rear upper control arm

[86dxhatch]

Since I've owned the car my drivers rear suspension has been making a loud creaking just about all the time, over bumps around corners... I think its the ball joint on the upper arm.

My manual says I need a ball joint separator and to have the rear on jackstands
and a jack on the lower control arm.

I don't have jackstands or ball joint seperator, just one jack and a hammer.

Can this job be done without supporting the LCA and without a ball joint separator?:nuts:

[A18A]

yup, just loosen the nut on it, and hammer the (i forget what its called, the bit the ball joint goes through) a few times to shock it loose

[86dxhatch]

Thanks, I think I'll jack it just high enough where the tire is barley touching the ground just to be cautious.

[DBMaster]

I don't know about that. ^ I have replaced mine twice and took the wheel off when I did it. I bought a cheap pittman arm puller online to separate the ball joints.

Don't make the same mistake I did by buying cheapo aftermarket arms. They ball joints were going bad after only two years. The last time I bought Moog, which are made by the same Japanese company that makes the OEM - so, in effect, they are OEM. I got mine on clearance at Rock Auto, but there's a reason the OEM ones cost 2-3 times what the cheap ones do. My front upper cheapos made all kinds of racket and went bad after a year and a half. I switched to Moog there as well.

There seems to be a HUGE difference in quality when it comes to aftermarket v. OEM ball joints. Both TRW and Moog are either OEM grade or identical to OEM. Anything else is just garbage.

[A18A]

take the wheel off and stick it under the car by the jack

[2oodoor]

I installed grease fittings on those rears with the DX I had. It creaked like crazy till I did that. Just drilled very carefully in the top center cap, just enough to screw a zert in. It took care of the squeks, rattles and pops. Dont expect to repair a worn out ball socket though so make a good judgement as to how worn the joint is. Keep in mind the boot can only hold the grease so long so regular greasing is needed.

[86dxhatch]

Well I bought a beck/arnley arm, and it seems to be of high quality. On the ball joint it's stamped with( THREE 555 FIVE ) and made in Japan. If that makes any difference. The boot also says Japan, and the arm looks like 16ga steel and seems solid.

The stainless cap on the ball joint has a small rounded plug or something dead center and is 16ga as well, looks like it would be hard to drill for a grease fitting.

I'll try to take a pic later.

[Dr_Snooz]

Very, very good arm. Install it with confidence.

[lostforawhile]

the 555 means it;s one of the best ones you can get

[86dxhatch]

Well, seeing as you all approve, I went ahead and bought another one for my passenger side. While I was looking I noticed that RockAuto had both beck/arnley front uppers on closeout for cheap. Only $130 with shipping for all three.

So now I think I better get myself a ball joint separator or pitman arm puller. Which one would be easier to use?

Does anyone know if they sell these at Harbor Freight?

[gp02a0083]

they should sell both at harbor fright, personally i would but the pickle forck at harbor, but get a decent pitman puller from a real company. The ball joint / pickle fork is gonna be easier to use IMO. However the pitman arm puller does come in handy once in a while.

[DBMaster]

How interesting. The rears I bought recently were branded as "TRW," but they were also Three-Five from Japan. The fronts were Moog, also branded Three-Five. I got both sets on closeout for 30-something bucks each. The good ones retail for around $100 each so that's a good deal.

[Dr_Snooz]

I would just rent a front-end kit from the local auto parts store. It's the cheapest and gives you all kinds of tools to choose from.

[lostforawhile]

all you need to remove that arm is a ten dollar pitman arm/tie rod end puller, i have a couple of them, and they have removed the ball joints eaisily on every honda i've owned. I even sent one to cah a couple of years ago

[Dr_Snooz]

all you need to remove that arm is a ten dollar pitman arm/tie rod end puller, i have a couple of them, and they have removed the ball joints eaisily on every honda i've owned. I even sent one to cah a couple of years ago

Don't you hate CAH?

[lostforawhile]

Don't you hate CAH?
no i don't hate him, he gets on my nerves but i don't hate him

[Dr_Snooz]

'Cause if you hate him, then maybe you sent him the separator because it's crap and it would irritate him that way.

[lostforawhile]

'Cause if you hate him, then maybe you sent him the separator because it's crap and it would irritate him that way.

na, i have two of them, i used that one for years and it worked great. He needed one to be able to get his car apart to change the transmission.

[lostforawhile]

never failed me on a Honda
http://www.cherokeeforum.com/attachments/f2/1654d1235158252-how-pull-pitman-arm-tie-rod-puller.jpg

[A18A]

never failed me on a Honda
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/hammer-1.jpg

[Strugglebucket]

"Don't hit it with the hammer!"
"Why?"
"Because it's...the tool of a pikey."