I'm not referring to the pickle fork that separates the arm from the joint, but specifically the tool to press out the ball joint from the knuckle. The only ones I've seen look like a c-clamp. I can see that working for installing the new one but what about removal? I thought there was a claw type tool for removal. I've gone to a couple of tool stores with no luck.

Anyone replaced their lower ball joints before?

 

handle side of a 1/2" craftsman ratchet.

no clamp bullshit necessary. search for this, it's been covered in depth in Autox and ITR forum.

D

 

pneumatic air hammer works like a charm. air tools are cool; and by cool, I mean totally sweet.

 

what D said

 

The OFFICIAL tool is a "Honda/Acura balljoint press", It's sold by OTC..... The way the majority of honda/acura technicians do it (Me being one of them) is with an air hammer....

Dan

 

yes air hammers are sweet, i had a pickle fork extension on my IR hammer but i found the best way to drop civic/integra joints compared to that of most other cars is that the lower ball joint points down all i ever do is just take a nice 48 oz hammer and hit it all around, then use somthing to pry up and keep doing that, it normally only takes a few seconds that and when using pickle forks you run the risk of damaging your dust boot, but if your replacing it anyways then no biggie

 

**** i read the post wrong, no how i get the ball joint out of the spindle is i'll take the whole knuckle out and put it in a vice and pound it out with a hammer, then go to an autoparts store (if they offer it) and barrow a loaner set of their ball joint press set (it's like 100 deposit)

 

The ball joint press will take it out just fine as well.

 

big hammer is all you need.

 

I couldn't budge a ball joint out with the press you can rent. The press is great for putting new ones in though. I used a BFH and the spacers that come with the press to knock it out. The spacers allowed me to hit the solid part of the joint, instead of the stud. Knocked it out in about 5 minutes (I'm a small guy, I'm sure a larger person could have done it in about 2). I'd use an air hammer if you have access to one though.

 

1, 2, 3,.............

3 licks to get a LBJ out of of LCA!