCA only fitting a Type S is because of the larger ball joint taper on them. Well it is tough to find a Type S being parted out around here and the ball joints seem to be made only by a few people.

So I bought everything (subframe, LCA's, knuckles w/ball joints) from a 2006 base model supposedly (subframe did not have the dampers that were added to 05-06). My main question is, why not just swap in all this base model stuff? The base model ball joints are easier to find than the Type S. I will just have to swap in bearings and hubs for a Type S to accommodate for the larger 36mm axles right? Planned on getting new ball joints, bearings and bushings any way so that situation works out quite nice...

I guess what is confusing me is why can’t I use any knuckle from any RSX, are the bearing and ball joint openings on the knuckle different sizes? Or is Honda just doing diff part #'s because the ball joint comes with it? What performance, if any, am I losing by switching to base stuff with a smaller taper ball joint? Is there going to be geometry issues? Or is the only bad thing here remembering to buy base ball joints when I need them? Thanks for reading through my jibberish and thanks for any replies!

Few links for reference:
https://www.civicforums.com/forums/4...atibility.html
https://forums.clubrsx.com/showthread.php?t=619522
https://forums.clubrsx.com/showthread.php?t=509227

 

Fairly certain the Type S knuckle casting is physically larger on the back side for clearance with the larger 28 spline CV joint.

And all those other points you made, larger ball joint and 28 spline hub.

I am about to have a set of 2002 base knuckles in hand. I can take some pictures if that helps. Also have EM2 knuckles that should be the exact same as the RSX base knuckle other than the hub bolt patterns.

 

Ahh I didn't think about the knuckle being larger on the back end for the axle. I'll check that when I get home.

Looks like the bearing fits every RSX model and year, part #44300-S84-A02....So I guess this means there is no difference in the knuckle opening as it takes the same bearing
Looking up the hub, part #44600-S87-A00, shows it ONLY fits a Type S which I could buy and install in place of the base like I was saying

On a side note, I was messing around last night with my Base and Type S LCA's...as well as my Base and Type S ball joints that I have. I slid the Type S ball joint into the base LCA, the base ball joint into the Type S LCA and nothing is different! They all protrude just as far and don't have any play side to side. The base and Type S ball joint look exactly the same. I'll take pics of this when I get home. Maybe I got Type S LCA's and ball joints?!? I am just so confused...

 

https://www.insightcentral.net/forum...mentary-8.html

Post #72 is why I think the base knuckle is smaller than the S.

 

Nice, thanks for that link! I didn't run across this thread when I was doing research. Definitely going to get back in the garage tonight and snap some pictures of what I find.

 

Really hoping any of these photos help....

 

Huh,

02-04 RSX all have the same front lower control arm. 51350-S6M-A02

05-06 Base use this part 51350-S6M-A11
05-06 Type S use this part 51350-S6M-A51

Could just be bushings? And they all run the same ball joint size?

It is probably just bushings
51391-S6M-005 front 02-04 All
51391-S6M-J51 front 05-06 Base
51391-S6M-801 front 05-06 Type S
51392-S5A-004 rear 02-06 All

Also aftermarket parts only list a single ball joint for Base and Type S all years.

 

I'm actually really surprised the bushings are different...I just don't get why so many random things are different, why would Honda actually do that and make things more complicated for themselves?!?

Any idea if the casting stamps on the knuckle or LCA mean anything or could identify anything?
The knuckles both have "L6M" on them by the ball joint. The type s also has "5E9" and the base has "5HZ".
The top of the Type S ball joint says "EH09" and the base says "EM29"

 

Some more part numbers for the conversation:

Knuckle (right front)
51210-S6M-000 – 02 only ALL models (smaller 12mm ball joint earlier models?)
51210-S6M-010 – 02-4 ALL models
51215-S6M-A00 – 05-06 ALL models

LCA (right front)
51350-S6M-A02 – 02-04 ALL models
51350-S6M-A11 – 05-06 Base only
51350-S6M-A51 – 05-06 Type S only

Axle
44305-S6M-950 – 02-06 base only auto and manual
44305-S6M-A51 – 02-06 Type S only

Hub
42200-S7A-008 – FITS EVERYTHING – NOT TRUE because the base has a smaller axle....
44600-S87-A00 – Fits only Type S

Hub Bearing
44300-S84-A02 – fits every model and year

 

I got my 2002 base knuckles. Too bad the wrecking yard beat the **** out of them and destroyed them and they will have to go back.

Anyway the casting numbers are, 6MR and 2FU on one. The other side is 6ML and 2FW.

I assume L and R are for left and right? RSX mounts the front calipers are the trailing edge?

 

Yeah I think L and R designate right and left, I forgot to grab pics of my other knuckles. Weird how mine start with L, but yours end with R...
I was beating the **** out of the LCA and knuckle on the good side of my car to get the ball joint to come loose but it wasn't budging. I had to use a pickle fork to get it loose, it really messed up the ball joint! Those things are on there REALLY good so i bet that is why yours are beat to ****.
And looks like I found a place with 05-06 Type S stuff so I am just going to go there and check it out. I'll bring some of my stuff with me to see how it matches up since we haven't figured much out here...

 

Sweet, bring back some data!

This is not where you hit to separate a ball joint. Just destroys the bore and pushes the joint out of the knuckle. Neanderthals I tell you!

 

More fun data points, called a wrecking yard for some new base knuckles. They said there is a vin split on the base stuff 30,000 was the split number.

 

VIN split is 2002 only, early years used a 14mm strut to knuckle bolt, later years used a 16mm bolt.

 

I honestly couldn't find anything different about 05-06 Base and Type S stuff...but I didn't spend much extra time at the pick n pull as it is getting hot in AZ and didn't want to be out there any longer than I had to be...
Yeah the 05-06 Base and Type S axles are different sizes which makes the hubs themselves different.
05-06 Base Rotors are smaller than the Type S (different brake caliper and bracket sizes I have yet to confirm)
02-04 Ball joints are obviously different than 05-06 shown in a pic below
02-04 Knuckles seem to be stamped 6MR and 6ML, where 05-06 L6M and R6M

As for the rest, I don't have much proof and i'm not responsible for any issues you run into lol but I believe:
All models 05-06 LCA's are exactly the same
All models 05-06 Ball joints are exactly the same (bought 98 Prelude ball joints and they look/fit exactly the same)
All models 05-06 Knuckles are the same (you would have to swap the hubs if you bought base ones for a type s since the axle is larger)