Who has ever gotten their Upper Ball Joint(s) replaced?

[Rainacide]

Has anyone ever had to get their ball joints replaced for the rear? If so, I'd like to know how much did you pay; include labor, parts, DIY or shops.

Looking to see how much I should really pay for it.

Firestone is quoting me $500 for parts & labor for the rear, if can be done in your own garage, any tips?

Thanks Much!

[mykwikcoupe]

do it in your own garage. Limited tools needed. Parts are $40 each or less. Drive up to marysville and Ill help you. Basic tools are a 12mm, 14mm, 17mm and a pickle fork or however you want to seprate the pieces. It takes longer to jack up, support the car and reassemble then it does to swap.

[lostforawhile]

get one of those tie rod end pullers, about 10-15 bucks, they will seperate any ball joint on this car, they wanted to charge you that much for about 80 bucks worth of parts and a half hour job. :deal: they probably wanted to sell you an alignment too because it "would mess up the alignment to remove them" or other BS

[nswst8]

Dude, seriously. The rear upper ball joint are the easiest to replace. As the others stated above. A cheap 2 jaw puller and a hammer is all you will need. You can even skip the puller and just hit the ball joint caddle of the steering knuckle really good and the ball joint will pop out.

I forgot about the pickle fork, easy balljoint separator.

The first should not take more than 30-45 minutes and the other side will take less time.

It is the best money you will ever save. Look to youtube for some balljoint replacements how to's.

[Bglad420]

get one of those tie rod end pullers, about 10-15 bucks, they will seperate any ball joint on this car, they wanted to charge you that much for about 80 bucks worth of parts and a half hour job. :deal: they probably wanted to sell you an alignment too because it "would mess up the alignment to remove them" or other BS

Any time you change any suspension component you should get an alignment, no two parts are the same.

I had my alignment guy change mine, 50 for parts, and 40 for labor since I was too lazy and he already had it on the rack.

[2drSE-i]

What everyone said is very true. Very easy job, especially on the rear. Hell, buy me a two way ticket and a six pack and ill do it and still save you money

[lostforawhile]

Any time you change any suspension component you should get an alignment, no two parts are the same.

I had my alignment guy change mine, 50 for parts, and 40 for labor since I was too lazy and he already had it on the rack.

those should be so close, i can't see it causing a problem. they just wanted him to bend over and take it, geez 500 bucks

[nswst8]

I agree with lost. The rear upper replacement won't cause any major adjustment. No alignment will be needed.

Just have it checked. If you are concerned.

[carotman]

Putting groceries in the trunk will change alignment more than changing the upper arms.

[2drSE-i]

Putting groceries in the trunk will change alignment in a worst way then changing the upper arms.

hahaha!

[charliekuney]

Putting groceries in the trunk will change alignment more than changing the upper arms.

Fo realz.

[lostforawhile]

watch out for shops that try to charge for setting the camber too, some of the suspension geomety is fixed and only repairable by replacing parts. you can set the camber with lude front arms, but the stock ones are fixed. all you can adjust on the front is toe and caster

[Rainacide]

THANKS FOR THE IMPUT GUYS! :)

Yeah, I was going to FireStone to get an alignment done and they said 'upper ball joint is shot' which is true then they were saying 'it's unsafe to do an alignment w/o replacing ball joints' or some shit. & straight up quoted $500. The parts from Moog are like $40 bucks a pop. Don't see why it'll be so expensive and they it'll take like 3 hrs...

But hey mykwikcoupe. You said you can help me out right? Only problem I got with doing this on my own is that I live in an apartment and I don't exactly have the leisure to do this.

I got the sockets if you have that pick fork thing and a jack and maybe we can see if I can make it up to Marysville to get that shit done.

Thanks!

[DBMaster]

The upper ball joints are pre-assembled into the upper rear control arms so you replace the whole arm. An aftermarket pair I put on the car in 2008 was already bad this year so I went with Moog this time. Since the alignment adjustment affected by these arms is camber you WILL NOT need to get an alignment UNLESS you replace with adjustable upper arms which you can find if you look around.

