Replacing the Upper Ball Joint (Control Arm) on a 2007 Honda Accord

7/22/2019 Replacing the Upper Ball Joint (Control Arm) on a 2007 Honda Accord

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ReplacingtheUpperBallJoint&UpperControlArmona2007HondaAccord4CYL

Disclaimer: I have benefited greatly from others who have taken the time to post auto repair

videos/tutorialsonline.Totryandreturnthefavor,Ihavedocumentedafewofmyrecentrepairs.Itryto

perform the work conscientiously in accordance with the Honda service manual, but I am not a

professionaltechnicianbyanystretch.Idohopethisinformationmightbenefitotherswhoarepreparing

todothisjob.

Typicalsymptomsofabadupperballjoint include

aclunkingnoisewhendrivingoverbumpsanda

poortirewearpattern. Theupperballjointcanbe

checked by grabbing thewheel at the 12:00 and

6:00 positions (as shown below) and shaking to

checkfor

play.

To check if the play is in the upper ball joint,

remove thewheelandgrab theupperpartof the

knuckleas shownbelow. Ifyoushake itbackand

forthasshown,youshouldnotseeanymovement

in the upper ball joint. If you see/feel any

movementin

the

ball

joint,

it

is

likely

that

the

ball

joint is bad. Inmy case, I could see a small but

definitemovementinthejoint.


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Thefigurebelowshowsthefrontsuspensioncomponents.Theupperballjointisnotavailableseparately

fromtheuppercontrolarm(atleastnotfromHonda)sotheentireuppercontrolarmneedstobe

replaced(around$60fortheOEMpartonline).

UpperBallJoint

UpperControlArm

Knuckle

Fork

LowerControlArm

Strut/Damper


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#1Support

vehicle

on

jack

stands

and

remove

the

wheel.


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#2Applyyourfavoritepenetratingoil(PBBlaster,LiquidWrench,WD40PenetratingOil,Kroil)tothe

nutontheboltconnectingthestrutforktothelowercontrolarm.


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#3Applypenetratingoiltothepinchboltthatholdstheforktothedamper/shock/strut. Makesure

yougetthepenetratingoilonbothendsoftheboltandinthegapinthefork.


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#4Removethepinchboltholdingthestruttothefork.


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#5Removethenutfromtheboltholdingtheforktothelowercontrolarm.


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#6Itmaybenecessarytoholdtheboltheadontheothersidetopreventitfromturningwhen

looseningthenut.


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#7Knockouttheboltusingapunchandahammer(itmayhelptogetitoutifyourotatetheboltwith

awrenchfirsttobreakitloose).


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#8Pushtheforkdownandslideitoutofthestrut. Thenremovethefork. Itmaybenecessarytopush

downontheknuckletogetenoughclearancetoremovethefork.


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#9Removethe5boltsshownbelowwhichholdthestrutassemblytothechassis. Donttouchtheone

inthecenter(whichholdsthestrutassemblytogether)oryouwillhaveabadday.


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#10Itisalittletightgettingthestrutassemblyout. Ifounditworkedbesttofirstslidethestrutdown

justinfrontofthetierodasshownbelow.


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#11Thenthetopofthestrutcanbepulledoutfromundertheknuckleandthewholestrutcanbe

removed.


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#12RemovetheABSsensorlinebracketfromtheuppercontrolarmbyremovingthenutshownbelow.


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#13Unbendtheendsofthecotterpinfromthecastlenutontheupperballjointandpulloutthecotter

pin.


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#14LoosentheCastlenut(redarrow)asshown,butdontremoveitcompletelyyetasitwillkeepthe

knucklefromflyingaroundwhentheballjointisremovedfromtheknuckle.


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#15Connectaballjoint separator toolas shownbelow topush theballjoint taperedpinfrom the

knuckle. (Somefolksrecommendrappingtheoutsideoftheknucklewithahammertofreetheballjoint.

TheHondaservicemanualspecificallyrecommendsnotdoingthis. Aballjointtoolliketheoneshownis

availableforabout$20. Inthiscase,sincetheupperballjointisgoingtobereplacedanyway,maybethe

hammertechniqueisacceptable,butIhadthetoolandwentthatroute.)


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#16Sideviewshowingplacementoftheballjointseparator.


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#17Tightentheballjointseparatortobreaktheballjointfreefromtheknuckle.


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#18Oncetheballjointisbrokenfree,theknucklecanberemovedfromtheuppercontrolarmas

shownbelow.


