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Car Forum / Honda Cars / October 2005axle R&R on '86 Honda Accord
Hi. I'm caught in the old bind of being too poor to get a car that doesn't need constant repairs, because my only car needs constant repairs, thus keeping me too poor to get a car that... you know. Anyway, my '86 Honda Accord DX (manual trans, 155000 miles) might get me another year's service if I can just get the CV joints fixed, which I will be attempting this week. Got rebuilt axles on eBay (great price, no core bother, but always a gamble, of course) and plan to put them in myself in a few days, and wanted to ask if anyone has specific advice on the job. I've read all the horror stories on the web, most to do with rust-welded spindle nuts, which I don't think will be a factor as I don't live in the mid-west (the 'rust belt'). The job is fairly simple, composed of the steps: . loosen wheel lug nuts, raise on jack stands, remove spindle nut. I plan to use WD-40 or some other penetrating oil on the spindle nut to help, locking the wheel with a pry bar while using a breaker bar (with pipe extension if necessary) to loosen the spindle nut, but would appreciate any tips anyone has; (or if your own experience tells you I shouldn't be attempting this, let me know too). . drain tranny oil. Only question I have here is that it takes a square-drive wrench - does anyone know offhand what the size is? . remove damper fork. Question: how difficult? There are 2 bolts - are they likely to be seized or rusted together? . remove knuckle-to-lower arm castle nut, and separate with 2-arm gear puller. Any problems/tips here I should be aware of? . pull knuckle outward, removing draveshaft outboard joint from knuckle with a plastic hammer. Q: Can it be stuck to where it just won't come out? If so, how best to get it out... . pry out the inboard driveshaft assembly with a screwdriver (forcing inner set ring past inner groove in differential); Q: Does it always just 'pop right out'? I'd hate to get stuck at this point! On putting in the rebuilt axles, the only thing that worries me is getting the inner driveshaft assembly, with its new set ring, to properly seat within the differential. Has anyone experience special problems with this task? I guess what I'm looking for is a lot of people to say, Hey - it'll be a breeze - you can do it! If I could afford to have my car towed, I would dive right in and just do it, but I'm really on the edge right now, so just maximizing my chances of getting these rebuilds in with as few problems as possible :) Any help/tips/sharing-of-experiences greatly appreciated. -ed > Hi. I'm caught in the old bind of being too poor to get a car that doesn't > need constant repairs, because my only car needs constant repairs, thus [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > but would appreciate any tips anyone has; (or if your own experience > tells you I shouldn't be attempting this, let me know too). Loosen spindle nut FIRST (wheels on the ground, tranny in first gear, parking brake on). Chisel back the locking tab on the nut before loosening the nut. If the shafts are original, you should be able to loosen it with a 2 foot cheater pipe on your breaker bar. If some clown had the shafts out before and used an impact wrench to put the spindle nut back on, it may be over torqued. If that is the case, you will need a 5 foot cheater pipe on your breaker bar. Remember... with a big enough lever and a sturdy fulcrum, you too can move the Earth! Loosen the nut so it is flush with the end of the shaft. Bang on it a bit with a hammer (steel hammer) to get the shaft moving out of the hub a little bit. Look close between bangs to see if the shaft is moving inward toward the car. Now jack up the car and remove the wheels etc.. > . drain tranny oil. Only question I have here is that it takes a > square-drive > wrench - does anyone know offhand what the size is? The square end of a socket extension fits nice and does the job. I forget if it is the 3/8 inch or the 1/2 inch extension that fits. > . remove damper fork. No... NO.... N O ! ! ! ! DO NOT REMOVE THE FORK! Unless you are 100% sure that the bolt which goes through the rubber bushing on the lower control arm is NOT SEIZED... do not touch it! And I mean 100% sure! In North America where it snows, that bolt will be seized. You don't want to twist off the head of the bolt. The inner joint is always disassembled, and the shaft (minus the needle bearings) is puzzled through the fork. It is a little messy, and a pain in the a.s, but it is MUCH easier (and CHEAPER) than cutting out the lower control arms with a torch and buying new lower control arms! Cleanliness is next to godly. Be careful not to contaminate your inner joint guts with dirt! You will need to get two new inner joint large boot clamps before you start the job. Maybe you were lucky and the CV joint rebuilder put an extra clamp into the box for you! >Question: how difficult? There are 2 bolts - are > they likely to be seized or rusted together? If the car has been driven in the snow (where salt is used on the road), the lower fork bolt WILL BE SEIZED. DO NOT TOUCH THE BOLT. SEE ABOVE. > . remove knuckle-to-lower arm castle nut, and separate with 2-arm gear > puller. Any problems/tips here I should be aware of? Don't use the puller. Use a ball joint fork. BUT... BUT... only use ONE TINE of the ball joint fork so that the rubber boot on the ball joint is not damaged. Slip ONE TINE of the fork in between the control arm and the knuckle (not the side closest to the brake rotor, but the other side which is close to the engine). Loosen the castle nut, do not remove it yet. Whack your pickle fork and it will pop the tapered ball joint stud out, without damaging the rubber boot. Now remove the castle nut. If you don't have a ball joint fork, a nice big, fat, rampy cold chisel will work just as well in the same manner as above. Don't piss around with a puller. > . pull knuckle outward, removing draveshaft outboard joint from knuckle > with a plastic hammer. Q: Can it be stuck to where it just won't come > out? If so, how best to get it out... See above re: now jack up the car. Use a regular steel hammer. It has more weight behind it and the drive shaft steel is really tough. It takes a lot of muscle and some real big time hammering to damage that steel. I've whacked out those shafts and didn't even mark the steel! > . pry out the inboard driveshaft assembly with a screwdriver (forcing inner > set ring past inner groove in differential); Q: Does it always just 'pop > right out'? I'd hate to get stuck at this point! If you have gotten this far, that will be a piece of cake. This is the easy part! If your screwdriver has good "purchase" and good leverage (moving the earth again!) it will POP! > On putting in the rebuilt axles, the only thing that worries me is getting > the inner driveshaft assembly, with its new set ring, to properly seat > within the differential. Has anyone experience special problems with this > task? A rag, a two by four, and your hammer will knock the suckers right in! Put the rag between the rubber boot and the two by four then knock it in with the hammer. You will feel it seat. M.A. Stewart (don't email cf005... sorry...elm filter bounces all incoming email!) > I guess what I'm looking for is a lot of people to say, Hey - it'll be a > breeze - you can do it! If I could afford to have my car towed, I would dive [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Any help/tips/sharing-of-experiences greatly appreciated. > -ed <snip good advice> >> . drain tranny oil. Only question I have here is that it takes a >> square-drive >> wrench - does anyone know offhand what the size is? > > The square end of a socket extension fits nice and does the job. I > forget if it is the 3/8 inch or the 1/2 inch extension that fits. It's 3/8". Probably have to hammer the square into the recess, otherwise it won't go in far enough and will round off the hole. >> . remove damper fork. