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divisii · 05-21-2006, 01:26 PM

I used to own a vintage (ie. old) domestic (GM) muscle car & actually snapped the ball joints a few times while driving aggressively. Questions - Anyone ever broken an A-arm or ball joint on a Civic? I'm told the balljoint's unserviceable & meant to be replaced as-a-whole .... so, any idea what is the life expectancy on these A-arms?

K2e2vin · 05-22-2006, 11:31 AM

Well my old blue CRX was made in 1988, has 218k miles and was driven hard. The A-arms are the stock ones.

asmallsol · 05-25-2006, 01:29 PM

I have heard a few people snapping ball joints on civics and typically total or fuck up their car royally because their car tends to veir instatly into a ditch.

However, they are servisible, however, typically you need to take them to a shop to press them out. When you take the a-arm out, on the top side of the ball joint, there will be a cover. Remove this and you will see a snap ring. Take the snap ring out and either beat the living hell out of the ball joint until it pops out or take it to a shop and have them press it out.

divisii · 05-27-2006, 01:04 PM

thanks .. great info

asmallsol · 05-27-2006, 08:53 PM

To add to this, in my above post, I was talking about the lower ball joint. The Upper ball joint is non servicable and to replace, you must replace the entire upper control arm. You can find them relatively cheap on Ebay. The final ball joint, the tie rod ends are replaceable. All you have to do is loosen a jam nut, then take off. When you put it back on, you'll have to get an alignment.

divisii · 05-31-2006, 01:44 PM

got it .. that all makes sense, added to what I already know. Many thx asmallsol.

05-21-2006, 01:26 PM	#1
divisii Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 162 iTrader: 0 / 0% Rep Power: 14	I used to own a vintage (ie. old) domestic (GM) muscle car & actually snapped the ball joints a few times while driving aggressively. Questions - Anyone ever broken an A-arm or ball joint on a Civic? I'm told the balljoint's unserviceable & meant to be replaced as-a-whole .... so, any idea what is the life expectancy on these A-arms? __________________ 1999 Civic DX-- AEM CAI, Magnecor plug wires, 195-50/15x7 alloys future? B or K swap

05-22-2006, 11:31 AM	#2
K2e2vin Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Raleigh, NC Age: 22 Posts: 6,358 iTrader: 2 / 100% Ride: 88 Honda Civic HB Rep Power: 150	Well my old blue CRX was made in 1988, has 218k miles and was driven hard. The A-arms are the stock ones. __________________ 1988 Honda Civic Standard-more mods than I want to list 1992 Honda Accord LX 1996 Toyota Avalon-Spun bearing, for sale. Terrorists have successfully attacked our imagination. RIP Jon Eban Nie, August 31, 1991 - May 7, 2006 Y-Daniel Siu Eban, September 7, 1986 - May 7, 2006

05-25-2006, 01:29 PM	#3
asmallsol Super Moderator Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Houghton/Livonia Michigan Age: 23 Posts: 8,101 iTrader: 0 / 0% Ride: 93 del Sol Gas sipper Rep Power: 101	I have heard a few people snapping ball joints on civics and typically total or fuck up their car royally because their car tends to veir instatly into a ditch. However, they are servisible, however, typically you need to take them to a shop to press them out. When you take the a-arm out, on the top side of the ball joint, there will be a cover. Remove this and you will see a snap ring. Take the snap ring out and either beat the living hell out of the ball joint until it pops out or take it to a shop and have them press it out. __________________ Collin Material Science and Engineering Michigan Technological University

05-27-2006, 01:04 PM	#4
divisii Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 162 iTrader: 0 / 0% Rep Power: 14	thanks .. great info __________________ 1999 Civic DX-- AEM CAI, Magnecor plug wires, 195-50/15x7 alloys future? B or K swap

05-27-2006, 08:53 PM	#5
asmallsol Super Moderator Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Houghton/Livonia Michigan Age: 23 Posts: 8,101 iTrader: 0 / 0% Ride: 93 del Sol Gas sipper Rep Power: 101	To add to this, in my above post, I was talking about the lower ball joint. The Upper ball joint is non servicable and to replace, you must replace the entire upper control arm. You can find them relatively cheap on Ebay. The final ball joint, the tie rod ends are replaceable. All you have to do is loosen a jam nut, then take off. When you put it back on, you'll have to get an alignment. __________________ Collin Material Science and Engineering Michigan Technological University


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05-31-2006, 01:44 PM	#6
divisii Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 162 iTrader: 0 / 0% Rep Power: 14	got it .. that all makes sense, added to what I already know. Many thx asmallsol. __________________ 1999 Civic DX-- AEM CAI, Magnecor plug wires, 195-50/15x7 alloys future? B or K swap

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A-arm servicing