Honda/Acura painless ball joint separation

[jonnythisartist]

So when you put the ball joint back, do you just put it back into the hole and tighten the castle nut with a new cotter pin?

[TheMayorpanda]

Just tried this and it worked great. The passenger side came undone using the regular method, aka 3 lb sledge.

[bchang378]

Hey that's my foot and car! I originally posted this on Honda-tech ages ago. The clip is short because I used my Canon G1 and it's only limited to 30 seconds at 480 x 360(?). It was high resolution at the time. Glad it's helping people.

[kamorris1984]

Worked like a charm, used a large square headed bolt instead of a ratchet or wrench because I couldn't keep anything roundish in place.

[Neejay]

Super easy, worked like a charm. Thanks for sharing.

[fluidacid]

This came in handy for me today, great video! Worked like a charm!

[datboiduane]

i tried this and it did not work on my integra.i was jumping up and down on the hub too. it looks like you also have the strut fork disconnected. would disconnecting that allow the lower control arm to drop down more? my control arm didn't drop down anywhere near as much as this one

[theeggieaponte]

LOL make sure the bar is in there good and step directly on it, or you will be tasting your fender, and OEM taste oh so good.

[The91efcivic]

its so much easier to do methods such as this, instead of replacing your ball joint as well.

its not going to damage the threads at all because all your doing is seperating it using shorter distance it has to travel to seperate.

i also reinstalled my hubs using a C-clamp to keep my ball joint from spinning while tightening up my castle nuts

[TsmnnDvl5]

An air hammer works just as well too, then again, a couple a blows with a hammer and the ball joint pops right out. Encountered a few stubborn ones, hammer to loosen then the air hammer finished the job. :)

[Z3mode]

That's a good trick and it works.

[Z3mode]

WTF....?

[EvokDubstep]

worked FLAWLESSLY. Thanks a bunch.

[electroman17]

I messed around for over an hour using a 2-arm puller just like the repair books say to do. I ended up breaking my puller(Harbor Feight=you get what you pay for) so I gave up and went home and googled "86 honda accord ball joint removal" and found this video. I went back the next morning and hand both sides seperated in less than minutes. Thanks for posting this!!! BTW, tried using the picklefork on my sis-in-laws car and ripped her balljoint boot.

[EvokDubstep]

@electroman17 Your story is SO similiar to mine.its not even funny. im about to go try this now, after i gave up xD.

[sexybologna111]

great ball joint trick, just used it on our 91 accord lx!!!!

[carter102]

Tried to use the expensive ball joint tool, couldn't separate it even after 2 hours of trying, and it mushroomed the end.

I used this method, had it out in less than 5 minutes!!

Many thanks, great video!

[MattTrevett]

I jacked it up, put in a socket (for a rachet) that just fit the gap, let it down and it worked like a charm. Great video. Thanks.

[SeniorEnforcer]

a little heat, some penitrating oil, a big ass pry bar, and a little common sence, goes a long way.

[HansLe518]

Tried this method and it worked beautifully without even needing a kick

[HansLe518]

I rented a front-end service kit from autozone-- the only pullers that fit on the lower balljoint of my 96 accord were the 2 pitman-arm pullers (proximity of brake dust shield prevented me from sliding in the other ones)-- I wish I had known about this method before I ended up bending the bolt on the lower ball joint (although I guess that only happened b/c it wasn't perfectly aligned--still)

[dkreger23]

what are the steps leading up to this? I jacked it up, put the wrench in and lowered but had no luck. I was thinking that maybe something else needs to be done before i do this?

[OnTheBall20]

Can someone explain what is going on here (nice and slowly) because I can't make it out from the video? Will this work on most lower balljoints or only Hondas? I always have trouble with lower balljoint; usually take off the wishbone instead.

[PsychoFreke]

@OnTheBall20 Just use a ball joint fork.... much easier...

[bprower2]

@OnTheBall20 a 1/2" drive craftsmen wrench is placed between the hub assembly and the lower control arm. Then pressure is placed on the top of the hub which causes the gap between the lower control arm and the hub to get smaller (without a wrench there). With the wrench being there it causes the lower control arm to pop free from the hub. It may work on more cars other than honda/acura, it just depends on the design of the hub/lca.

[iTsTieLuR]

@bprower2 i tried this and my 1/2" craftsman wrench snapped haha, fck.

[iTsTieLuR]

oh damn, misread ratchet with wrench, oh well, the trick worked =P

[SHANGRALAAAA17]

jesus just use the 12 dollar balljoint tool from autozone..ive used it 1000 times. nooo problems lol

[bprower2]

@SHANGRALAAAA17 Yea I've used that before and it "mushroomed" the bolt so I could no longer put the nut back on. I had to then replace the ball joint. Now, that was on a different car, so they probably use material that is not as strong.

