Need to replace upper control arms. How to????

dwbailey · #1 09-11-2009, 06:47 AM

Guys I have a 90 Civic LX sedan and the upper balljoints are shot. Apparently you have to replace the upper control arm to replace the balljoint? Is this true? If so, any suggestions on whether I should take this on and what all do you have to do to do it? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

pbrizzle86 · #2 09-11-2009, 09:44 PM

they are not that hard... i replaced my upper ball joints without changing the whole arm. if you do change the whole thing its a cake job, it would be 3 nuts, 2 for the arm and 1 for the ball joint. if you get the whole are do not cheap out and get them off ebay or something like that, but that should go without saying. i forget how i did mine it was a while ago i think i got them out with a big hammer or a press but im pretty sure i just pounded them out. just so you know though if you do replace just the ball joint the hole they sit in may become loose around the new ball joint, thats what happened to mine and we just worked back in with a hammer... if you dont really know what yer doing i would replace the whole thing

Tony · #3 09-12-2009, 09:48 AM

Replacing the whole arm is a lot easier than getting a ball joint pressed in and out, and a hammer isn't the proper way to do that because you could cause more damage from it. And either way about it, your going to be removing the whole arm.

First thing would be seperating the upper ball joint from the spindle. Jack it up and place the car on a jack stand. remove the wheel. Remove the 2 10 mm bolts holding a cover over the ball joint. Use your jack to get a little pressure on the suspension and remove the nut on the upper ball joint. Once removed, lower the jack, you may need to hit the spindle around the ball joint to pop it loose, and be prepared for the spindle to fall forward. DO NOT let the suspension be held up by the brake line! Open your hood and on the strut tower you will see 2 studs/nuts on top towards the engine. Not the 2 holding your strut, but a little way past that. Remove those and your control arm is out.

dwbailey · #4 09-12-2009, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony

Replacing the whole arm is a lot easier than getting a ball joint pressed in and out, and a hammer isn't the proper way to do that because you could cause more damage from it. And either way about it, your going to be removing the whole arm.

First thing would be seperating the upper ball joint from the spindle. Jack it up and place the car on a jack stand. remove the wheel. Remove the 2 10 mm bolts holding a cover over the ball joint. Use your jack to get a little pressure on the suspension and remove the nut on the upper ball joint. Once removed, lower the jack, you may need to hit the spindle around the ball joint to pop it loose, and be prepared for the spindle to fall forward. DO NOT let the suspension be held up by the brake line! Open your hood and on the strut tower you will see 2 studs/nuts on top towards the engine. Not the 2 holding your strut, but a little way past that. Remove those and your control arm is out.

Got it off and back on. The hardest part is popping that bar off that goes across the bolts that go into the body. Quick question about the torque on the balljoint nut. Tighten all the way and when the hole lines up with the castle nut, put in the cotter pin? Or tighten it down all the way and even if it lines up with the castle nut, back it off to the next place on the castle nut and then put the cotter pin in? Thanks guys.

Tony · #5 09-12-2009, 03:45 PM

Just tighten it and put the cotter pin in. Either way works

dwbailey · #6 09-12-2009, 04:45 PM

Thanks. Got it.

pbrizzle86 · #7 09-12-2009, 11:58 PM

proper shmoper..... and i used a BJ press as i recall now... hammer would have been funner though

Tony · #8 09-13-2009, 08:26 AM

Doing things the proper way is why I'm going to school to be a technician and have finished at the top of my class in all of my classes.

pbrizzle86 · #9 09-13-2009, 02:29 PM

Join the club there guy i finished my auto program with honors. and you do the job in the fashon that the tools you have allow for.

dwbailey · #10 09-14-2009, 07:40 AM

Thanks gents for the instructions! Anybody happen to know what the torque value is for the rear wheel bearing nut? I need to replace one that is grinding. I know its a 32mm but don't know what the torque is when I put it back on. Any need to replace the nut, too? Thanks again!

guitarjay · #11 02-17-2010, 02:05 PM

Any good diagrams or photos of the process online? I need to replace the control arm on my Civic also, but I'm more of a visual type. I need to see it.

Hondaisok · #12 03-19-2010, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwbailey

Got it off and back on. The hardest part is popping that bar off that goes across the bolts that go into the body. Quick question about the torque on the balljoint nut. Tighten all the way and when the hole lines up with the castle nut, put in the cotter pin? Or tighten it down all the way and even if it lines up with the castle nut, back it off to the next place on the castle nut and then put the cotter pin in? Thanks guys.

How did you pop off the bar going across the bolts? I tried popping mine off, but they wouldn't budge.

Somone else told me that I could remove the brake line where it connected to the strut and slide everything down and off the fork.

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