I just found that the passenger rear suspension, rear lower ball joint was loose. You could wiggle the suspension around a good bit, and upon inspection it looks like it has worn the hole oblong in the LCA. The cotter pin was properly installed, so I'm guessing whoever had it apart last time (either a body shop or the Honda mfg plant - who's your money on?) thought they had the castle nut tightened down and put the pin through.

The car only has 40,000 miles and tracked only a couple times and not with R compounds, so I can't imagine this is normal wear & tear.

I had noticed an occasional knock in the rear end for the last several months, but never could find where it was coming from when I looked in the past.

Anyway, I found the replacements at hardtopguy, but I'm wondering if anyone has a trick to removing these without taking the whole hub assembly off. I saw someone mention an air hammer in an old thread - does this really work? It seems like it would take a lot more force.

Also, anyone out there have a spare rear right side LCA they want to sell me??

 

have you tried talking to the body shop?

 

I really doubt they'd own up to anything, plus I just reviewed the documentation from the repair and there is nothing on it regarding rear suspension. So even if they did touch it, and maybe they didn't, I would have no way to pin it on them. They were fixing body damage in the immediate vicinity, so I wouldn't be surprised if they removed something as a part of inspection or repairs.

But I know I haven't had it apart, and from what I could tell the original owner didn't do anything except install an air intake. I find it hard to believe it would have been like this from the factory though.

 

^
you know, when i had my car at the shop to repair the rear bumper...

they removed my soft top.

go figure.

 

if you are going to do the BJ and LCA just buy them together and swap the whole piece.

before i get flamed let me say i didn't search to see if this was possible i just know that the hondas i have done in the past had this as an option

 

The ball joint is installed (pressed) into the rear hub, and bolts onto the LCA. So you can't buy them as "1 piece".

To buy the hub assembly from honda with the balljoint installed is about $200. Hardtopguy.com sells the ball joints for $50 for 2. So at $25 vs $200, I'll try my luck at pressing out the old ball joint. Autozone rents a tool for it that I'm going to try first. I also have a smallish air hammer to try.

Will report back on my results.

 

i'm a little confused...which arm has an oblong hole worn in it? The LCA or the lower A arm?

none of this has anything to do with the hub, as far as i can tell.

the knuckle (p/n 52210-S2A-010) is #3/4 in the pic and has a ball joint pressed into it, and will cost you $163.03.

the lower A arm (p/n 52350-S2A-000) is #12/13 in the pic, and would cost you $246.75.

the lower control arm (p/n 52340-S2A-003), also with a ball joint pressed into it, is #10/11 in this pic and would cost you $51.97.

the hub is the part that includes the lug bolts and is pressed into the bearing, which is in turn pressed into the knuckle.

just trying to understand so maybe i can help you out



i would_think_you could replace either of the arms without removing the whole assembly.

 

sorry we have different terminology, or I am mistaken.

I am referring to the control arm and A arm as the same thing. This is #12 or 13. The outboard hole of it has the oblong hole. It attaches at part 1, which is of course the dust boot for the ball joint that also needs replaced.

hardtopguy.com sells replacement ball joints. It's just a matter of getting the old pressed out and the new pressed in. But $50 for two sure beats $163+ship (I rounded to $200 earlier) for a repalcement hub (#3 or 4) that I would then have to swap bearings etc over on.

 

ya, sso your right about the bj being in the knuckle. i was reading lower control arm, and saying lower, but must have been thinking upper...


as for pressing it out of the hub/knuckle, it should be very hard to get it out. you may be able to beat it out with a hammer, but a press is the way you want to go. if you do use a hammer make sure that its brass, or use a punch or something so you don't damage your other parts.

 

I've already removed the entire knuckle from the car now, so once the replacement ball joint arrives I'll be running around town to all the mechanics/machine shops until I find someone that can press it out. It'll take a fairly tricky adaptor to support the hub, it looks like.