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#19Removethetwoboltsholdingtheuppercontrolarmtothechassis.


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#20Comparethenewandoldpartstomakesureyougottherightone!


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#21MynewuppercontrolarmdidntcomewiththeboltfortheABSwirebracketinstalled(redarrow),

soIhadtoremovetheboltfromtheolduppercontrolarm.


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#22Ijustbangeditoutwithahammer.


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#24 Cleanofftheknucklesmatingsurfacestotheballjointtoensurethattheballjointtaperedpin

andbootwillmakeagoodseal. Iusedbrakecleaner,arag,andascrapertocleanoffthetopofthe

knuckle.


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#25Toinstallthenewuppercontrolarmyouneedathinmetalrodabout12incheslong. Iuseda

pieceof3/16diametersteelrodfromLowesthatIcuttoa12inchlength.


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#26Insertthenewcontrolarmandputintheboltstoholditlooselyinplace. Beforetighteningthe

bolts,inserttherod(redarrow)intotheholesinthechassis(greenarrows). Thisplacestheupper

controlarminitsnominalpositionsothebushingsarenotunderrotationalstresswhenthesuspensionis

initsnominalposition.


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#27Withtherodholdingtheuppercontrolarmatthecorrectangle,torquedownbothoftheboltsto

theirfinaltorquespec.


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#28Pushdowntheuppercontrolarmandinserttheballjointpinintotheknuckle. Looselyinstallthe

castlenut(arrow)butdonottightenityet.


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#29Insertthestrutintoplace.


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#30Looselyinstallthenutstoholdthestrutinplace,butdonottightenyet.


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#31Inserttheforkovertheaxleandinsertthebottomofthestrutintothefork.


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#32Thestrut/dampermustbecorrectlyorientedwhenmatingwiththeforksothatthepinchboltlines

upwiththegrooveinthedamper. Specificallythealignmentmarker(redarrow)onthestrutmustline

upandinsertintothepinchgapinthefork(greenarrow).


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#33Hereisazoomedinviewshowingwhatitlookslikewhenthestrutisfullyinsertedintothefork.


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#34Insertthebolttoholdtheforktothelowercontrolarmandattachanewnut. Thisisalockingnut

soanewnutshouldbeusedwheneveritisremoved.AccordingtotheHondaservicemanual,thisbolt

shouldbereplacedaswell. Donttightenthenutdownyet,justputitinplaceloosely.


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#35Installthepinchboltbutdonottightenitdownyet.


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#36Putajackunderthecontrolarmandjackitupuntilthecontrolarmissupportingtheweightofthe

vehicle.


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#37Withthesuspensionloaded,everythingcanbetighteneddown. StartbytighteningdowntheABS

sensorwirebracketasshownbelow.


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#39Tightentheboltholdingtheforktothelowercontrolarmtospec.


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#40TorquetheballjointcastlenuttoitsMINIMUMtorquespecification.


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#41Ifnecessary,continuetighteningthecastlenutuntilyoucaninsertthecotterpinthroughthenut.

Accordingtotheservicemanual,thisshouldalwaysbeaccomplishedbytighteningfurther,never

loosening.


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#42Bendovertheendsofthecotterpintoholditinplace.


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#43Torquedowntheboltsholdingthestrutinplace.


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#44Incaseyouarecurious,hereiswhatitlookslikeinsidethebadballjointwiththebootandgrease

removed. Therewasasmallamountofplaywhichcouldbefeltandthepinmovedaroundmuchmore

freelythanthenewone. Stilllookslikeitwouldhavebeenawhilebeforemywheelfelloff:)


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Problemsyoumightencounter:

1. ThePinchboltgetsVERYcorrodedinplaceandcanbeVERYdifficulttoremove. This isbecausethe

pinch area and the open end allowmoisture to enter and reallyfreeze this bolt inplace. You are

probablybestofftouseanimpactwrenchonthisbolt. However,itispossibletosheartheheadoffeven

withanimpactwrenchdontaskmehowIknowthis:). Iwouldrecommendsoakingthepinchboltin

penetratingoil. Besuretospraythehead,boltbottomandinthepinchregionofthefork(thegapthat

getspinchedwhen thebolt is tightened). Itwillprobablyworkbest ifyoudo thisafew timesovera

periodofafewdaystogivethepenetratingoilplentyoftimetopenetratebeforetryingtoloosenit.

Hopeyoufoundthishelpful!

JohnC

Replacing the Upper Ball Joint (Control Arm) on a 2007 Honda Accord

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