Rep Power: 234

What was supposed to be a 1 hour job of simply removing my front LCA's and dropping them off to the shop to get ES bushings pressed in, has become a real PITA.

The drivers side was a breeze. Took 20 minutes or so to pull that one including putting the car on the stands! I used a puller, the one referenced in this DIY. His civic looked 7th gen, was a coupe like mine, but I couldn't tell if it was auto/5spd or an 01/02 or the updated one. None the less, my LCA isn't narrow and tapered like his. It's flared like in this DIY. I didn't realize this until AFTER I got the puller of course. The puller didn't hold securely, and the puller bolt drove into the ball joint bolt at an angle, but didn't damage it and it popped out easily.

The passenger side of the vehicle has been popping for a while on turns and steep driveways, but never when going in a straight line. Because of that fact I presumed it was my LCA bushings, the usual front ones that tear because they suck. But then I noticed the left LCA bushing was also completely ripped from the core, but the noise always came from the passenger side. So in retrospect, it may have been a bad ball joint, I just skipped that idea because I was always told that a bad ball joint will make noise and let the tire wander even when going straight. I was just having odd noises when turning. I guess I was misinformed.

I used the puller first on the passenger side. Fit awkward like before. It collapsed the cotter pin holes and crushed/shroomed the head at an angle before slipping off the arm - repeatedly.

I then get an adjustable light truck puller, which oddly has a conical point on the bolt tip. So I end up drilling a hole in the bottom of the ball joint bolt, before it slips and leaves a gash in the bottom of the bolt. Nice.

I then use the jack method. I put a big *** craftsman 3/4" socket extension in there, and drop it. Nothing. I used a more square, larger crescent wrench handle. Nothing. I did bang down on the rotor, but I'm hesitant to continue doing that. I did a big break overhaul last summer n I'll be damned if I damage any of it in pursuit of this damned bolt. I try twisting the extension in opposite angles, jumping on it, hammering on it from the side and from above, and even jacking it up from the tip to try and pry it open. It just ended up lifting the car off the jack stand.

Then I got a pickle fork, and I beat the *&#*(&$ out of that thing. I swear it was fully up against the center of the joint, I couldn't force it in any further, it was at it's thickest point in the wedge, and it STILL did not come apart no matter how much I beat it from the side, above, I lifted it with the floor jack and it picked up the damn car again. I jumped on it.

I will admit, I don't have a sledge hammer, just a heavy mallet (not rubber), so I used that instead of a hammer, but I don't get much room to wind up and swing, or get much leverage. Also, I am not Thor.

WHAT DO I DO. I WANT THIS BALL JOINT OUT SO I CAN BURN IT. And replace my LCA bushings (and at least one new ball joint) and drive my car again. Please Help. It is soaking in PB Blaster and I have cursed my throat dry. I will continue it's physical abuse tomorrow. I think I'll enjoy it more, I don't expect it to open, I just want to destroy it so it will let go of my LCA, then I can shoot it out of the knuckle when I replace it.

 
Rep Power: 366

I used this one for my 02


took a day or two with it in to have it finally pop out :P

 
Rep Power: 185

That's symptomatic of a driveshaft failing.

As for you ball joint issue, I'd get a thicker pickle fork and a heavier hammer. I just ran in to this on my passenger side as well when I was replacing my LCA's. I had to pickle fork it off as well, but I had a new boot standing by as you know you're going to destroy it. I had a big hammer and almost had the fork all the way in before it gave way. I regreased the ball joint and had to press fit a new boot on using a 30mm socket.

Good luck.

 
Rep Power: 252

Hit the knuckle itself dont hit the actual ball joint.
Remember you always hit what it goes through, not the actual part your remiving.

You want to brake free the crap holding it.

Go buy a small 5lb sledge..
A mallet isnt a hammer and is not used for this.

 
Rep Power: 234

Just an update. I bought a 4lb sledge with a 12" handle, and the puller linked:

Props to you because that puller got it out in about 5 minutes without the use of any banging, prying or cursing. I'll prob return the sledge, n I already returned the assortment of pullers and pickle forks I bought/rented from Autozone.

I also picked up some moog ball joints from napa. Not too pricy. I was planning on doing the clutch later, but since I'm pulling the knuckles, I'm gonna go ahead and pull the drive shafts and do the clutch while I'm at it. I don't want to have to repeat work, and to my knowledge I don't have any plans to do any work that will require me messing with this stuff again. But things don't always go according to plan.

FYI: ASAA Racing in Houston sucks. Got my bushings pressed by CarBoy.

Thanks for the help guys.

 
Rep Power: 366

glad it worked for you too

 
Rep Power: 252

If you do work on your car a sledge is a handy tool to have. Pickle forks have there place, but not with things like this.

 
Rep Power: 234

Yeah I prob will get one again when I need it again, but I'll have more time to find one that's decently priced. I liked this one, but 40 bucks seemed kind of on the high side, but I needed it on short notice, and had plans to return it from before hand (one of the reasons I like amazon). This is the one I ended up getting btw:
I did use a friends larger sledge today though. I got the axle nuts n shock bolts off n was using it to try n back out the shaft. I had a cylinder of wood between the two, but no go. Gonna try this hub puller tomorrow: puller, but not with the slide hammer, just in a traditional puller manner. I don't care if the axle nut gets damaged because I will be replacing the shafts, just want it to back out nicely. They're soaking in PBlaster over night.