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > North America where it snows, that bolt will be seized. You don't want > to twist off the head of the bolt. That's interesting. I just replaced all the bushings (and I do mean all) in the rear suspension of my '91 Integra. I live in Canada. All but five bolts came off with hand-tools. One bolt needed to be cut off. The other four succumbed to the violence of a machine shop's air wrench. http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/misc/old-bushings/ I'm going to be doing the fronts next year. I was just going to saw the bolts and sleeves apart on either side of the bushing if they wouldn't come loose. > The inner joint is always > disassembled, and the shaft (minus the needle bearings) is puzzled > through the fork. Couldn't you just pry the inner joint away from the diff casing, or would that damage something? <snip> > Don't use the puller. Use a ball joint fork. Or you can rent one of these puppies: http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/faq.html#balljoints <snip> >> On putting in the rebuilt axles, the only thing that worries me is >> getting the inner driveshaft assembly, with its new set ring, to [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Put the rag between the rubber boot and the two by four then knock it > in with the hammer. You will feel it seat. Exactly where would you knock? I'm starting to get a vibration on acceleration. I suspect my inner joints, but my mechanic says they're still tight. (Still? After 252,800 miles?) Next spring all the bushings are getting replaced, along with the tires (which are worn), and the engine mounts. If none of that helps, I'm going to replace the driveshafts.  SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ > cf005@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (M.A. Stewart) wrote in > > No... NO.... N O ! ! ! ! DO NOT REMOVE THE FORK! Unless you are 100% [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > succumbed to the violence of a machine shop's air wrench. > http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/misc/old-bushings/ I sheared the heads off two of the three bolts on my 91 Civic's left rear lower control arm last year. Like M.A. Stewart implies, they were thoroughly seized to the rubber bushings etc. This despite soaking in PB Blaster for a day or more. For my amateur set of tools, removing the remains of the two bolts that had seized was incredibly laborious. The archives have a lot on this. My Civic was not garaged for the first five years of its life and was driven in the Northern U.S. for ten years. Has your Integra (year?) been garaged its whole life? I realize you drive in Northern winters. > I'm going to be doing the fronts next year. I was just going to saw the > bolts and sleeves apart on either side of the bushing if they wouldn't come > loose. What kind of saw? For the rears, seems like it's a torch cutting job, to me. I won't do the other side of my Civic without a torch or equivalent alternative. >> cf005@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (M.A. Stewart) wrote in >> > No... NO.... N O ! ! ! ! DO NOT REMOVE THE FORK! Unless you are [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > thoroughly seized to the rubber bushings etc. This despite soaking in > PB Blaster for a day or more. I did that too. I used Kroil on one side, and PB on the other. Neither seems to have made much difference. http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/misc/old-bushings/P7220908.JPG > For my amateur set of tools, removing the remains of the two bolts > that had seized was incredibly laborious. > > The archives have a lot on this. I remember. > My Civic was not garaged for the first five years of its life and was > driven in the Northern U.S. for ten years. > > Has your Integra (year?) 1991. 252,770 miles as of today. > been garaged its whole life? I realize you > drive in Northern winters. I drive on Southern Ontario roads. These are just like Michigan or Wisconsin. The car has never seen the inside of a garage. It has, however, been drippy-rustproofed every year since new. This accounts for the absolute lack of rust on any fastener except the two outer ones on the lower arms, and the outer ones on the upper arms. Five of those six gave me trouble. Nothing else did. The problem is that the outer bolts on the front are just like the outer ones on the rear, and I suspect they will not let go for me. They are smack in the middle of the salt and water spray, which erases any attempt at lubrication. >> I'm going to be doing the fronts next year. I was just going to saw >> the bolts and sleeves apart on either side of the bushing if they [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > What kind of saw? I was wondering about that. I don't know how hard the sleeves are, which will be what makes the difference. There's room for a hacksaw in between the flanges, but I don't know about a reciprocating saw (Sawzall). Would a reciprocating saw risk too much damage to surrounding components? > For the rears, seems like it's a torch cutting job, to me. The machine shop that cut the one bolt out for me appears to have used a torch or a cutting wheel. They bent up the flange on the trailing arm and knocked the nut off, so I had to replace bolt and nut with a 10.9 set. http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/misc/old-bushings/sawed-off-lower-arm.jpg > I won't do the other side of my Civic without a torch or equivalent > alternative. Once bitten, twice shy, eh? SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ "TeGGeR®" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote E > > I sheared the heads off two of the three bolts on my 91 Civic's left > > rear lower control arm last year. Like M.A. Stewart implies, they were [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > seems to have made much difference. > http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/misc/old-bushings/P7220908.JPG This was the first time PB Blaster let me down. > I drive on Southern Ontario roads. These are just like Michigan or > Wisconsin. The car has never seen the inside of a garage. > > It has, however, been drippy-rustproofed every year since new. What all is "drippy-rustproofed"? > >> I'm going to be doing the fronts next year. I was just going to saw > >> the bolts and sleeves apart on either side of the bushing if they [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > will be what makes the difference. There's room for a hacksaw in between > the flanges, It's tight. Worse, my hacksaw was not very effective. Have several new blades handy. If you're not getting anywhere after an hour, I'd urge trying something else. > but I don't know about a reciprocating saw (Sawzall). Would a > reciprocating saw risk too much damage to surrounding components? Even if you can get it in where you want to cut, I'm not sure it will actually cut easily through that steel. I don't think I've seen a good solution for this