[PsychoFreke]

@bprower2 how do you mushroom a bolt with a ball joint fork? I stopped doing it the way you show in the video when I started wondering what this could do to the threads...

[bprower2]

@PsychoFreke I was using a ball joint separator cup, it compresses the bolt and that's what caused the damage. I was not using a pickle fork, although they usually tear the boots.

[PsychoFreke]

@bprower2 I was a little bit worried about the boot when I was using the fork. I did okay though. I've never tried using a ball joint separator cup, but after your comment about mushrooming the bolt I have no desire to try one...

[67riot]

i mushroomed mine aswell,

wish i seen this before i started!!!

[michigansoler]

pickle forks will split a boot, the lil tie rod seperater will mushroom a threaded section (unless you put the nut back on alil bit to cover the cotter pin hole) and finally, this method, after doing it a shit ton of times will eventally wear out the balljoint, but not much worse than driving on it...

[deluxedookie]

@bprower2

i can agree with the mushroom the bolt, happen to me then i had to but a new ball joint cuz i couldent use a die to re-thread it.

[dewan247]

@SHANGRALAAAA17 to all respondants, you are supposed to leave the nut on the thread to protect. it also states this in the removal procedure.

[MattTrevett]

@SHANGRALAAAA17 This technique was free and quite easy.. why spend money and time getting a tool when this is so simple and quick?

[ntivueyang]

Thanks for this great helpful tip on the ball joint seperation. I was working on my cousin's 94 Honda Civic Ex and got fed up with beating the LCA just trying to seperate it from the ball joint. So, I did what you did and it worked. Well, technically on one side only because the passenger side was hella seized up.

[pancakewafflebacon]

beat the shit out of it... lesson learned

[olomatrixolo]

I used a 13mm socket and it bent it and didn't even pop the ball joint. Be sure to use something thats solid metal.

[astehn80]

It worked on my 2001 Honda Civic. AWESOME video!

[alltracfreak]

the proper way to separate the ball joint is to hit the flat spots on the hub with a hammer.

[alltracfreak]

actually your suppossed to use a ball joint seperator

[096743]

Thanks, it works. I didn't have a craftsman ratchet so I used the handle of a med. sized cressent wrench.

[096743]

Thats cool, I am gonna try it tommorow.

[montanacustomtile]

Works like a charm!! Great Video

[tlkeng]

Call it the "queen-o-sheeber" if it makes you feel better, but it works like a charm. You don't know how long I have spent banging on that thing to get it loose in past "seperations".

Thanks!

[HunkaPauwel]

Worked on my European Accord with 192K when I changed my CV boots - ball joint seized so badly a 3lb hammer & 10 minutes of swinging had NO effect at all. No access to a lift (makes it easier to swing your big hammer to break the joint IMHO) - didn't have an all-steel ratchet so used a Monkey Wrench, (the jaws of it, on their side) but I guess any flat piece of steel about 20mm thick might do the trick. Jacked up the arm, wedged in the wrench, lowered the jack, tap tap - BANG!! Kudos bprower2!

[DriftingFWWA]

So you just step on it and pop goes the ball joint?

[gunslinger271]

does work with really stuck ones?

[eeejayate]

PAINLESS! SO COOL, THANK YOU BUD!

[syphilistic]

A better title what you did is considered ball joint separation not removal.

[syphilistic]

There is a tool for this that works without risking damaging the ball joint threads or damaging the boot. OTC part number 6297. Harbor freight even sells an even cheaper version for 16 bucks or so.

[MattTrevett]

@syphilistic Have you ever seen this method cause damage?

[bprower2]

Think of a better title and get back to me.....otherwise the name stays =)

[aut0tek]

@bprower2 That's separation. Not removal.

[bprower2]

@aut0tek Got it updated. Thanks for the advice. I don't know why I didn't think of that.

[bprower2]

@aut0tek Got it updated. Thanks for the idea. Not sure why I didn't think of that.

[aut0tek]

@bprower2 no problemo. REMOVING that balljoint is actually a lot less complicated than most think. 1. remove snap ring. 2. beat it with a hammer like it owes you money. Then install the new one with a balljoint clamp rented from Autozone. lol. Just did mine yesterday. hahaha

[raidacaipo]

owner who labeled this video "ball joint removal" is retarded... hes breaking the ball joint free from the LCA not removing the ball joint.

[kidnkorner]

This is a separation, not a removal.

[anthonuy2]

so what did he do exactly..im lost here

[barbados026]

Thanks a million mate... was getting frustrated to no end before i retired to google and found this.

Cheers

[evilmatchbox]

Sweet idea. I hate honda setups my Mazda 6 has the same 2 lower control arm setup they are a pain in the ass. Except mine come in from the top instead of the bottom so I don't know if this would work. Let it all the way down then jack the hub up mayb?

