Front Upper Ball Joints

[BombSquad91]

I have an '89 Civic DX Hatch. Are the ball joints in the front upper control arm replaceable or do I have to buy the control arm with the ball joint in it?I ordered this from Rockauto:
More Information for MEVOTECH MK90492
Mevotech Part #MK90492
I have a 12ton [COLOR=#990000 !important][FONT=inherit !important][COLOR=#990000 !important][FONT=inherit !important]shop[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] press so pressing it out is not a problem. It just doesn't LOOK like it presses out. And the new one doesn't look like it presses in. Help.
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...imagephpb.jpg/

 

[91_stylin_civic]

I don't think you can replace the balljoint without replacing the control arm

 

[BombSquad91]

I just found that out. I was doing some research and I came across a instructions on how to install adjustable camber upper ball joints. The top of the page said this:

Honda Accord and Civic
Adjustable Upper Ball Joint Installation Instructions
CAUTION: A very limited number of Honda Civic/CRX vehicles from 1988-1990 were produced with the upper ball joint welded to the
control arm. The adjustable ball joint can not be used on these vehicles.

 

[Dual-500]

Whatever you decide - replace everything as the rubber bushings will be shot if the ball joints are. They aren't very expensive. Not really worth screwing with to just replace ball joints only.

 

[BombSquad91]

Already replaced em bro.

 

[Dual-500]

What did you do? Ball joints only or the whole upper arm assembly? I have a 20 ton press and there's some suspension components I won't mess with at home. Did a pulyurethane bushing job on the whole chassis a couple of years ago and the lower control arms (front and rear) were nasty and went to machine shop.

Not suggesting that about the upper BJ's - just making chat.

 

[BombSquad91]

All of them. I bought the Energy Suspension full bushing kit and a few extras that weren't in the kit. I pushed them out and in myself. I didn't buy the bushing pieces for the press either. I just used a couple of sockets.

 

[Dual-500]

Awesome! I did a full Energy Suspension polyurethane kit install on my 1991 Civic Si hatch. Did the same thing, pipe couplings, sockets, whatever I could find.

The LCA's on mine where the shocks mount were scary so I took them to the machine shop. I cranked the press up to 9000 PSI and that's maxed out and they didn't budge.

The polyurethane bushings are great!

 

[BombSquad91]

I didn't have any problems and it was literally the first time I used the press.