I want to change both axles in a 94 accord ex 5spd, but ive searched and am not sure whether I will run into problems with the ball joints. Will I be able to get the ball joints off with a pitman puller from harborfreight, or is it possible I will end up stranded? I used a pickle fork on another honda and all it did was bend and destroy the seal. Also, will I be able to easily get it back on? I am not mechanically ignorant, but I dont have a garage, and I dont want to get stuck with no car. Any one who could help me with any common problems relating to this procedure, or specialty tools would be appreciated.

 

unless you're a magician you'll rip the balljoint boot... with a normal puller. thats why i DONT remove it when doing the CV Unbolt the lower control arm from the chassis and the lower shock mount/fork & radius rod and the whole knuckle swings right out of the way Sometimes you do have to remove the sway bar endlink, but usually I can do without.

Sound like more work, but it really is quicker IMO. Guy at a honda dealer showed/told me that.

Using this method I can swap CV's in 30-40 mins and thats with a beer stop or two

You can buy the proper balljoint popper from jc whitney, and I do have it... was like 25 bucks.

 

If it's anything like my 92, you can try and disconnect the lower control arm from the chassis, and then disconnect the shock fork (whatever it's called), stabilizer bar, and the radius rod from the LCA. You can then swing the knuckle out of the way, and you won't have to remove the ball joint from the LCA.

I'll warn you right now though, it's an incredible bitch to remove the two bolts from the radius rod. The angles you have to deal with in the well make it difficult, and the bolts are BIG. I was able to do the passenger side, but I couldn't do the driver's side. So I was stuck trying to remove the ball joints. After I destroyed one with a pickle fork (I wish I had read your post first, or used some ******* common sense) and had no success with another puller, I gave up. Even PB Blaster couldn't help.

Still, if you want to try that method, you should be able to tell fairly quickly if it's doable or not. Me? I now have one ball joint ghetto wrapped in duct tape until I can sell some crap so I can afford to pay a mechanic to fix that and do the clutch job I was trying to do in the first place

Edit: Beaten by a gimp!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by StimpyBoy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> I now have one ball joint ghetto wrapped in duct tape until I can sell some crap so I can afford to pay a mechanic to fix that and do the clutch job I was trying to do in the first place

Edit: Beaten by a gimp! </TD></TR></TABLE>

Hey dude you can buy just the balljoint boot from a autoparts store. Long as the balljoint didnt get DIRT in it just clean it out, repack and put the purdy new boot on.

edit: http://www.jcwhitney.com/produ...=jcw2

there is the 'proper' balljoint tool for us.

 

Really? Hmm, alright, I guess I'll go looking for that. I'm in Canada unfortunately, and everything that's automotive and good seems to be harder to find up here, but I'll try and find the tool and a boot. Thanks.

 

Hey, I just removed my axles and I wasn't sure how to seperate the ball joint eaither, i knew the fork could damage the boot so I searched some and I found a really easy method. If you look at the ball joint you should see a lip on the knuckle right above the boot (looking at it from front of car) All you have to do is take the wheel off, and put a jack under the brake rotor, jack it up a few inches then wedge something, (I used a 14mm socket), between that lip and the lower arm, (right to the left of the ball joint) be carefull not to pinch the boot. Lower the jack slowly and you should hear a pop and your set, lower arm should be seperated. If you do a search you should find more information about this method, its pretty straight forward. [

 

I've used a pitman arm puller on my car many times and as long as you are careful, you can do it... Make sure it's the right size and also that the boot is not pinched under the "feet". I did pinch the boot and tear it once.

 

Still think its quicker to not pop the BJ

But I will sometimes use the 2jaw puller before I had that gimpy *** 20 dollar tool:



This is still the playas method of removing it all tho that took all of like 10 minutes to have that out:



I put it backtogether with the CV axel already pushed into the hub... I hate wiggling the axel into the hub so this makes it a lot less stressful for me.

 

hey man, i have a 95 ex, just break the lower control arm loose and pull out on the hub, this way you dont have to break the ball joints loose, no damage, but it is a little bit more of a challenge!