[whine] Lower balljoint broken again

[Oyvind Ryeng]

I have replaced 3 lower balljoints (front) the time I had my car, now it's toed-out 40 degrees, got 20 degrees negative camber, and lowered 10 centimetres *again*. The morale is: Original Honda parts last almost a lifetime, $1-piece-of-shit-parts lasts 1 month, tops. This time the entire steel-ball&threaded part got *ripped* down, straight out of the housing; not a pretty sight.

Doesen't take long; nor is it difficult to replace, but disturbing nonetheless. If it breaks in highway-speeds you are guaranteed to die (in Norway there are ravines, huge stones, trees and lightpoles max 3 metres from the road on either side). Luckily the balljoints have all broken in "parking"-speeds.

It's no fun to drive fast in the turns when you can't trust the car to not break anything vital in the suspension-area...

[AccordEpicenter]

see if you can get moog lower balljoints, they are almost as good as the regular honda ones and cost less.

[MrBen]

Moog I hear is better than Honda. They are beefy things and look like they'd last a long time.

[Oyvind Ryeng]

Well, it is a question of availability; I would probably have to go to Hell & back before i got a hold of these "Moog" balljoints. On the other hand, the Honda-dealership is like 3 minutes from our house.

Anyway, I was replacing the balljoint today, but what did i see after beating the new joint into the knuckle? It diden't have the slot where the locking ring is supposed to be (directly beneath the knuckle, secures the joint so that it can't go up again). I mean, for the $180 (!!!!) I had to pay for the joint, should I not be able to trust that it actually would fit the car? Ofcourse, I have to wait till Monday to get it replaced; the dealership is closed during the weekend. Then I have to wait approx. 4 or 5 days before the new joint arrives.

[AccordEpicenter]

The newer honda BJs dont have the retaining clip... they omitted it. I dont think its a big deal, but the moog ones have the retaining clip, unlike the hondas. And yes, the moog joints are very good/high quality

[jlaccord89lxi]

i hear ya man. As soon as i replace one part of the suspension, another thing goes. I can't go a month without having pulsation of the brakes, or something else. Right now if i make turns on the highway on long rounded bends to the left, my wheel shudders a bit so i'll woryy about it when it gets worse. I really wish honda didn't design these cars that way.

[MrBen]

Tell me about it. The minute I replace some suspension part, I find out another is bad. Or I'll find out a couple weeks later AFTER I've had an alignment. What a money pit.

[Elijah]

SHITTY if you lived by me I could give you one I have 2 extra ones sitting in my car. still new

[Oyvind Ryeng]

AccordEpicenter: So Honda thought like: "Hey, lets have the balljoint stuck in the knuckle by the small pressure it's stuck in there with?" In that case, they are out of their minds - I could get the balljoint loose from there in a 100-metre drive. But by securing it with a clip under the knuckle it would stay in there even if i attemt to force it out of there with a 100-ton hydraulic press.

jlaccord89lxi: Yeah, the only thing one can do is to break, bend and check upon every single part of the suspension and replace parts as neccesary, just to be sure. Then you can worry about the invisible damage (latent/hidden damage) to the arms and knuckes, and just wonder if it is strong enough/undamaged, after the 18 years since the car left the factory. Argh, suspension maintenance is a bitch, but it is absolutely *vital* that it is in perfect working order. As I said before, if the suspension breaks in highway-speeds - you might as well recite the first line of "Our father in Heaven" before you almost immideately hit the stones, poles etc. that is next to the road...

Elijah: What would you estimate the price and time to send some parts overseas, to Norway?

[Elijah]

ALLOT if you pay shipping i will send it monday. You dont have to pay me for the part.

[accordlxi2.0]

damn i really feel for you man.
that remind's me of my cougar . . . . . . . .for the last 3month's that i had the car i replaced the wheel stud's, two broke every other day.
and i would replace all five.
the tire fell off at one time.
but hope it get's better 4 ya!