lower ball joint replacement ?
 

hey,

i finally got my lower ball joints off the lca last week but as expected with a fork, i tore one. I have new ball joints with boots on the way.

I have a C clamp type remover/installer but with the knuckle and hub on the car, I cant fit the thing on there. Is there a technique to removing/installing these joints? Should I just take the knuck/hub off and bring it to a shop to do?

anyone know a source for those ball joint tools shown in the helm manual? I think they give a MAC no.

Re: lower ball joint replacement ? (GruvyTune)
 

BFH http://images.zeroforum.com/smile/emsmile.gif

Re: lower ball joint replacement ? (Chiovnidca)
 

yea i got the control arms out but i need to replace the actual joints themselves. I was told its easier to replace the entire ball joint ($30 part) rather than try and replace the torn boot. is it possible to push out the ball joint from the knuckle or do you need a press?

Re: lower ball joint replacement ? (GruvyTune)
 

it is possible, but a shop will not charge that much to take a ball joint out with a press, if its already dissasembled, labor prices are shoved way down. Bushings, bearings, for things like that that should have a press, go ahead and use one.

Re: lower ball joint replacement ? (riceboy)
 

Yeah it'll be cheaper, but it's not going to be cheaper if you have to resort to disassembling the upper ball joints and the tie rod ends from the knuckles in the same way, when no tool you have really works. I ended up tearing my boots a couple weeks ago, so I'm gonna buy a pair of new ones and take it to "my guy."

Re: lower ball joint replacement ? (Mike P.)
 

Gruvy, why are you replacing the joint?

Re: lower ball joint replacement ? (Chiovnidca)
 

That is what I use. I just loosen the bolt on the bottom of the controll arm and with an 11lbs hammer I bang it on the dimple of the LCA. Sometimes it pops right out, other times its a bitch.

art

Re: lower ball joint replacement ? (GruvyTune)
 

If this post is easy to find after Saturday (the day I plan on pressing out my old lower ball joint and pressing in a new one) I'll let you know how it all went. I busted my old one all up because it wouldn't come loose from the lca. Pickle fork and bfh got it loose, but in the process I broke/tore the boot and frigged up some of the threads. http://images.zeroforum.com/smile/mad.gif

Re: lower ball joint replacement ? (Thagreybomber)
 

i'm replacing the whole joint because someone told me that trying to replace the boot with that crazy wire seal is very hard and that for $30 you can get the whole joint with boot on it. is that not true? how hard is it to just replace the boot? seems the boot goes up into the joint anyway at the top?

I ordered the JC whitney tools that look like the jaw type ones in the manual since someone suggested it worked great. If so, i should be able to remove the upper arm and tie rod connections to get the whole knuckle/hub off and take it somewhere to press the new ball in.

Re: lower ball joint replacement ? (GruvyTune)
 

It's very easy to replace the boot only. That metal clip is not that hard to deal with. You just need a good set of needle nose pliers to remove and install it. And, no, the boot doesn't go all the way into the hub/spindle.

If I were you and you just have a torn boot, just replace the boot if your ball joint is still good. And here's a TIP - Never use a pickle fork to pop those joints unless you are replacing them 100% becasue no matter how careful you think you are, you will always rip the boot!

Re: lower ball joint replacement ? (GruvyTune)
 

Took me less than five minutes to change out the boot. Also whenever I drop the tranny now , instead of messing with the ball joints, I drop the lca's and wiggle the driveshafts out. IMHO it's way easier than the fork and BFH.

Re: lower ball joint replacement ? (GruvyTune)
 

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=211147

There is some great information regarding separation of the lower ball joint from the LCA in this thread.

Re: lower ball joint replacement ? (Mike P.)
 

ditto here, I tore both LCA ball joints...I used the fork...
I was gonna look into it, but I need to get my shit done right away..

TTT for answers please....

Re: lower ball joint replacement ? (Flamenco-T)
 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Flamenco-T &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> I tore both LCA ball joints...I used the fork...
I was gonna look into it, but I need to get my shit done right away..

TTT for answers please....</TD></TR></TABLE>

ditto... please help https://honda-tech.com/forums/images/smilies/emsad.gif

Re: lower ball joint replacement ? (b cruz)
 

to reduce the chances of tearing the boot when using the fork spray lots of wd 40 on the boot of the ball joint before you hit it with the fork it can cut down on the chances of tearing it

Re: lower ball joint replacement ? (hayabusa160)
 

how about INSTALLING the new balljoint?

Re: lower ball joint replacement ? (b cruz)
 

For future reference: https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=887859

Re: lower ball joint replacement ? (IVI)
 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by IVI &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">how about INSTALLING the new balljoint?</TD></TR></TABLE>

BFH and a block of wood to keep the hammer from directly smacking the balljoint.

Or, you can remove the entire knuckle and take it to a machine shop to have it pressed out/in.

Also, it's easy to replace just the balljoint boot (as I'm sure Gruvy has figured out at some point or another in the last couple of years, I hope).