7th gen ball joint DIY
 

ok, changed my balljoints this weekend, so im gonna make a diy

tools needed:

torque wrench
1/2" impact
air hammer
ball joint sperator instert for air hammer
^^ not needed, but makes things easier

3/8" ratchet x2
set of sockets, metric
ball joints
hammer
pry bar
jack stands
jack
1 and 1/4" socket(axle nut)
ball joint c clamp
anti-seize



ok, parts needed(honda part numbers)

ball joints - 51220-s5a-30 - x2
lower castle nut cotter pin- 90701-sx0-003 - x2
spindle nut(axle nut) - 90305-692-010
castle nut - 90363-s47-000 - x2

ok, first step, jack up car at specified jacking points, and suspend with jack stands(dont forget to loosen lugs first). remove wheel, then ull be here...

http://img364.imageshack.us/img364/3783/img0788tu9.jpg

after you have done this, remove the axle nut with the 1.25" socket(this may be fairly difficult without an impact, but it is possible), then use a hammer on the end of the axle, to free it from its seat in the bearing, then remove the caliper and bracket in one piece, and it will look like this:

http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/8866/img0791yd3.jpg

then, remove the two bolts that hold the strut to the knuckle(pictured below) and pull the knuckle free from the strut(which can remain connected to the tie rod and strut tower)

http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/4120/img0792jp3.jpg

now, under the control arm is a castle nut, which holds the control arm to the knuckle, which is screwed onto the lower portion of the ball joint. use a pair of pliers and remove the cotter pin from the castle nut. then loosen and remove the castle nut from the ball joint

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/4213/img0793nj9.jpg

at this point, u can remove the knuckle from the lca, to do this, us an air hammer with ball joint seperator insert, to seperate the knuckle from the LCA, if u dont have an air hammer, use a hammer and pry bar to seperate, place prybar between knuckle and LCA and hammer until it breaks free

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/9505/img0794te4.jpg

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/7986/img0795za2.jpg

this is where the air hammer comes in handy, removing the ball joint from the knuckle

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/1282/img0796hf7.jpg

it can be done with a hammer and chisel, but its harder, and takes more time, but possible

before:

http://img365.imageshack.us/img365/9597/img0797hj3.jpg

after:

http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/1197/img0798ou0.jpg

now is where ur gonna need the ball joint c-clamp, it is not possible without it, and i always use anti-seize as lube when i install ball joints, so get some of that too

anti-seize
http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/7389/img0800py0.jpg
ball joint c-clamp
http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/1088/img0799mz1.jpg

here is where the impact comes in handy(can be done with a ratchet, but again, its harder, and takes more time). insert the new ball joint into the hole where it will eventually seat, and attatch the ball joint c-clamp onto the knuckle and ball joint with appropriate adapter

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/1192/img0803xb7.jpg

this is what the ball joint will look like when it is fully seated in the knuckle

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/5092/img0802tu6.jpg

now u can reinsall the knuckle into the lower control arm and strut. if you have problems getting the strut and knuckle lining up because of tension, use a jack between the unibody and the lca to spread them out and make it easier:

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/6919/img0805gq8.jpg

now dont foreget to seat the axle into the bearing before installing the knuckle, otherwise it will be a pain. after installing the knuckle back into the LCA and strut, install your new axle nut/spindle nut and tighten

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/2421/img0804cf1.jpg

finally, use a flathead screwdriver and a hammer and smash the axle nut into the groove on the axle to keep it from coming loose, reinstall wheel and ur done
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/9624/img0806ql7.jpg]

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

awesome! my joints look like urs did

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

Nice, Good job man!

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

why did you need to replace it? nice diy tho

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

ball joints were moving excessively, as well as making noise, it was time, i got 120k almost on my vic, and was on original ball joints

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

pm me with any questions, my priveledges are all screwed up, i cant reply for some reason

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

nice write up .. how would you know if you need to change your balljoint? what kind of noise do you hear?? is it a hard job??? time ??

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

time was 3 hours about, if u want to know how to check them, jack up one side of ur car till the wheel is off the ground, then put a pry bar inbetween the lca and the knuckle, where the ball joint is, and if there is movement, then ur ball joint is bad, no movement and its good

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

okay, thanks alot adam.. going to prolly check it out this weeknd

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

if u need any help just hit me up

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

You may also want to state that after anyone does this that they WILL need to get an alignment.

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

heyy, good call matt. any time u mess with suspension an alignment is needed

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

Thank you for this DIY! Trying to sell my civic and a shop just found a bad balljoint! Time to order my ball joints and C clamp!

This couldn't have come at a better time!

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

I just did mine this weekend too. Spent like 9 hours on em because of various hassles.

You can just bang the old ones out with hammer.

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

yea u CAN bang em out with a hammer, but an air hammer is sooooo much more fun

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

+1 on air hammer fun, haha.

nice write up man.

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

You and the ****ing air hammer!

Just FYI, If you have problems getting the axle out, use the tool on the right. IT is a ball joint separator but fits on the hub perfectly. YOu also can use it to push in the ball joint if you don't have a ball joint C clamp.
http://www.mytoolstore.com/astro/7838.jpg

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

every time i do a job on my car, i stop for a minute and bow my head for those who don't have access to air tools.