yet. > > I won't do the other side of my Civic without a torch or equivalent > > alternative. > > Once bitten, twice shy, eh? I reckon. I put in a new damper and coil on that side (that was my ultimate goal) and noticed no change in comfort. Plus I'm figuring only about five more years with this car. >> I drive on Southern Ontario roads. These are just like Michigan or >> Wisconsin. The car has never seen the inside of a garage. >> >> It has, however, been drippy-rustproofed every year since new. > > What all is "drippy-rustproofed"? Something that appears to ONLY be available in Ontario and Quebec. http://www.krown.com/ http://www.rustcheck.com/ It works wonderfully. The best of anything I've ever seen. Better than tthe waxy or gummy stuff. It does swell weatherstripping and is messy, but those are good tradeoffs for a car that does not rust. Northeastern US states could benefit greatly from this, yet it's not sold there. >> >> I'm going to be doing the fronts next year. I was just going to >> >> saw the bolts and sleeves apart on either side of the bushing if [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > blades handy. If you're not getting anywhere after an hour, I'd urge > trying something else. Hm. Not good. >> but I don't know about a reciprocating saw (Sawzall). Would a >> reciprocating saw risk too much damage to surrounding components? [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > I don't think I've seen a good solution for this yet. Probably why my mechanic refused to consider doing the work. I asked him if he wanted to change the bushings at the same time as the clutch if I gave him both jobs at once. SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ > "Elle" <elle_navorski@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > waxy or gummy stuff. It does swell weatherstripping and is messy, but those > are good tradeoffs for a car that does not rust. Plus I presume the extension of the car body's life justifies the cost. (About what do you pay each year for this treatment?) One of the things that I think will be limiting on my car is the undercarriage rusting out so badly that I can't jack the sides up but instead can only do the ends. > Northeastern US states could benefit greatly from this, yet it's not sold > there. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Hm. Not good. Well, I'm only an amateur. All of the regulars here have more experience than I. You got much farther than I did on the first part of your Integra's suspension job (of course!). > >> but I don't know about a reciprocating saw (Sawzall). Would a > >> reciprocating saw risk too much damage to surrounding components? [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Probably why my mechanic refused to consider doing the work. Interesting. > I asked him if he wanted to change the bushings at the same time as the > clutch if I gave him both jobs at once. <snip> > Plus I presume the extension of the car body's life justifies the > cost. (About what do you pay each year for this treatment?) $110Cdn (about $90 US) per application. The car's had it done every single year since new. I've started doing it in the spring as well, so twice per year. Also I do regular touchups with a spray-can in especially vulnerable areas. I figured if I didn't do it, the car would fall apart and I'd need to spend $2,000 at a bodyshop anyway... > One of the things that I think will be limiting on my car is the > undercarriage rusting out so badly that I can't jack the sides up but > instead can only do the ends. I've got no rust anywhere. Jack points are like new. Part of that is diligence by me apart from the rustproofing. Just a month ago I got rid of some surface rust that was starting in the rear wheel wells at the bottom right where they meet the rocker panels and form the wheel well lips. It ground off back to bare steel easily. I applied zinc primer and paint, using a heat gun for ten minutes to cure the paint quickly. After that some rubber-based undercoat covered up the paint as protection from stone chips. >> Northeastern US states could benefit greatly from this, yet it's not >> sold there. [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > experience than I. You got much farther than I did on the first part > of your Integra's suspension job (of course!). What I thought of later today was not to buy a bushing to dissect, but instead to call a machine shop supply place on Monday. The metal used for the sleeves can't be much harder than hard stainless steel, or much harder than a metric 10.9 bolt. You'd think a machine shop supply place would know how to cut through hard stuff without power tools. Stay tuned... >> >> but I don't know about a reciprocating saw (Sawzall). Would a >> >> reciprocating saw risk too much damage to surrounding components? [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Interesting. Yeah. He says it takes hours and hours, I wouldn't want to pay for all that labor, and he wouldn't want to tie up his shop for that. SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ >>> cf005@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (M.A. Stewart) wrote in >>> > No... NO.... N O ! ! ! ! DO NOT REMOVE THE FORK! Unless you are [quoted text clipped - 58 lines] >> >> What kind of saw? If by hacksaw... use quality blades. > I was wondering about that. I don't know how hard the sleeves are, which > will be what makes the difference. Do you have any of the old sleeves around from your rear end job? Slap them in a vice and saw away to see how they cut. > There's room for a hacksaw in between > the flanges, but I don't know about a reciprocating saw (Sawzall). Would a [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Once bitten, twice shy, eh? <snip> > If by hacksaw... use quality blades. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Do you have any of the old sleeves around from your rear end job? Slap > them in a vice and saw away to see how they cut. No, I don't have them any more. I took some pics, kept them around for a few week, then tossed them during a fit of housekeeping zeal. I guess I could just buy a new one ($15 or so), and try cutting that up. $15 would be an acceptable price to avoid nightmares later on. In fact, I'm going to do just that. SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ > <snip> > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > $15 would be an acceptable price to avoid nightmares later on. In fact, I'm > going to do just that. I don't know what the best hacksaw blades in the world are. I have a Sandvik blade that surprisingly cuts fast and smooth. The teeth are very sharp, and stayed sharp for a long time. <snip> > I don't know what the best hacksaw blades in the world are. I have a > Sandvik blade that surprisingly cuts fast and smooth. The teeth are > very sharp, and stayed sharp for a long time. I'm calling a machine shop supply place tomorrow. Thanks for you help. SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ > <snip good advice> > [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > bolts and sleeves apart on either side of the bushing if they wouldn't come > loose. Anyone who owns a 1986 to 1989 Accord in Canada does not want to touch the lower damper fork bolt to do a drive shaft job. The drive shaft inner joint needs to be disassembled on the car and the shaft (minus the inboard joint and needle bearing rollers) extracted through the fork and lower control arm. The spider (and rubber boot) can be left on the