starbai

anyone ever replaced theres? I've been going nuts trying to get mine out, I still haven't sourced a new one yet.

I've decided to start looking around junk yards for a used knuckle with a good ball joint.

Anyone have any tips on how to remove the old ball joint? the press kit that you rent at autozone doesn't have an appropraite attachment.

I've tried banging oit out with a hammer and i'm making slow progress if any.


Also where can I pick up a new rear lower ball joint other than the dealer?

They're not on ebay the way the front end joitns are, and autozone/discount auto parts/pep boys doesn't stock them. ---


any suggestions?

REDLUDE4WS

the rear knuckle comes apart in 2 pieces. there are 3 or 4 14mm nuts holding it all together at the back of the spindle. separate it, and then beat the **** out of the ball joint ( check to see if the c clip is on it first). it will come out with persistence. the front ball joints are the same as the rear, regardless of what moog, dana-spicer, or honda believes. been there before, exactly the same i assure you. buy an aftermarket one at napa or wherever for the front. they won't have a listing for the rear, but buy it anyways, it WILL work. honda is not a bad place to buy it from either, i don't like them because they don't have a the c clip like the aftermarket ones....security...hmmmm

starbai

I have an extra one from the front beacuse I was going to replace both of my front ones but my passenger side didn't need it.

are you POSITIVE that the rears are the same as the front? can anyone confirm this?

I dont wanna end up with the knukle coming out of the lower arm beacuse of a loose ball joint.

I'd really like to go this route since I already have it apart and I already have ane xtra front ball joint.

I need some more confirmation fellahs.

I'm not sayin I dont believe you REDLUDE4WS its just that its a safety issue here so I really have to be 100000% sure.

Thanks!

REDLUDE4WS

here is your safety issue question and answer. it is on my car. i am licensed. i know how to use a vernier. pull and spec it if you don't believe me. i have a 4ws model, they are the same regardless. is it 4th gen? if not maybe it's different, but i highly doubt it.

starbai

its a 92 (4th gen) 2WS.

well your confidence certainly helps and I do aprreciate it.

if i may ask--- how long has it been on your car and has there been ANY adverse impacts at all?

vthondaboi

google rear ball joint for preludes or check out this site

seems like most of them say front/rear stuff, weird

REDLUDE4WS

i have had it on since, early last year (2007). i went through the same problem. no one knew. i went to honda. they gave me an upper for a 3rd gen and said try it. i knew it was too small but took it because i'm always fixing uppers. i grabbed a front lower @ the time as well. this was a good honda parts guy i know. he told me "sorry dude, it's the whole knuckle" f that ish, i said. got home, and because i had ripped all of the suspension off to do the es hyperflex kit and tokico struts/springs i started checking **** out. well guess what...the fronts and rear were the same....but if i didn't pull it apart to check and spec i wouldn't have known. i have a 2ws @ home as well, i'll look at it and get back to you but the knuckles are the same regardless of 2ws or 4ws. there are no problems, no play, because it is new, and it is the oem spec. i wouldn't lie i promise you. i have no reason. **** man i've never even posted a question on this forum...i'm just here to help. but like i said i WILL check it out tonight.

REDLUDE4WS

google smoogle if it is 4th gen dude your good to go

starbai

dont get me wrong bro, i dotn think you're trying to screw me.

but i'm sure u can undertsand my apprehension regarding it. i mean if this **** pops out at high speed on a highway i'm [freak]ed. so i just have to make 100000% sure .

i really appreciate your help with it and if you could doulbe check on your 2ws at home that would be great.

I cant tell ya how much this helps, I really didn't want to have to go buy a whole new knuckle and used ones all have torn boots.

since you've already done this let me ask ya. how did you get your old joint out? I've been banging on that **** with a 4lb hammer like crazy and i can't seem to get it out. its budging but sooooo slowly. I have the ball joint kit from autozone with the press to help me get the new one back in. its just getting it out thats giving me trouble.

assume i have no press other than the autozone kit ( i can't find a reciving tube in the kit that will fit over the top properly. )

I'm sure if i just keep hammering away at it it'll come out. just figured i'd ask if u have any other ideas.

starbai

Ok guys, so after a long day at work I decided to take my frustration out on ball joint. I got the OEM one out, and I started comparing it to the aftermarket one I got.

It seems that it will fit in the knuckle just fine. Snug and everything. Plus the aftermarket new one comes with those little c clamp things that kinda help to hold it in.

The difference arises in the circumference of the part of the ball joint that goes into the lower control arm. Its slightly skinnier than the OEM one.
That being said, while it will go into the knuckle just fine, it will not ‘lock into’ the lower control arm the way the OEM one does. Its not very snug at all.

So obviously the castle nut/cotter pin will hold the knuckle to the lower control arm, but is it safe for it to not lock in like that? I mean I would think with the weight of the whole car on it plus the castle nut on it that it should be just fine.

So any comments or suggestions would really be appreciated. Anyone that can help me decide whether or not this is safe enough to do. I am no mechanic here so I just need input for pros and cons and realistic expectations here.

Here are some comparison pics. The one with no boot is obviously the OEM lower rear ball joint, and the one that looks new is actually an aftermarket replacement for the front lower ball joint.

Remember that everything seen her is in regards to a 4th gen 2ws model.

REDLUDE4WS

my ball joints did not look different in any way shape or form. they were exact including the shank of the ball joint. my ball joint fits snug it is not sitting on the shank it is in the bore, i assure you. why yours are different ???????? i used napa dana-spicer ball joints.

starbai

upon further inspection and a few other pieces of advice, i realized now that the tip of the ball joint is much skinnier than the base correct my terminology if I'm wrong.

That being said once its in it should fit a lot better after the caslte nut pulls it in to fully seat on the control arm.

at least I hope.

REDLUDE4WS

oh i see what you're saying. don't worry about that part. as long as it is torqued to spec, the castle nut will retain the position of the bj in place. torque to spec, check for play. as long as the shank goes in and seats, thats you're bread and butter. the nut only matters for position retainment, and preload on the ball socket inside.

starbai

thanks man, had it not been for your suggestion, I'da probably went and bought a used knuckle some where for more money than i woulda cared for that came with a ball joint thats probably in worst shape than I care for.

and at least now we've made known something that i'm sure a lotta people have had to deal with as well...

the lower rear ball joint is a match with the front lower ball joint on the 4th gens

REDLUDE4WS

i'm gald to see you trusted me and attempted this yourself. sometimes it is what it takes to get the job done. when i found out the front were the same, i was just pissing myself i was so happy (i busted the stud off with my impact) if i hadn't been adament about fixing it i would have bought a knuckle as well, but since it was f#$ked anyways i had nothing to lose but to check and spec the joint. kudos to you and good luck

starbai

heh i had nothing to lose either I had an extra front ball joint laying around beacuse I was gonna replace both of my front ones but I only needed to do one.

thanks again for the tip though. is there a way to "rep" on honda tech?

I had the rear knckle out anyway beacuse I'm doing all of this to do a 5 lug conversion on my lude.

so i said what the hell. i had a rough day anyway and it felt good to bang the **** outta the joint with my 4lb hammer to get it out of the knuckle. lol


oh, also a tip for anyone trying to get thier old lower ball joints out---
I was trying to use all the attachments and what not that came with the ball joint service kit from the car parts store,

It was a waste, it wasn't making any impact. so i just took the hammer and started whaling on the stud of the ball joint itself. granted PB Blaster prbably loosened it up for me over night from the day before, but it literally took 3-4 nice wacks and it was out.

the kit though is needed for installation of the new ball joint if you dont have some kinda press.