Ok, i replaced a cv boot am an installing my axle and getting everything back together.... axle is in, suspension hooked up, EXCEPT for the lower ball joint... i can hand tighten the castlenut, but after that if i try to use a socket wrench the stud turns with the nut, so you don't advance the nut at all....

i've tried to look at the exploded diagram at hondaautomotiveparts.com but from the looks of that its like the stud is part of the knuckle, god i hope not... on a civic it screws into the knuckle, but its not looking like that from the picture... the stud can't be pulled out, it feels like its still attached and swivels like normal, but you can' tturn the nut on it.... any ideas??? what a nightmare

 

I had the same problem once on my accord lower ball joint. This is how I got the nut on without replacing the ball joint. Place your jack right under the lower control arm and jack it up to put pressure on the lower ball joint. Jack it up until you see the rest of the car start to move up with it. Put your wrench on the castle nut and start turning. Worked for me, give it a shot.

Later

 

what if you need to get the castlenut off later? jack it up to put pressure and loosen it?

i tried jacking it up, maybe i didnt get enough pressure on it

 

I have replaced both my front ones, lots of heat and a 18mm deep well to pound on. Liquid wrench also. Take the whole knuckle off, soak around the lower ball joint with liquid wrench. Wait till dry, then heat around ball joint with torch. After good and hot, put the 18mm deep well over the stud, and take a 3lb sledge and beat the **** out of it, will eventually come out. Then freeze the new one(shrinking it effectively), and beat into place. Install snap ring to new one for precautionary reasons. Works on mine and no problems at 5000 miles.

Mike

 

How much does a ball joint cost? and where can i get one, preferrably cheaper than form Honda.

and just for my personal understanding... how does a ball joint work? i'm racking my brain trying to figure out how it can pivot as a ball joint does yet still remain stationary for a nut to turn on it? anyone wanna explain their workings to me? i'm lost in this one.


Modified by munscher at 6:30 PM 6/14/2003

 

IIRC honda only sells them with the knuckle... don't quote me on that. I know the upper they suposidly only sell with the control arm. My LBJ on the pass side front is popping, needs replaced. The only good thing is if it is part of the knuckle... because the guys at the body shop believe that's what's messed up and making my caster 2 degrees off

 

One ball joint is about $30.

Balljoints have unrestricted rotational movement b/c it's just a ball that sits in a "seat". If it weren't for the threaded stud portion hindering it, the balljoint could potentially rotate in any fashion inside the "seat".

Jack up the LCA and use an impact to tighten the nut until the balljoint is seated in the knuckle and the castle nut is aligned properly to allow a cotter pin to slip through.

 

same problem with both of my fronts...
get it hand tight then put a damn impact on it till its tight.. it works, dont know if its right...
but it works

 

yeah, i thought about an impact gun and figured it would work.... i'd have to find one.... i figure i might as well replace the thing since its messed up, but i'm still confused as to how they work... i understand that its a ball in a joint but what keeps it from spinning with the nut, but still allows it to rotate, somebody draw me a picture

 

Even when the balljoint is seated in the knuckle, it still has room to pivot side-to-side as the suspension jounces and rebounds.

You can use an electric impact wrench. They usually have enough power to do the job, unless the threads are damaged, blocked, or clogged.

 

If the stud is stripped and you cant get the nut off, you can just replace the whole ball joint. This happened to my friends car about 2 weeks ago and I replace the whole thing for him. You just have to hammer it out and hammer the new one in. It takes some time, but if it stripped you dont have a choice.

 

IN VTEC, thanks for the drawing man. As hard as it was to pop the balljoint out i can't believe that its stripped but i guess so. Maybe i just need to clean all the grease off of it and see if that'll fix it?

Prelude Vtec 23: How much did you pay for the new balljoint and where?

 

for you guys trying to break/pop these ball joints to get them apart, i recommend a pitman arm puller. just make sure you leave the castle nut on the end of the bolt so you dont ruin the threads. works like a charm, i had to do it when i dropped my trans. haven't put them back in yet though, we'll see how that goes.

peace

 

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Pep Boys, it was like $40.00 or something, and it fit perfectly.

 

you can get a new lower ball joint seperately from the dealer, but the upper must be purchased with the upper control arm. The part number is 04510-SL5-000, it is a set of 2.

 

You still need some upward force on it to seat the balljoint b/c that part is tapered. Then hit it with the impact.

 

IN VTEC: I'm assuming jacking under the lower control arm and letting the suspension push down should be enough upward force to seat it and allow me to screw the castlenut, correct?

Is it common for the ball joint to just go bad like thiss.... i mean the castlenut came right off no problems, but now the stud is loose and screws with the castlenut when i go to put it back on... seems like it should've turned with the castlenut when i took it off, not just go bad all of a sudden while its out.

 

Not necessarily so....keep in mind that the balljoint had been heat-cycled, encrusted with dirt, and stressed into position so many times that it holds the balljoint pretty firmly in the knuckle. You lose all that as soon as you pop the balljoint.

When you go to put it back in, you don't have all those forces keeping it together. Not to mention that the threads are just funny like that sometimes.

Probably the #1 reason for replacing balljoints is messing up the threads, not b/c the balljoint itself is actually bad.

Just use the impact and it'll be a no-hassle job.