[nswst8]

Check out:

www.rockauto.com

[stat1K]

moog or 3-5 is the only way to go.

[Rainacide]

YES,

been hearing alot of good things about Moog and I did alito more researching on the ball joints and lifted my car, yes it's in one piece be pointless to just buy the joint. A guy locally is going to help me. Saving me useless extra hundreds at Firestone :P

Thanks guys again!

[mykwikcoupe]

It'll still cost you something, what is up to you. I dont work for free but I do like people to show there appreciation. Doesnt have to be money, parts and whatever works. Anything really. Charlie trades me stuff he doesnt want and always says thanks. Matter of fact, he knows more about these cars history then I do know. Dang

[Bglad420]

The upper ball joints are pre-assembled into the upper rear control arms so you replace the whole arm. An aftermarket pair I put on the car in 2008 was already bad this year so I went with Moog this time. Since the alignment adjustment affected by these arms is camber you WILL NOT need to get an alignment UNLESS you replace with adjustable upper arms which you can find if you look around.

That's just ignorant right there. If you were swapping ONLY the ball joint then yeah you can get away with out an alignment assuming it is in check prior. But if your changing out an entire suspension component such as a control arm you NEED to get an alignment as no two parts are the same, and the geometry varies part to part.

[lostforawhile]

That's just ignorant right there. If you were swapping ONLY the ball joint then yeah you can get away with out an alignment assuming it is in check prior. But if your changing out an entire suspension component such as a control arm you NEED to get an alignment as no two parts are the same, and the geometry varies part to part.

the parts like this are made to such tight tolerances as to keep the alignment set, thats another reason to go with a quality part, it's not difficult to hold the tolerances within a few thousandths, also parts like this are made in jigs to ensure they are all the same. It's no different then the front upper arms setting camber, which isn't adjustable. these parts aren't like suspension componets from the 70's where the toleances were all over the place. so you are saying you should set the front camber too, which can't be set factory, because the arms might be different?

[stat1K]

the parts like this are made to such tight tolerances as to keep the alignment set, thats another reason to go with a quality part, it's not difficult to hold the tolerances within a few thousandths, also parts like this are made in jigs to ensure they are all the same. It's no different then the front upper arms setting camber, which isn't adjustable. these parts aren't like suspension componets from the 70's where the toleances were all over the place. so you are saying you should set the front camber too, which can't be set factory, because the arms might be different?

he never said anything about camber, he said you should always get an alignment after changing a suspension part. the point is the car was aligned with an old warn out part, then you put a new part on, it's not going to be anywhere near the same as the old warn out part. just because when the old part was new it would be near the same doesn't mean that after several years of wear and tear that it somehow, magically will be within 1000ths of an inch the same as the BRAND NEW PART.

there's a right way and a safe way to do everything, sure you don't NEED to get it aligned, but you don't NEED to drive the speed limit. shit happens, why not prevent it if you can?

i suppose you don't need to heatshrink wires or solder them either right? same concept.

[DBMaster]

Excuse me, guys, but the only alignment spec that can be changed by a rear UCA replacement is camber and this is NOT adjustable unless you buy an adjustable UCA. So, what is the point of the alignment aside from spending money?

Fine, don't believe me, if you like. I have owned this car since 1989 and I am on my third set of rear UCA's. I know what I am talking about. Save your money. Of course, if you have cash to burn, go right ahead with the alignment!

[stat1K]

all of the suspension geometry acts together, even though there are no fine tune adjustments that you are changing one different part effects the whole system. that's cool that you've owned the car since 89, i'll still have my opinion regardless.

[AccordB20A]

say if you replace the upper arm balljoint thing in the rear and the replacement part is shorter or longer than the one that comes off, it will change the camber, Yes, but changing camber also changes the toe. probably not enough to actually affect the handling/tyre wear but it still changes it.

