Replacing Front ball joints

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C

CiViC_SOHC

Senior Member
Ok, so I have been redoing my car for A LONG time now and I have finally gotten down to the little stuff after putting my engine back in my car. I have a 1992 honda civic LX. I am trying to get the lower ball joints replaced. Now I rented a ball joint installer from Advance Auto and I am having some troubles getting it apart from the lower control arm. I gave up and I guess my buddy got it loose but was reading the Hanes manual and it said I had to take it to a dealer to get the old ball joint out and the new ball joint in, is this true or can I get it out myself and if so what tools would I need? Thanks.
 
You take out the retaining clip?

I did mine by myself btw; took like 20minutes for one side.
118174340_381243116_0.jpg

you can see the retaining clip in this pic:
lbjinstalled.jpg
 
You mean the cotter pin? I took that out..the nut is off the end...but that tool you used..I dont' see how you got the tool around your hub. There is a small lip that sticks out the back of my hub to where I can't fit the installing hub (from the tool) on top of it...or did you take your hub off?
 
No not cotter pin. It's a round ring that you use snap pliers to get off(look on my second pic; it wraps around the body of the LBJ; you can see it up against the knuckle).

That lip; pry it out. That's what I had to do.
 
Oh, ok I see that clip now....and I can just pry that lip out? Just hammer it back in when in done then? Thx for the help so far!
 
Yup. It's recommended to use a coffee can or something to hammer it back in. When you put in one side; then try to hammer the other side; it pops out. Gets annoying so just a heads up to use something with large flat bottom to keep it leveled.
 
its also good to take off that castle nut, flip it upside down, and screw it on a few threads so you dont mushroom the bottom.
 
Well, the front passenger side will be a problem..my dumbass decides to cut the threads with a sawzall thinking that was gonna help LOL..there is still like half the screw there so I think I will still be able to get it out...How did you get it to flip sideways like that? Will it spin around when I get it loose from the lower control arm?
 
Flip sideways? I took out my knuckles to swap the lower ball joints. If the ball joint is still stuck in the lower control arm; jack up the assembly, stick a torque wrench in between the lower control arm and knuckle(try to make it snug), and lower the jack. It should pop the ball joint out of the lower control arm.
 
I wish I would have known that before...my friend got it loose I guess FINALLY. The directions on how to change them are confusing as fuck but im sure I can figure it out.
 
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