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

rob has the right idea. we rent those tools at work too (free)

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

Very nice DIY. Rep for you (Like you need it :-P ).

You say you have 120K - what is the typical lifespan for ball joints? I am still on original shocks / struts at 117k and I am going to order some HP blues + eibachs. Wondering if while the wheels are off I may as well just do the ball joints.

Also, are there any aftermarket parts with grease fittings that will outlast OEM? Any brands with a good reputation and part numbers?

Edit: Not sure if the brand has a good reputation, but Moog makes an aftermarket ball joint with grease fitting - so you can re-grease and it will last longer. Part number is K90332 and I saw them around $54 each. I was looking on majestic and I still don't see a way to buy just the ball joint from honda, so I'm assuming it is still knuckle only, meaning you have to buy an entire knuckle to do the ball joints if you wanted to go oem. lame.

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

there really isnt a set number of miles for ball joints, they just go bad when the go bad, i knew mine were bad because my steering wheel would shake at 60-70 with perfectly balanced tires. also keep in mind im on neuspeed race springs, and they are stiff as hell, so it makes suspension components go bad faster

i want to say moog makes performance ball joints for our cars, but i dont know where to get them, i know they run about 55 bucks each tho, compared to the 30 i paid each for the oem ones. but they dont have grease fittings. i dont see why you couldnt put grease fittings into them tho, it would be pretty easy...

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

i have a question that might be related to my balljoints

i JUST replaced my clutch and for some reason the car developed this clicking sound. everything seems fine when it comes to the steering components. i know i definatly need to chance the complience bushings for sure they're completly broken, so i just ordered new ones from Energy Suspension. its not much of a clicking sound as much as its a metal on metal (tack tack tack tack tack)...as if the axel was hitting something or the balljoints are broken...i have no clue. but its prettly loud clicking/ticking sound. when i looked under the car..the balljoints have grease all over them as if the boot is broken or something. would this be the cause of my problem?

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

no, balljoints dont click, sounds like a cv axle, what u want to do is put ur car in reverse, turn the wheel all the way to one side, and drive. if the clicking gets worse, u have a bad cv axle. either way id bet on cv axles. but i would replace all of this at the same time, compliance bushings, cv axkes, and ball joints, because u have it all apart anyway

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

damn....just what i DIDNT want o hear lol

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

sorry man, thats kinda how it goes, but i did all thsoe things at 3 diff times, and hence 3 times the work, do it all at the same time, itll cost u, but itll cost u less time

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

You can get Moog at almost any parts store. We sell them where i work and they are fantastic, a little more expensive then the average chassis parts but they come with a lifetime warranty and all have grease fittings so yes you can re-grease them if needed. A company called Federal Mogul sells Moog and 50 other big names including Wagner and Bca bearings, so if you find someone that sells auto parts then guaranteed they carry Moog.

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

awesome info minorc +1 for u

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

Moog are $60+ EACH online. I got Three Five (555) ones from Napa, which Skipbarber says is a good company. If you look online there are Sankei ones for $20 each, Mevotech for $50 for 2, and Moog at $60+ each.

Mine finally went at 85k, but probably were weak before that. Driving in Baltimore, DC and autox's didn't help matters.

Green, ever notice how we do similar DIYs? ;)

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

haha, now that i look, ur right, maybe we are both crazy then... id rep u, but i cant!

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

Did this diy this past sunday...came out great but YOU DONT NEED THE BALL JOINT INSERTION TOOL TO DO IT. So dont scare people into thinking that they need it and it isnt hard to remove to ball joint with a hammer and chisel. I dont know how strong i am but about 10 hard hits and its out. I got them back in by seating the balljoint in and then placing a thick piece of 2x4 on top of it and whacked it in easily(of course i used the antiseize)

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

Also an easy way to get the balljoint disconnected from the LCA is to simply jack up the arm as high as your jack will take it then place vertically wedge the end of you ratchet in the space between the LCA and Knuckle. Remove the jack and viola! it pops free. Sometimes you have to step on the rotor a little but otherwise the cars weight does the job for you. No need for banging on a prybar or using those pickle forks that rip the boots.

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

One more thing whenever you buy a complete balljoint remove the boot that it came with and check to see how much grease is actually in it. I checked the ones i bought and it barely had any grease in it so i filled it up with some moly grease and refitted the balljoint boot which is simple to do with a socket that is slightly larger than the ball joint boot. Once again great DIY. And experiece(which i had when i replace my wheel bearings)removing the knuckle etc will help.

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

thanks again man, yea there are a few tricks to this, and knowledge will def help out a lot, nothing like experience

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

if i buy the parts, can you drive up and install for free? lol

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

if by free u mean, beer food and company

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

fixed.