shaft. The spider can be easily puzzled through damper fork and control arm. >> The inner joint is always >> disassembled, and the shaft (minus the needle bearings) is puzzled >> through the fork. > > Couldn't you just pry the inner joint away from the diff casing, or would > that damage something? I don't follow you on the above question. His job was to replace the drive shafts. With the damper fork attached to the lower control arm, the complete drive shaft won't fit through the opening on the 1986/1989 Accords. He does not want to try and remove the fork from the control arm so that he can remove/install the complete drive shaft. Halloween is close. That is enough of a nightmare for anyone at this time of year. He doesn't need the nightmare of a seized fork bolt and subsequent bushing replacement. I don't think he has a nice fully equipped shop to work in. > <snip> > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Exactly where would you knock? On the end of the wood. Insert the splined part of the inner joint into the diff.. Push hard. Knock it the rest of the way in with the hammer and chunk of wood to seat it. Not much hammer force is needed. The wood is bearing on the inner joint. The rag and the wood prevent damage to the rubber boot. I like to put a little bit wheel bearing grease on the spring clip so as to suspend the clip concentrically to the center of the shaft (splined stub of the inner joint). It gives even compression all the way around the clip as it engages the side gear taper. > I'm starting to get a vibration on acceleration. Lay out the details of the vibrations. We can only assume that it is not the Beach Boys type of vibrations :-> > I suspect my inner joints, > but my mechanic says they're still tight. (Still? After 252,800 miles?) My understanding is that when shafts are rebuilt, the inner joints aren't even touched. No new spiders, snap rings, needle bearings etc.....nada. New boots, yes... maybe a cleaning and new grease. Everything usually looks good for them on the inner joints... so they don't do any work on them. > Next spring all the bushings are getting replaced, along with the tires > (which are worn), and the engine mounts. Re the mount replacement. Check to see if the motor mounts have a torque sequence for your car. They do for a 1986/1989 Accord. > If none of that helps, I'm going > to replace the driveshafts. Ahh... here's a challenge for you... replace the lower control arm bushings with hand tools only!... no cheating, no friendly machine shop with a press, no acetylene torch. Think "hone the holes to fit bushings". Think brake cylinder hone... vernier caliper (or inside mike)... micrometer... what's the best interference fit so I can whack those suckers in with my $2.99 Kmart carpenter hammer! Remember the machinist credo... "it is much easier to remove metal than it is to put metal back on" M.A. Stewart (please don't email cf005... elm spam filter bounces all incoming email) <snip> >> Exactly where would you knock? > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > The wood is bearing on the inner joint. The rag and the wood prevent > damage to the rubber boot. It makes sense now. I didn't know the inner joint would not fit through the damper fork. Never replaced driveshafts before. Never had to. > I like to put a little bit wheel bearing grease on the spring clip so > as to suspend the clip concentrically to the center of the shaft [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Lay out the details of the vibrations. We can only assume that it is > not the Beach Boys type of vibrations :-> Unfortunately not the Beach Boys kind. 1) The steering wheel waggles slowly 1/4 to 1/2 inch on hard acceleration as very low speeds. 2) During *acceleration* at highway speeds, the steering wheel vibrates at almost all speeds, but then stops once you are coasting or decelerating, which I understand is a classic inner CV joint symptom. More: 1) Tires are old and worn. When you run your hand over the tread, three seem to be worn reasonably evenly, with little feathering apparent. One has excesssive outer rib wear, seemingly due to excessive toe that existed on the rear before I replaced the bushings and had the car realigned. 2) There is one bent wheel that has been that way for 13 years. It contributes to the 60-70mph vibration at highway speeds when that wheel is on the front. I have a spare wheel and will replace bent one in the spring. 3) Front bushings are very worn and saggy. Perhaps they are allowing excessive suspension movement? Mechanic insists my inner CV joints are fine, that the problem is most likely the tires. Inner and outer CV joint boots have never split. I've always had the outer boots replaced at the first sign of cracking. How can I test the inner CV joints on-the-car (without a hoist) myself? SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ > <snip> > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > I didn't know the inner joint would not fit through the damper fork. Never > replaced driveshafts before. Never had to. Inner and outer joints on a 3Gee won't fit. As for you car I don't know. Maybe ask people around your location who have R&Red shafts on your model of car. > >> [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > > How can I test the inner CV joints on-the-car (without a hoist) myself? By feel maybe, comparing to a new Honda shaft? >> How can I test the inner CV joints on-the-car (without a hoist) >> myself? > > By feel maybe, comparing to a new Honda shaft? Well, yeah. But what specifically are you feeling for? Do you need to have the suspension in a certain attitude in odrder to feel it? Is ANY play not acceptable? SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ <snip> > Ahh... here's a challenge for you... replace the lower control arm > bushings with hand tools only!... no cheating, no friendly machine > shop with a press, no acetylene torch. Think "hone the holes to fit > bushings". Think brake cylinder hone... vernier caliper (or inside > mike)... micrometer... what's the best interference fit so I can whack > those suckers in with my $2.99 Kmart carpenter hammer! A challenge of course, but so is using Windows without a mouse. Sure, it *can* be done, but why would you want to? There's a reason technology marches forward and mice and air wrenches get invented. I actually tried renting an electric impact gun, but I waited too long and all were rented out for the weekend, so I was limited to Teggerdraulics. By the time I had the rear suspension apart, I was more than happy to have the machine shop knock the old bushings out and replace with new. I did replace the stabilizer bar and link bushings myself with the help of a vise and silicone grease. Keep in mind this car is my daily driver. I HAD to have the job finished by Monday AM, so I could not take a few days to experiment. I pulled it apart Friday afternoon and evening, brought the parts to the machine shop Saturday AM, and picked them up again Saturday afternoon. I finished the job Sunday. Most of Saturday that weekend I was visiting my mother in the hospital, where she'd just had a hip-joint replacement, so I didn't have as much time as I ordinarily would. SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ >>Hi. I'm caught in the old bind of being too poor to get a car that doesn't >>need constant repairs, because my only car needs constant repairs, thus [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > little bit. Look close between bangs to see if