Genuine Honda Ball Joint Question

[H311RA151N]

I went to my local Honda dealer about a week ago to get a lower ball joint. They ordered it and said it would take about a week to get here. The ball joint arrived yesterday.

The ball joint was $30 and didnt come with a nut, a snap ring or even a cotter pin.

Is this the right ball joint? Genuine Honda ball joints dont use snap rings?





I went to Bumper to Bumper and got a Moog instead because I wasnt sure.

[Granite CB7]

^Yup, the design was revised, they no longer use snap rings and unfortunately they come bare. When our cars were built the LBJ's had snap rings. Great quality though, won't run anything else.

[wildBill83]

The design was not revised, there is no snap ring on Honda ball joints never was. Take a gander at a FSM and you will see.

Item 19 is a boot clamp ring, not to be confused with the snap ring on aftermarket knuckles. I have the FSM for 91 and 93 and no snap ring is discussed in the books.

[TAMPA]

The design was not revised, there is no snap ring on Honda ball joints never was. Take a gander at a FSM and you will see.

Item 19 is a boot clamp ring, not to be confused with the snap ring on aftermarket knuckles. I have the FSM for 91 and 93 and no snap ring is discussed in the books.

Well looks like Im not buying oem ball joints either. If theres no snap ring im not buying it. Sounds like a way to cheap out to me. Pay 30 dollars and it dont come with even a damn cotter pin.

[dj_ender]

If you order the cotter pin and other items, it will come with it. Sounds like the dealer ordered the LBJ only. Some things can be ordered as a "kit", like item 4 gives you more parts than JUST the LBJ. I ran into this when I bought my water pump from Majestic. I purchased a water pump "kit" which included the water pump seal and the timing cover seal. I didn't notice this and ordered the seal as well....:/

[evil_demon_01]

Well looks like Im not buying oem ball joints either. If theres no snap ring im not buying it. Sounds like a way to cheap out to me. Pay 30 dollars and it dont come with even a damn cotter pin.

Lol, You really think Honda is "cheaping out" by not including a part that isn't needed?

Look at the suspension and you will realise that the snap ring does nothing.
It doesn't hold the ball joint in - the weight of the car does.

[wildBill83]

LBJ kit is item #4, #22, and #18... Honda is not cheaping out. Cotter pins are cheap I got a box of 100 for $5. The castle nut is fairly cheap too. You can get both the castle nut and cotter pin from a local hardware store cheaper than from Honda anyway.

I agree the snap ring doesn't matter, my last LBJ didn't have it on and it was aftermarket. I do have them on my MOOG problem solver LBJs though just as an extra precaution.

[TAMPA]

Lol, You really think Honda is "cheaping out" by not including a part that isn't needed?

Look at the suspension and you will realise that the snap ring does nothing.
It doesn't hold the ball joint in - the weight of the car does.

The snap ring might not be needed but the castle nut and cotter pin is. Not saying the part is cheap but why dont they come with all the needed parts?

I see what your saying with the snap ring, but its a nice precaution to have.

LBJ kit is item #4, #22, and #18... Honda is not cheaping out. Cotter pins are cheap I got a box of 100 for $5. The castle nut is fairly cheap too. You can get both the castle nut and cotter pin from a local hardware store cheaper than from Honda anyway.

I agree the snap ring doesn't matter, my last LBJ didn't have it on and it was aftermarket. I do have them on my MOOG problem solver LBJs though just as an extra precaution.

Thats my point. The cotter pin and nut is cheap. Just like you said. So why isnt it included?

oem is more than likely the best ball joint im not saying its not. But for paying that much you would think it would come with a cotter pin and castle nut.

[wildBill83]

It's all about options M8 and Honda gives you the option to cheap out on hardware.

[TAMPA]

It's all about options M8 and Honda gives you the option to cheap out on hardware.

Your right about that. You made a good point!

[H311RA151N]

If I would have known I would have used it.

Initially when I found out it didn’t come with a cotter pin or castle nut I was kind of pissed. But like it was said earlier in the thread, it doesn’t need it.

I would still kind of feel uneasy at first about not having a snap ring.