Civic EG

is it by chance a project to get the passenger front LCA off so i can replace it with the new one i have sitting in my garage?

Is there any tricks i should know to get it off?

Pretty straight forward. Remove the lower bolt/nut in the shock fork. Remove the bolt from the fork to the shock. Separate the ball joint on the knuckle. Remove the 3 bolts from the compliance bushing and unbolt the rear from the sub frame. Then zip two bolts out and you can separate the two halves.

ok bc its not the entire LCA assembly its just the LCA arm, and isnt it pain in the ass to remove the ball joint from the knuckle?

Can be. Do you have a ball joint tool or a pickle fork? You can also thread the nut until it's flush with the stud and lightly hammer it. But I don't recommend doing it that way.

i just had to replace both of mine. i think it is rather easy the bolts 18,19 and 20 are real tight and for some reason 19 will not go back in. i am gonna try chasing the threads and see if it works.

i dont have either tool, i just thought it would be as easy as using a hammer to hit it out and just add the other one in

Those pickle forks are 10 bucks. You can get the ball joint off very easily with out one though.

also isnt once the ball joint is off, it wont tighten down, or is that just for the tie rods?

My ball joint wouldn't tighten back down. I ended up having to replace both tie rods and both ball joints.

ok well damn thought it would be an easy job and i wouldnt have to buy anything else well shit

Changing the ball joints and tie rods sounds a lot harder then it is. I never changed ball joints before, and I completely guessed. It took me about 2 hours to do 2 ball joints, 2 tie rods, a 2 lower control arms. The only special tools I used were a 32mm socket and a 6 foot pry bar. I have the pickle forks and needed them on one tie rod only because I was lazy and didn't want to beat it out.

thats what im thinking i should just beat it out to save some time lol, or just do some more reseach on tricks of how to get the arm free

Use a jack directly underneath the ball joint and set a half inch ratchet between the knuckle and arm. Make sure its in there right behind the ball joint. Then as quick and you can drop the jack. It might take a few shots but it will pop right out. With the tie rods all you can do is either hit up on the stud, hit the side of the knuckle by the stud or use a fork.

rustyrex wrote:Use a jack directly underneath the ball joint and set a half inch ratchet between the knuckle and arm. Make sure its in there right behind the ball joint. Then as quick and you can drop the jack. It might take a few shots but it will pop right out. With the tie rods all you can do is either hit up on the stud, hit the side of the knuckle by the stud or use a fork.

Just FYI it has to be a Craftsman 1/2 inch rachet just because of the shape of it. there is a youtube vid on it too btw.

I used a Stanley ratchet and it worked for me. Hell I had to use a pry bar for my passenger because I was to lazy to walk and get my ratchet. Although I would highly suggest not using a pry bar. It long and when the ball joint popped loose, the bar went flying.