[taiden]

could someone who has had this work measure the width and height of the tool? my wrenches dont work and i need an idea of what size works really well so I can find the right wrench at the store

[taiden]

@taiden and by wrench i mean ratchet.. long night hahah

[MattTrevett]

@taiden 10 months ago this info would have been nice.. but try different sized sockets till you get one that fits perfectly when the car is jacked up. Let the car out and the tension will losen the joint.

[brosifskee]

how do install the new one though any body know

[angelsnake13]

doin this tmorrow morning haha thanks awesome vid

[mw717]

nice work! I'm going to show my honda mechanic this video

[elcabezon82]

before i watch this video i rent some tools to loss the ball joinst after 1 hour working on it didn`t work joints when i wached this video it took me 5 minutes

[jaa02130]

This technique really works. I did it to my Eg civic hatch lastnight to remove the axles. Is was as easy as 1-2-3.

[papercut1987]

wow~ what should i do without you~~!

[hotdoghogie]

dude i just spent all hour getting that lower ball joint out... it took a 3foot long hammer and a fucked up nut...

[480789]

This technique worked on an '03 Acura CL-S; however I had to use a 3/8" rachet end instead of the 1/2". The 1/2" would not fit adequately without damaging the BJ boot.

[bryantrn]

be careful, i cracked both ball joint boots on my 97 accord. they were probably going to go anyways.

[fsp394]

wow that fawking great! I hope it works for me

[GHwraith]

Wow i was just stuck in the middle of a tranny replacement project and i saw this when i was searching google and it worked first try. thanks a lot!

[kuvibleegxwb]

very funny! all i see in the video was trying to knock that ratchet to the ground on top of that control arm.

did what u show... n still learn nothing. GREAT!

[pdoble]

soooooo much easier than any other way.

[friendlee2007]

This is not to remove the ball joint. Title should be renamed. This is just to loosen the lower control arm from the ball joint, so you don't have to use that fork like separator or that pull tool.

[Teyanhung]

Nice video but how do you get a new ball joint back on. =)

[brosifskee]

ever find out

[secondjustice247]

I have an Acura Integra too and i was trying so hard yesterday to pop out the ball joint so i could easily replace the CV assembly. I'm gonna go ahead and try this now.

[pdoble]

it works awesome, just did it

[hmoob704]

thanks so much for this vid..works everytime, saved me a whole lot of time...

[GSRJosh33]

Nice. Beats the hell out of a pickel fork and there is no boot replacement. Thanks

[carnage123123123]

I did my right ball joint on Ford SVT contour today. I figured out an easy way to eject the ball joint. Simply do this....

[mcmuldowney]

This was a great video, although I had to watch it a few times to figure out where the ratchet handle was inserted. Thanks to ehandog for the explanation. One item to note - I would suggest using

PB Blaster and spray around inside lip of the bottom of the stud, and between the arm and joint to first loosen any rust between the control arm and the ball joint. I had 164K before my driver's side CV tore and the joint wouldn't loosen without it.

[ehandog]

This was excellent!Thanks! After trying to bash the crap out of my ball joints last night I came across this video this afternoon and finally decided to try it. 15 seconds for each side, great use of leverage! Procedure:

1. Jack up the lower control arm until you can fit a socket wrench handle between the LCR and edge of the ball joint.

2. Lower jack, check for tension, you shouldn't be able to move the wrench very much.

3. Step on the caliper housing until you hear the "snap"

Awesome thanks!

[blahblah718293]

i dont really get it.

step 1: hit the knuckle with a hammer

step 2: get a bigger hammer

step 3: repeat steps 1 through 2.

[axpp]

So you would rather beat the shit out of the lca for a half an hour rather then do this in 2 minutes?

[blahblah718293]

half an hour? buddy if it takes you any more than 3 swings then you need to get a bigger hammer.

[1987dman]

lol pwned

[djaka401]

hi my lower ball joint popped out. i think it was when i jack the car and had the front tire resting on a spare tire to assure car wouldnt fall while i was working under it. is there a way to pop back in? or should i change it? its been making a squeaking noise for a while on and off though

[flaco198111]

o.k but how do you get the new one in??

[camberwear]

you just slip it on.

[twatpopper]

you defenitly saved me 20 bucks or so on a pickle fork and most likely a ripped boot... thanks bro worked great and easy....

[camberwear]

I'll be giving this a try the next time I pull a transmission/motor. Prior to this, I was beating the crap out of the nub that is cast on the joint itself or tearing the boots with pickle forks :0i

[miaraab]

Works like a charm. Your a genius. Thanks for posting this video.

[disciple4Christ]

doesn't always work. mine is ceased on. 7 hrs on that bad boy...

[DCk20a]

best video ever

[sircrx]

I second this comment.

[compnut21]

3rd

[caprisierra24v]

yeh. totally the best video in the history of the internet.

[polarisryder02]

4th

[slickevo]

5th,6th,and 7th, 3 ppl here