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

lol, thanks robb

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

So I got the old one out, got the ball joint insertion tool from auto zone but cant see how you can use it!! There is no room between the knuckle and ball joint to properly get the c clamp in to seat the ball joint!
I NEED HELP SOON PLEASE!!!!!!:help:

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

Thanks!!! Guess no one can help

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

u just need to use the right fitting is all, post pics of what ur doing

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

i relapce al my old ass parts..lol what a pain in the ass.. but it drive like i just got it off the show room floor

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

I just changed all suspension parts on my front end. When i was changing my ball joints I purchased them from oreillys. They came with right angled grease fittings. When i installed them into the steering knuckle the clamp that holds the axle boot would hit the grease fitting. Very little or no clearance. I went back with a straight grease fitting that was a lot smaller and this seemed to work. I had more clearance on passenger side than driver. Has anyone else had this problem.

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

ive never used greased balljoints on a civic, didnt see a need, but i bought mine from honda

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

I had to replace a ball joint on my driver's side around 75k miles. 30k Hard driving miles on sportlines, tokicos, stb's, and 27mm progress sways made the ball joint break free from the knuckle completely.

I took it to get aligned one day and was told that they couldn't until my ball joint was replaced. They then proceeded to tell me that I had to replace the entire lca. I never went back.

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

Hmmm...don't need the joints yet, but my '05 coupe has 102K on it already and my control arms sound horrible...you know the bushing problem? well I gots me some dorman aftermarkets to see how much more durable they are. Some honda factory stuff just isn't as durable as aftermarket. Plus they were like 1/2 the price ($69 vs honda's factory $129), so even if it's just as long lasting, dorman still is a better deal than honda. But as far as changing the joints, I think they should last another 20K miles, I'll probably wind up changing them along with my clutch since it's just starting to show signs of slippage. But don't think i'll be getting factory honda balljoints. My buddy recommended Moogs, so I'll try those out after these go.
Thanks for the pointers by the way, you just saved me some trouble of finding the wrench sizes to get these suckers off. I actually went on this DIY thread section to find something on control arm removal but hey this is close enough. Just have to match the wrench sockets sizes on the control arms.

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

A little bit of a thread resurrection here. But I just wanted to thank you for the DIY. I'm tackling these bright and early tomorrow. This gives me a heads up on what I need so I don't have to run all over town looking for stuff. Thanks a bunch. You rock!

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

Well. I did the ball joints and a brake flush yesterday. Things went pretty well. :) Took 1 hour per side for the ball joints. Anti seeze is your friend if you suspect you will be the one doing this next time. A big thanks to my buddy Justin for his help. He brought ball joint replacement experience to this project.

If you've never done ball joints before, it could take you awhile. Because it's one of those things that you don't know how hard you can beat on something with a hammer without breaking it. . :shrug: You have to beat on these pretty hard, it helps to have someone on the prybar working it too. Careful not to beat up your fenders. :_beer: You should really try to pop them loose before loosening the top bolts. If the top is loose, you have nothing to pry against to get them loose. If you have done them before, it's cake.

I went with the Moog brand of ball joints and found the best price on them from Advanced Auto. I liked the fact they are greased, they come with a new retention clip (if that's what it's called) castle nut, and cotter pin. That being said, nothing wrong with getting OEM, heck, my old ones lasted 10 years and 117 thousand miles. You'll just have to make sure to get the extra hardware if the Honda ones don't come with.

I elected to put the old axle nuts back on there. If you get new ones be very careful especially with air tools, not to strip them out. :hithead:This will turn your project into a nightmare in a hurry.

Also to make the job easier, I put down the $160 deposit to rent the press kit. I'll get all of the money back when I return the press, so it's free to use, you are just out $160 bucks until you return it. It was worth it to me. This is what it looks like:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/...h_IMG00020.jpg
You only use a couple of these peices. So don't be intimidated.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/...h_IMG00021.jpg

Here is the old next to the new. .
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/...h_IMG00016.jpg

Here is the new one installed. Notice the grease valve at the top. :tup:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/...h_IMG00017.jpg

Here is the press kit hooked up getting ready to press the old one out. This isn't really necessary, because you can just take a hammer to it and smack it out. . You reverse the press tool to press the new joint in. . This is where you have a moment of silence for those without air tools. . :cool:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/...h_IMG00018.jpg

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

nice yeah moog parts are usually a bit better than oem. how did you know your ball joints went bad?

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

Every once in awhile I take my car into the stealership and have them do their oil change and multi-point inspection. I like to see what issues they think the car has. Then I proceed to fix them myself, so the job is done right at a fraction of the cost. The parts costed me around $100 bucks, the stealership wanted $410 to replace them. :cool:

Re: 7th gen ball joint DIY
 

at 285,826 miles on my 01 civic. I started noticing some noise (klunking sound) on the passenger side when I go over the imperfection on the roads. I decided to do my front pads and noticed this. This is the first time I am changing them.

Problem is the pic of the ball joint is on the driver side.

Attachment 78302

The only thing I noticed on the passenger side was the strut boot sitting in there inside the spring.

Attachment 78303

I did see that the sway bar links needs to be on the driver side.

Attachment 78304

Im open to any comments, hints, tips, tricks, etc..

Either way I guess I need to get this done. Thanks to a great DIY, looking forward in doing this sometime soon.

Who would've thought 285k on the original stuff pic'd above.