after removing the front ball joint bottom bolts and wheel hub, (I was taking out the axles), my pickle fork has caused one of my lower ball joints to leak. What are the cheapest/best methods to go about replacing it, because it seems to be that the ball joints are built into the wheel hub, and driving around on leaking ball joints doesn’t leave me with much peace of mind.
goto honda and buy new ones dont get jobber ball joints are too important
take off the hub ie disconnedt the upper control arm , lower control arm, steering rack, axel,
hammer out the old ones
tap the new ones in place
“surgen” (way to misspell it there :roll: ) you might want to remember the circlip that’s there.
OP, you’ll need a pair of pliers to remove the circlip that holds the balljoint in place or you’ll just be sitting there hammering till your arm goes numb. it’s a very straightforward swap, and you don’t NEED honda ball joints. Moog makes excellent replacement parts with a lifetime warranty.
so the old ones remove out of the hub assembly somehow, not 100% clear
that’s correct. reference this image:
Note item 23. that’s the circlip you need to remove first. it’s found on the bottom side of the knuckle where the balljoint goes through. take that circlip out and then remove the balljoint. the proper way is to press it out with a hydraulic shop press, but a BFH (big fucking hammer) is a worthy alternative since you don’t plan on reusing it. you may need to put a socket over the balljoint and drive it out that way. support the knuckle in a bench vise.
then just install the new balljoint from above and make sure it’s seated, then install the new circlips and you’re good to go.
Do replacement ball joints come with a new circlip?
yes they do.
i changed my ball joints on the car. and without the use of a ball joint installer or remover.