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View Full Version : Serious ball joint issue



Jrw
05-01-2012, 09:05 PM
How do you get this damn thing out of the knuckle? I have the entire hub removed and cant replace this thing to save my life.
Ive tried a hammer then i got the press tool and cant seem to get it to fit properly to press it out. Is there more than one type of press? the one i got from autozone has 3 different sized cups and 2 discs that have different levels to them. I was told this would be simple far from true. Ive googled/youtube and read on this and it sound like im going to have to get it pressed at a shop but i would really prefer doing it all myself my project just need a little nudge. I have the repair manual and what it says in this is not helping. any advice will work thanks!!

kaotik78
05-02-2012, 08:37 AM
How do you get this damn thing out of the knuckle? I have the entire hub removed and cant replace this thing to save my life.
Ive tried a hammer then i got the press tool and cant seem to get it to fit properly to press it out. Is there more than one type of press? the one i got from autozone has 3 different sized cups and 2 discs that have different levels to them. I was told this would be simple far from true. Ive googled/youtube and read on this and it sound like im going to have to get it pressed at a shop but i would really prefer doing it all myself my project just need a little nudge. I have the repair manual and what it says in this is not helping. any advice will work thanks!!

First off, take the castle nut off the ball joint. Second either flip the castle nut upside down and rethread on the ball joint so it's flush with the shaft or at the least has a 1/6th or so gap between the top of the nut and the bottom of the LCA. Reasoning behind this is that if you put the OTC/MAC ball joint separator tool on there without the nut, you'll squish the holes for the cotter pin and ruin the threads.

The factory ball joints were pressed in and set with epoxy I've been told, no snap ring. The replacements I have did not come with snap rings either. Unless they're Moog or some other variant they won't have snap rings.

Keep an eye out when pressing that you don't start pressing the ball joint out from the spindle rather than the LCA and have it smush into your ABS ring on your CV axle.

Worst case, you have to remove the LCA and leave the spindle attached, use a hack saw or sawmill to cut the balljoint, then heat/peen the remainder out. Be sure to use lube/neversieze when putting it back in, hoping that will prevent further issue down the road if you need to take it all apart again.

bluedemonep3
05-02-2012, 03:44 PM
I tried doing this myself as well, did not succeed. Ended up having to take them to a shop to get them pressed out and the new ones pressed in. Good luck, hopefully it isnt as big a problem as it was for me.

ep3_si
05-02-2012, 05:24 PM
I tried doing this myself as well, did not succeed. Ended up having to take them to a shop to get them pressed out and the new ones pressed in. Good luck, hopefully it isnt as big a problem as it was for me.

Yep that's what I'll do. Easiest way if you're having problems and want to keep your hands from being dirty.

AKEP
05-02-2012, 05:25 PM
the honda specific press pieces are the best and imo the only way to get the lower ball joint out of the spindle/knuckle. or buy the whole knuckle from honda, it comes with a new ball joint supposedly. I used a regular press with some blocks and shit, ended up crushing/warping my knuckle. wasted a couple days of work for that. honda's tool is specific to the ball joint and where its located, it will save your knuckle.