the shaft is moving inward > toward the car. Now jack up the car and remove the wheels etc.. /never/ use a steel hammer on bearings!!! >>. drain tranny oil. Only question I have here is that it takes a >>square-drive [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > than cutting out the lower control arms with a torch and buying new lower > control arms! well, the official way is to remove the fork. i luckily live in california and can take the fork off my 89 no problems whatsoever. sure makes life easier. but this is all academic - the op only need pop the lower swivel to have enough room to get the driveshaft out. > Cleanliness is next to godly. Be careful not to contaminate your inner > joint guts with dirt! [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > have a ball joint fork, a nice big, fat, rampy cold chisel will work just > as well in the same manner as above. Don't piss around with a puller. i completely disagree. what you're suggesting is both bad for the car and dangerous for theoperator. use the proper tool. it's not expensive and is /way/ safer. not to mention the cost savings of not fixing a screwed up swivel or boot. >>. pull knuckle outward, removing draveshaft outboard joint from knuckle >> with a plastic hammer. Q: Can it be stuck to where it just won't come [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > of muscle and some real big time hammering to damage that steel. I've > whacked out those shafts and didn't even mark the steel! then you weren't hitting very hard and got real lucky. when those things get damaged, they get /real/ expensive, not to mention very inconvenient. >>. pry out the inboard driveshaft assembly with a screwdriver (forcing inner >> set ring past inner groove in differential); Q: Does it always just 'pop [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > the rag between the rubber boot and the two by four then knock it in with > the hammer. You will feel it seat. no!!! /never/ hammer them in. they should pop in with hand pressure. if they don't, they're not seated right. sometimes a little grease on the retaining ring helps keep it centered so it goes in first time. hammering brinells the d/s bearings and the diff bearings. don't do it. > M.A. Stewart (don't email cf005... sorry...elm filter bounces all incoming > email!) [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >>Any help/tips/sharing-of-experiences greatly appreciated. >>-ed >>>Hi. I'm caught in the old bind of being too poor to get a car that doesn't >>>need constant repairs, because my only car needs constant repairs, thus [quoted text clipped - 58 lines] > but this is all academic - the op only need pop the lower swivel to have > enough room to get the driveshaft out. Not on the 1986/1989 Accord. The inner joint will not fit through fork! The fork has to be removed (not advised if the bolt is siezed) or the inner joint disassembled. >> Cleanliness is next to godly. Be careful not to contaminate your inner >> joint guts with dirt! [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > and is /way/ safer. not to mention the cost savings of not fixing a > screwed up swivel or boot. You can use the pickle fork succesfully on the 1986/1989 Accord without any damage. You can also use a good cold chisel with the same good results. The puller lugs won't hold well on the lower control arm. Plus you will have to whack the control arm with a hammer when the puller can't be tightened any more. Been there on a 3Gee. Don't piss with a puller. >>>. pull knuckle outward, removing draveshaft outboard joint from knuckle >>> with a plastic hammer. Q: Can it be stuck to where it just won't come [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > things get damaged, they get /real/ expensive, not to mention very > inconvenient. No luck. Just common sense that worked. >>>. pry out the inboard driveshaft assembly with a screwdriver (forcing inner >>> set ring past inner groove in differential); Q: Does it always just 'pop [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > the retaining ring helps keep it centered so it goes in first time. > hammering brinells the d/s bearings and the diff bearings. don't do it. In a nice garage with a hoist, sure hand pressure works. But in a lousy garage and akward conditions, carefull common sense and lumber (soft wood) makes things easier. I always use grease on the clip, the spline, and the groove in the seal. I rebuilt a transmission once. Talk about brinelling! >> M.A. Stewart (don't email cf005... sorry...elm filter bounces all incoming >> email!) [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >>>Any help/tips/sharing-of-experiences greatly appreciated. >>>-ed >>>>Hi. I'm caught in the old bind of being too poor to get a car that doesn't >>>>need constant repairs, because my only car needs constant repairs, thus [quoted text clipped - 62 lines] > fork has to be removed (not advised if the bolt is siezed) or the inner > joint disassembled. i'm not talking completely about removing the axle, just getting sufficient clearance to pop the ends frm the diff. >>>Cleanliness is next to godly. Be careful not to contaminate your inner >>>joint guts with dirt! [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > to whack the control arm with a hammer when the puller can't be tightened > any more. Been there on a 3Gee. Don't piss with a puller. then you weren't using the correct tool! >>>>. pull knuckle outward, removing draveshaft outboard joint from knuckle >>>> with a plastic hammer. Q: Can it be stuck to where it just won't come [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > No luck. Just common sense that worked. dude, you've clearly never worked on many siezed joints. if you had, you'd know that the correct tool has the job done in 2 minutes, and that a fudge like you describe can take hours, not counting repair of damaged parts and personal injury. $60 for the right tool is /so/ cheap. >>>>. pry out the inboard driveshaft assembly with a screwdriver (forcing inner >>>> set ring past inner groove in differential); Q: Does it always just 'pop [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > > I rebuilt a transmission once. Talk about brinelling! why does that not surprise me? >>>M.A. Stewart (don't email cf005... sorry...elm filter bounces all incoming >>>email!) [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >>>>Any help/tips/sharing-of-experiences greatly appreciated. >>>>-ed >>>>>Hi. I'm caught in the old bind of being too poor to get a car that doesn't >>>>>need constant repairs, because my only car needs constant repairs, thus [quoted text clipped - 155 lines] > > why does that not surprise me? Your assuming that the brinelling was my fault. It was not. It was the fault the ENGINEERS who desgined the transmission! Plus it must have been a bad day in Yokahoma when the transmission was built because the guy who put it together forgot to tighten the reverse gear nut. Fortunately, he did stake the nut. >>>>M.A. Stewart (don't email cf005... sorry...elm filter bounces all incoming >>>>email!) [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >>>>>Any help/tips/sharing-of-experiences greatly appreciated. >>>>>-ed <snip> > Your assuming that the brinelling was my fault. It was not. It was the fault > the ENGINEERS who desgined the transmission! Plus it must have been a bad day > in Yokahoma when the transmission was built because the guy who put it > together forgot to tighten the reverse gear nut. Fortunately, he did stake > the nut. you don't "design" brinelling. it's not a factory assembly error. it's the result of excess force at some subsequent time. period. and "loose" is a feature of bearing wear, not factory. all this points in the same direction... > Don't use the puller. Use a ball joint fork. BUT... BUT... only use ONE > TINE of the ball joint fork so that the rubber boot on the ball joint is [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > have a ball joint fork, a nice big, fat, rampy cold chisel will work just > as well in the same manner as above. Don't piss around with a puller. The California 86-89 Accord, 88-91 doesn't require a puller. I've done several jobs using a 10, 12, 14, 17mm, one other socket and a 17mm wrench. Either California is good to Hondas or what. Several tips I might add: Make sure the axel seats on the transmission or risk being stranded. This is an easy procedure only learned form experience since no hammering is allowed. No fluid draining is required if jacked in a certain positon. >> Don't use the puller. Use a ball joint fork. BUT... BUT... only use ONE >> TINE of the ball joint fork so that the rubber boot on the ball joint is [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > several jobs using a 10, 12, 14, 17mm, one other socket and a 17mm > wrench. Either California is good to Hondas or what. I have utterly no idea what you're talking about here, with the 10, 12, 14, etc sockets! > Several tips I might add: > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > No fluid draining is required if jacked in a certain positon. I'm hoping you're right about the fluid - like a ninny I had followed directions and drained my tranny before I had determined whether I could get though the crucial steps. When I got stuck, I had no choice but to put all my new gear oil (~$20) in, thinking I'd have to re-drain and save it when I got around to trying the job again. When you say 'in a certain position' - I'm thinking if I just jack up one side of the car at a time and do that side's axle, there will be enough tilt in the transaxle that no oil will leak out the axle hole? I guess even if some does leak out, it won't be much this way, and easy to top off after job done. thanks for you input. > I have utterly no idea what you're talking about here, with the 10, 12, 14, > etc sockets! The puller isn't required. All you need are these proper tools: 10mm socket drive. 12mm socket drive. 14mm socket drive. 17mm socket drive. 17mm wrench. ??mm socket drive for spindle nut. 1/2 and 3/4 Ratchet 1 socket drive ext. 1 helper to turn the steering. No hammers and very safe procedures not mentioned in the service manual. The procedure is a bit complex to describe but if there's any questions... > When you say 'in a certain position' - I'm thinking if I just jack up one > side of the car at a time and do that side's axle, there will be enough tilt > in the transaxle that no oil will leak out the axle hole? I guess even if > some does leak out, it won't be much this way, and easy to top off after job > done. Right, tilt at a decent height. Whatever drains out, just consider it normal, but never reuse it. Might work on 5-speed transmissions but can't say for sure. Visual aids: tools required. http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/s/s0528900.html http://www.toolweb.com/pics/KTI24080.jpg http://www.arizonatools.com/img/products/P/PRO07516S.JPG http://www.tona.cz/catobr/k_2018.png http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/909151_lg.jpg http://listing.hk.business.yahoo.com/images/products/11386/121813.jpg > Loosen spindle nut FIRST (wheels on the ground, tranny in first gear, > parking brake on). Chisel back the locking tab on the nut before loosening [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > pipe on your breaker bar. Remember... with a big enough lever and a sturdy > fulcrum, you too can move the Earth! I had to that on my Accord... four-foot cheater and I had to stand on it, and bounce a bit to crack the nut. >>. remove damper fork. > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > than cutting out the lower control arms with a torch and buying new lower > control arms! I'll go along with that... I found the bolt was so solidly 'welded' into the rubber bushing that I could crank it almost a complete turn without it coming loose, the bushing just stretching with it. It did eventually come loose, with a lot of alternating twisting and hammering on the end of the bolt. --- avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean. Virus Database (VPS): 0542-5, 10/21/2005 Tested on: 10/23/2005 1:43:45 PM avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2005 ALWIL Software. http://www.avast.com > Hi. I'm caught in the old bind of being too poor to get a car that doesn't > need constant repairs, because my only car needs constant repairs, thus [quoted text clipped - 51 lines] > Any help/tips/sharing-of-experiences greatly appreciated. > -ed Where were all youse guys days ago when I originally posted?? I attempted the job Friday morning and I think I might have succeeded if I had some of this input before I dived in. Oh well - here's the scoop: This talk about taking apart the inner joint sounds completely nuts! I'm going by the official dealer's manual and Hayne's manual and several other descriptions of the job found on the web, and they ALL say take out the fork, separate the lower control arm from the ball joint, and pull the whole half axle sucker out. I'm not in the rust belt (I'm in Bay Area, CA), so I've never even heard of such a thing (talk about a pain!). I had to use a 3' extension on a 1/2" drive socket wrench to break loose the spindle nuts, but I was successful (that had me worried as I had read horror stories). I had no problems whatsover with the fork - came right out. Come to think of it, I'm glad I did NOT read about the seized lower bolt scenerio - it would have just upped the anxiety. Got the blasted cotter pin out of the castle nut on the ball joint after only 20 minutes of fussing. 30 seconds later had the castle nut off. Then - A BRICK WALL. Could NOT get anywhere with getting the lower control arm free of the ball joint. Had a good sized 2-arm gear puller (as recommended by the manual and elsewhere): tried getting it as tight as I could (got it VERY tight, in fact, with no luck), and hammering on the bolt with puller on - all to no avail. Would have used a butane torch to heat lower arm but couldn't find the nozzle at my place of work so had to just call it quits and get it all reassembled for the sad drive back home. (Glad I did not heat it now that I've researched this job more on the web). Got home and spent HOURS on the web searching for into on getting the lower control arm free from the ball joint, and found out a few things: * input from a LOT of people saying the puller tools are all but worthless. I agree completely. * the one 'puller' tool most agreed can do the job is a lever-type ball end remover, a picture of which can be seen here: http://tinyurl.com/9gfaf Of course, I didn't have one, and have no $ to buy one, so it may as well not exist for me. * pounding on an axle end with a steel ANYTHING is complete idiotic (pounding on a partially unscrewed spindle nut to loosen it probably OK, but one should NEVER pound shaft (or joint housings) with hammer to get shaft installed in transaxle. * In reference to getting lower control arm free of ball joint: I came across several references to the 'ratchet trick' but didn't