Ive only done three alignments in my life, im still learning but this is what i have been shown.

[lostforawhile]

I wasn't trying to start an argument I was just making the point, that the high quality replacement arms are going to be so close to factory specs, that an alignment is not needed, in the case of the front arms, you can't set camber anyway. the part actually sets the camber

[Rainacide]

Damn, I did not expect to look at this thread and see an arguement. To help clear things up, I'm getting alignment because of my front and I got the specs on it. But when they were going to do my alignment at (Firestone) they were talking about the ball joint/control arms and so on.

Sorry guys!

[DBMaster]

I hope I didn't come across too strongly here. I am on a budget these days so I wouldn't get an alignment after replacing these particular parts, in fact I just replaced my rear UCA's a few months ago. The ones I bought were actually clearance from Rock Auto and branded TRW, not Moog. Though, they are stamped as the 555 brand the Honda uses as OEM and they say "Made in Japan." They were only about $40 each.

I AM a believer in alignment as well. I get my alignment checked and adjusted every two years when I buy a new set of tires. As the car gets older, the alignment is a little less stable even though I have replaced just about every bushing and part there is to replace.

[Dr_Snooz]

I AM a believer in alignment as well. I get my alignment checked and adjusted every two years when I buy a new set of tires.

Either you're buying the wrong tires, or you're putting a heck of a lot of miles on the car...

[Rainacide]

I just recently bought my hatch about 4 months ago, it has 296XXX on the body, all original suspension setup with VERY bad maintenance :/

[Dr_Snooz]

That doesn't sound good. Poke your head under there and make sure nothing is getting ready to come apart. You don't want a catastrophic failure at highway speed.

[Rainacide]

Yeah mos def!

I diagnosed a few things already right when I first bought the car, but I love the 3G so much I'm willing to fix all this shit :P

But for sure the suspension is shot, hella dangerous as is.

[lostforawhile]

replace the upper control arms, lower control arm bushings, lower ball joints, wheel bearings, sway bar bushings,tie rod ends and overhaul the brakes, as far as pressing the bearings and lower ball joints, if you can't do it, pull the parts and take them to someone who can, it's always cheaper to bring in the parts vs they take them off. summit racing carries a lot of those parts in moog, and they are reasonable, one thing to note, moog says the lower ball joints will go in without taking off the boots, but the boot is in the way, the boot has to come off first. it can be tricky to do without damage. thats just the front suspension

[mykwikcoupe]

I thought it would be an isolated incident. After the deer accident, I went in to les schwabs to have an inspection. I went in to see if the accident caused any damage or if its just alignment problems. They wanted to charge me $800 for the upper, lower ball joints front and rear. Thats like $150 in parts. Maybe a few hours worth of work but thats like robbery. Crazy expensive

[Dr_Snooz]

replace the upper control arms, lower control arm bushings, lower ball joints, wheel bearings, sway bar bushings,tie rod ends and overhaul the brakes, as far as pressing the bearings and lower ball joints, if you can't do it, pull the parts and take them to someone who can, it's always cheaper to bring in the parts vs they take them off. summit racing carries a lot of those parts in moog, and they are reasonable, one thing to note, moog says the lower ball joints will go in without taking off the boots, but the boot is in the way, the boot has to come off first. it can be tricky to do without damage. thats just the front suspension

Times are hard. There's no need to go changing any more than is necessary right now. Change any joints that are wiggly wobbly. If they move easily by hand, they are wiggly wobbly. Any joints that are leaking goo are the next ones to be replaced. Cracked rubber bushings would be next, followed by cracked boots that aren't leaking goo. Pretty much if the rubber looks happy, leave it be.

[Rainacide]

These companies try to milk hella money out of people when really their fixes are more than half of the price they ask for!

