Lower balljoint replacement.

[Losiracer2]

autozone rents a tool to do the job, basically looks like a giant C-clamp. But it helps to have impact tools to tighten/loosen it since it takes a bit of force

I can do both in about an hour with my setup. I even managed to do a balljoint swap in the store one time using their tools since I didn't want to go all the way home, remove/re-install it and then come back to the store.

[yankees88]

i woulda rented it from autozone but didnt have the money lol they wanted like almost 200 so i just did my own thing and it worked out great haha

[Tippey764]

EEEK!

Why didn't you do the ball joints when you put the coilovers on?

because taking off the strut doesn't involve removing the knuckle or messing with the ball joints at all.

[AAPOQ]

I do however want to understand why the balljoint is intact and the knuckle off the joint

[Bad_dude]

It looks like the ball joint just stripped from the top where it suppose to be held onto the knuckle. So the top part of the joint, the metal is stripped, it looks like. In this case, how do know when it goes bad since it might not have any play in it.

[8ball]

i think the snap ring was messed up or some how it managed to push the bearing out thats the only ways its designed to come out like that

[AgentHydra]

Wish I had found this sooner, took me 4 hours and a smashed finger just to do one side.

Maybe in a couple weeks I'll get the balls to do the other side, lol!

[illinois_erik]

besides the hassle with installing the new snap ring (i didnt have big enough pliers, and had to walk it down with a screw driver and pick) the original ones were cake with just a ball peen hammer, a couple good blasts they came right out. A light scuffing of the bore on the knuckle and a dab of antiseeze on the new ones went in easily; they werent loose. I finished and seated them with a dead blow hammer. I was very apprehensive preparing to change them, but after that Ill dive right in changing them again

[Honda_Lady]

this is something i need to get done soon but know just renting the tool will be expensive and don't have "automotive" hammer's to try to just hammer it in and out. Also, with how much my mom works, finding the time is also difficult when trying to get some work done on the car :/

[stevediraddo]

Never joke around with ball joints. I broke my first ball joint pulling out of my driveway one day. Fixed it up and whatnot, but 6 months later the same ball joint broke on the highway going about 55mph. Needed a new axle and oil pan after that one.

[fromthe864]

Does the axle nut need to be removed to do this job?

[AAPOQ]

Does the axle nut need to be removed to do this job?

To remove the lower ball joint? yes...

[fromthe864]

Ok, thanks. I was pretty sure it needed to be after taking a look at where the LBJ is positioned. I just never heard anyone talking about the fun task of taking an overtight axle nut off. I need to get a 3/4" drive breaker bar/ratchet. I have broken 2 1/2" drives in the past trying to get that rascal of and I don't have an impact gun.

[Tippey764]

Don't bother reinstalling a snap ring on the lower ball joints

Its not required

If you buy a new genuine honda lower ball joint it won't come with a snap ring or even the grove for it.

[choppacity]

I do however want to understand why the balljoint is intact and the knuckle off the joint

A closer picture of the balljoint in the LCA


These are the other two pictures i have, the camera focused on the knuckle insted of the ball joint itself


Funny how this happened and this is what my mileage read at the time


I was at first but the ball dislodged itself from the socket.