know what it was about. Finally tracked it down to one of the best postings I've ever come across in forum 'how-to' discussion: http://tinyurl.com/72zmg There's even a movie showing the trick in work. IF ONLY I HAD KNOWN THIS AT THE TIME!!!!!!! It's close to the suggestion posted originally by M.A. Stewart about using one tyne of a ball joint fork - I think if I had read that before my attempt, even though I don't have the fork, I would have thought to look around for a piece of metal to wedge in there (like a chisel) and maybe I could have succeeded. But with the ratchet trick, you don't even need a hammer - just jack up the assy, wedge in the ratchet (or any properly sized piece of metal), then lower the jack. If the fork is still in, the spring tension will pop the arm off the ball joint stud; if the fork is out, just stepping down smartly with your foot on the top of the caliper will pop it out. (so everyone claims - we'll see soon enough!) I've read enough not to fear getting the inner end of the shaft free from the differential, but I might have gotten stuck on getting the outer end of the shaft out of the hub (if I had gotten past the lower arm problem), but again, because I'm in CA and not the rust belt, I don't think that will be a great problem. (probably shouldn't have said that). I'm way too sore and tired and spent to even think about when I'll next try this job, but having the 'ratchet trick' to try makes a part of me almost eager to get back in the fray. Maybe in a few days... thanks for all responses! >>Hi. I'm caught in the old bind of being too poor to get a car that doesn't >>need constant repairs, because my only car needs constant repairs, thus [quoted text clipped - 53 lines] > > Where were all youse guys days ago when I originally posted?? dude! first, you gotta ask the right question. second, some of us work for a living! you want free, you gotta chill. > I attempted > the job Friday morning and I think I might have succeeded if I had some of [quoted text clipped - 49 lines] > a movie showing the trick in work. IF ONLY I HAD KNOWN THIS AT THE > TIME!!!!!!! that is a lucky california trick. and it's bad for 2 reasons. first is that it overstresses the actual balljoint. that can lead to premature failure of the ball/socket, and in extreme cases, fatigue of the post. second is that it's still not guaranteed to work! the correct joint splitter is /guaranteed/ to work. period. no stressing the wrong parts. it's also the safest work practice. > It's close to the suggestion posted originally by M.A. Stewart > about using one tyne of a ball joint fork - I think if I had read that [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > thanks for all responses! dude, all this stuff about being tired & sore makes for injury. chicks may dig scars, but they're not so keen on disfigurement. and disfigurement is /way/ more expensive than this misconception that you can't afford the tool. $60 for the tool is cheap, young grasshopper. >>>Hi. I'm caught in the old bind of being too poor to get a car that >>>doesn't <...snip irrevelant stuff...> >> * In reference to getting lower control arm free of ball joint: I came >> across several references to the 'ratchet trick' but didn't know what it [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > splitter is /guaranteed/ to work. period. no stressing the wrong parts. > it's also the safest work practice. Dude! - "overstresses the actual balljoint"???? In what possible way? The 'trick' is to simply insert a 'fulcrum' at the PRECISE POINT you would want a fulcrum, using the little known fact that as the suspension rises, the distance between the 2 surfaces where the 'ratchet' goes widens. Thus you wind up, with the ratchet in place, with a 'super-lever', which will deliver the near EXACT pull-apart force desired, without even touching the ball joint. (and they say it's /guaranteed/ to work, every time, 100%!) Most shops don't have the one tool that is perfect (the one I mentioned), and just heat the lower arm end with a torch and slam CRAP out of the lower end with a BFH - that would 'over-stress' the balljoint no end compared to this method, I'd think. And again, the tool the official manual recomments is a 2-arm gear puller, (that's why I tried one) and gear pullers simply DO NOT WORK on stuck-hard arms. It took me a long time to track down the reference to the tool I mentioned, which is the one you 'should' use, if you can afford it and wait a week for delivery, but even if someone handed me that tool right now, I would try the ratchet trick on my next go-around, as the cleverness of it makes it more 'right' than anything (I disagree with your negatives about this method - doesn't stress the 'wrong parts' at all). [I've noticed people who have spent $$$ on tools never like to hear about a clever method which gets around the tool! I LIVE for clever methods - it's the only thing that elevates car work out of the banal hell-realm most of it is about.] > dude, all this stuff about being tired & sore makes for injury. chicks > may dig scars, but they're not so keen on disfigurement. and > disfigurement is /way/ more expensive than this misconception that you > can't afford the tool. $60 for the tool is cheap, young grasshopper. I agree totally, old praying mantis! BUT, as I said, I had NO money for a $60 tool. I meant that. Rent every month, you know. I'm on the edge of the abyss. Life is like that sometime (for grasshoppers at least). >>>>Hi. I'm caught in the old bind of being too poor to get a car that >>>>doesn't [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > the near EXACT pull-apart force desired, without even touching the ball > joint. (and they say it's /guaranteed/ to work, every time, 100%!) i know what a fulcrum is thanks. this method exerts [potentially several tons] force on the actual balljoint. that can elongate the cup in which it sits making it loose. in addition, it stresses the stalk between the ball & the taper - and as tegger can attest, that is a fatigue point. now, if using your method, it just pops apart without major drama, you're probably ok, but if it doesn't, and you have to get rough with it, you're going to cause the damage i describe. the correct tool exerts no stress on the joint - it's all kept within the post, and the areas of the post that are best able to cope. > Most > shops don't have the one tool that is perfect (the one I mentioned), and > just heat the lower arm end with a torch and slam CRAP out of the lower end > with a BFH - that would 'over-stress' the balljoint no end compared to this > method, I'd think. two wrongs don't make a right! > And again, the tool the official manual recomments is a > 2-arm gear puller, (that's why I tried one) and gear pullers simply DO NOT > WORK on stuck-hard arms. i'm not talking about a gear puller. as i told you before, go to tegger.com and check out the correct tool. http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/faq.html#balljoints > It took me a long time to track down the reference > to the tool I mentioned, which is the one you 'should' use, if you can > afford it and wait a week for delivery, but even if someone handed me that > tool right now, I would try the ratchet trick on my next go-around, as the > cleverness of it makes it more 'right' than anything (I disagree with your > negatives about this method - doesn't stress the 'wrong parts' at all). sorry, wrong. > [I've noticed people who have spent $$$ on tools never like to hear about a > clever method which gets around the tool! I LIVE for clever methods - it's > the only thing that elevates car work out of the banal hell-realm most of it > is about.] so do i, but this isn't one of them. >>dude, all this stuff about being tired & sore makes for injury. chicks >>may dig scars, but they're not so keen on disfigurement. and [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > $60 tool. I meant that. Rent every month, you know. I'm on the edge of the > abyss. Life is like that sometime (for grasshoppers at least). what's your emergency room deductible? i'll bet it's more that $60, 2 tanks of gas, so don't b.s. that you've not got the money. sell the tool again after you're done if you think you'll never use it again. or rent it. if you can't afford this, you can't afford the car or the insurance or the licence or the tires or... >> <...snip irrevelant stuff...