[lostforawhile]

Times are hard. There's no need to go changing any more than is necessary right now. Change any joints that are wiggly wobbly. If they move easily by hand, they are wiggly wobbly. Any joints that are leaking goo are the next ones to be replaced. Cracked rubber bushings would be next, followed by cracked boots that aren't leaking goo. Pretty much if the rubber looks happy, leave it be.
I suggested that because everything is original on his car, and he said everything was poorly maintained. There's a good chance with that many miles,everything is shot.

[Rainacide]

yeah it is,

you get what you buy you know :P

[DBMaster]

Either you're buying the wrong tires, or you're putting a heck of a lot of miles on the car...

I do put a lot of miles on the car and I do a lot of stop and go driving w/aggressive cornering. I get only about 30-40K miles out of a set of H-rated tires. The best I EVER did was with the Michelin MXV's that came from the factory on the car and those lasted 45K. I can't prove this, but I think concrete roads may be harder on tires than asphalt. It's just a "feeling."

[Dr_Snooz]

I do put a lot of miles on the car and I do a lot of stop and go driving w/aggressive cornering. I get only about 30-40K miles out of a set of H-rated tires. The best I EVER did was with the Michelin MXV's that came from the factory on the car and those lasted 45K. I can't prove this, but I think concrete roads may be harder on tires than asphalt. It's just a "feeling."

You should be getting 100k with Michelins. They're the best tires on earth. Are you actually wearing through all the tread or changing when you see weather cracks, etc?

[stat1K]

which michelins, i've seen some michelins only last 20-30 on my mom's element. perfect alignment.

[DBMaster]

I did OK with the Michelin Pilots when they used to make them in the 195/60/14 size, but they still only lasted about 35-40K. I replaced them when I get to the wear indicators. I compromise a bit on the air pressure and keep them at 30 psi and check them twice a month. I have run anywhere from the factory recommended 26 psi to the maximum of 44 on one set. None of that seems to make much difference in wear, but it does change the ride. My car has always had some negative camber in the front (as most Hondas seem to have) so as long as I keep them rotated regularly I get to the point where the inside edges on one side or the other are gone at the same time as the tread. My driving style probably has something to do with it.

[lostforawhile]

as far as critical parts on this suspension, replace the tie rod ends and lower ball joints in the front, the reason I said wheel bearings, is when the wishbone is out of the car, and the ball joints are pressed out, it's easy to press in new wheel bearings. A couple of people here have had catatrophic lower ball joint failure, and it's not worth putting in cheap ones, call summit about the moog if you can't find them local. they aren't that much more then cheap ones.

[cubert]

You should be getting 100k with Michelins.



:huh:

[Dr_Snooz]

:huh:

Trip out right? My brother got over 100k on his pickup running Michelins and I thought it was really something. Then I started reading reviews on the web here and there and there are a lot of people getting 100k out of their Michelins. The real selling point for me is that they are pretty much no hassle. I've had tires that lose balance after 1,000 miles. I've had tires that make my torque converter stop locking up, that reduce my MPGs, that deafen me and make me think suspension parts are failing. Michelins never do any of that. When I got the Bimmer, it had a very old and abused set of Michelins on it. They had been run into so many curbs that the letters on the sidewalls were gone. There was a gash in one of the sidewalls. Nevertheless, at 100+ they were glass smooth and quiet. The stupid Pirellis on it now wobble so badly that I'm afraid to take the car over 90. I get them spin balanced and after one block, they are wobbling again. Don't buy anything but Michelins.

[mykwikcoupe]

not really the same but I would say bridgestones are just as nice or nicer then michelins. Anything les schwabs carries is a cheap tire and shouldnt be used. Order from tirerack.com

[wh1skea]

Les Schwab....Thank God we don't have any of those down here in the South. I remember my mom getting ripped by them over a set of tires back when we lived in Tri-Cities.....and that was over 15 years ago.

[DBMaster]

I have a set of BF Goodrich Touring T/A's that I put on in February. They went from being super quiet to being as noisy as the rest in about 10K miles. I also should have replaced the front strut bushings when I replaced the struts because now that it's "cold" (relative for Texas) the tops of the struts are making noises like an old metal bed frame.