> >> Dude! - "overstresses the actual balljoint"???? In what possible way? The [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > on the joint - it's all kept within the post, and the areas of the post > that are best able to cope. OK - I get it now. What you're saying is that the special tool grips the top of the stalk, BELOW the start of the actual ball joint. That is, there must be some kind of a 'lip' there, directly part of the stalk, that the tool seats its upper arm under - right? I didn't know that. The tricky way pulls up on the part the ball joint sits in, from the 'top' so-to-speak, thus stressing the joint. So I see the point about stressing the 'wrong' parts, but still, many people have done it this way and I've seen NO reports of damage to ball joints. Not one. If someone did damage the ball joint doing it that way, they'd post immediately to the forum yelling at the top of their lungs DON'T DO IT! So it may be a safe procedure, even given the fact that stress is put on the ball joint itself. But I have noted the great concern you have about me doing something I may later regret, Bill, so I promise I will look and see if our one rental place has one of these special tools for a reasonable rental fee, and if it does, I'll use the tool. If not, I'll try the 'trick,' but being as careful as I can. >> Most shops don't have the one tool that is perfect (the one I mentioned), >> and just heat the lower arm end with a torch and slam CRAP out of the >> lower end with a BFH - that would 'over-stress' the balljoint no end >> compared to this method, I'd think. > > two wrongs don't make a right! True, true. >> And again, the tool the official manual recomments is a 2-arm gear >> puller, (that's why I tried one) and gear pullers simply DO NOT WORK on [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > tegger.com and check out the correct tool. > http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/faq.html#balljoints The tool you're referencing has the same exact design as the tool I referenced after I did my post-failure posting (http://tinyurl.com/9gfaf), but the tool I found sells for $19 - yours sells for $53.49 (http://tinyurl.com/7lfac). Is the one I found maybe junk? - it looks less sturdy than the one you reference. >>>dude, all this stuff about being tired & sore makes for injury. chicks >>>may dig scars, but they're not so keen on disfigurement. and [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > it. if you can't afford this, you can't afford the car or the insurance > or the licence or the tires or... Never heard of an 'emergency room deductible'! But right, right, right - I CAN'T afford the car, or the insurance, or the licence, or the tires, etc. Really can't. Until I get some more income coming in. Hard to get more income coming in without wheels! It's a cosmic law that when financial difficulties arise, car problems that have been 'lying in wait' will spring forth... > Never heard of an 'emergency room deductible'! But right, right, right - I > CAN'T afford the car, or the insurance, or the licence, or the tires, etc. > Really can't. Until I get some more income coming in. Hard to get more > income coming in without wheels! It's a cosmic law that when financial > difficulties arise, car problems that have been 'lying in wait' will spring > forth... Quoting from someone, "... I still dont understand why people remove the ball joints when installing axles..." This method does not even require separating the tie rod ball joint. A cost effective (trick) method. Here's a simple but not detailed input by ferio 95. http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=887859&page=2#12775434 http://tinyurl.com/8z9r3 same link >>Never heard of an 'emergency room deductible'! But right, right, right - I >>CAN'T afford the car, or the insurance, or the licence, or the tires, etc. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > http://tinyurl.com/8z9r3 same link sure, you can do it like that too. but it's even more heavy garbage you have to work around. besides, popping the joint allows you to manually inspect and make sure it's ok. one consequence of it /not/ being ok has been posted by burt! > The tool you're referencing has the same exact design as the tool I > referenced after I did my post-failure posting (http://tinyurl.com/9gfaf), > but the tool I found sells for $19 - yours sells for $53.49 > (http://tinyurl.com/7lfac). Is the one I found maybe junk? - it looks less > sturdy than the one you reference. The cheap one looks okay. The big difference I see is that the expensive one has two pivot points so it can handle both large and small ball joints. For Hondas I think the $19 one will do it. Mike (who has the expensive one!) > Dude! - "overstresses the actual balljoint"???? In what possible way? The other day I found a car just like this on the California Highway. http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/misc/lowerballjoint/ If the ball joint is that stuck in the taper, and the proper tool is unavailable or doesn't work, I have resorted to a pickle fork for tie rod ends on my 87 prelude. The angle of the forks is much steeper, and the opening of the forks is much narrower than the ball joint pickle forks out there. And I got lucky and did not destroy the rubber boot on the ball joint. On the 87 'lude, I did disassemble the inner joint, then reassembled after running the shaft through the fork. I am located in Winnipeg, much salt and rust up here so I didn't even want to try loosening the nuts on the steering fork. I don't think its crazy to do that, but based on the info you provided, you did the right thing. t >> Hi. I'm caught in the old bind of being too poor to get a car that doesn't >> need constant repairs, because my only car needs constant repairs, thus [quoted text clipped - 76 lines] > >thanks for all responses! > If the ball joint is that stuck in the taper, and the proper tool is > unavailable or doesn't work, I have resorted to a pickle fork for tie rod [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > running the shaft through the fork. I am located in Winnipeg, much salt and > rust up here Rust in Winnipeg? That is nothing compared to the rust in Montreal! 87 `ludes Dude, use Fred Flintstone brakes in Montreal today! > so I didn't even want to try loosening the nuts on the steering > fork. I don't think its crazy to do that, but based on the info you provided, [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >>> need constant repairs, because my only car needs constant repairs, thus >>[quoted text clipped - 51 lines] |
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