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DIY: LCA bushings


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That's one of those tools I've always been meaning to buy...

 

I have found that a 3lb hammer works well too. Just remember to leave the nut on a little in case you miss.

 

Wacking the LCA on a 01 Integra did the trick. Alway's works on Honda's

 

Just used this method on my car yesterday before replacing an axle. Worked fine.

 

Castle nut off. Whack front of the LCA. Profit.

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Started this tonight, ball joint will not pop out, either side, me and a buddy had the crowbar wedged between the LCA and the knuckle and lifting on a floorjack, lifting the side of the car off the jackstands, felt dangerous, shut er down for the night. Tomorrow, bigger crowbar, more PB Blaster.
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Update: Ended up using a 4 foot section of pipe with one end set on top of the LCA, and the back side of an axe full power swings to knock it out of there! Took about 15-20 swings per side, but I got it out of there. My bench vise and the Part Source balljoint set weren't up to the task of pressing the bushings in/out, so I had to take the arms and new bushings to a buddy's work and used their press. Once that was done, it went back together and was back on the ground in about an hour. Good to get that out of the way, on to the next job.
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  • 3 months later...

Paul or anyone else that can answer this question,

 

Will the LCA tool work with other manufacturers like Whiteline, Perrin, SuperPro, or OEM? If so, I'm buying the part as soon as I get an answer. Thanks.

Sold: 2006 Subaru Legacy GT Spec B #104 of 500
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  • 4 months later...
Any ideas on where I can purchase the "AVO Bushing tools" that are referenced in this DIY tutorial. Without those, the prospect of getting those out LCA bushings pushed out w/ my press is daunting. I screwed up one Lower control arm when my jury-rigged bushing tool was off by less than 1mm.

 

The process of removing the Ball joint was a bit oversimplified here. I spent about 6 hours trying to separate it from the Hub (and only getting it out 4mm at best) and finally found a tool on the NASIOC site called Sniper's Ball Tugger which made the process painless, $45 tool but priceless in the end at removing a rust-encrusted coastal New England ball joint.

 

What is the correct diameter?

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  • 2 weeks later...
F-ing ball joint might as well be welded on, that bitch ain't coming off. On the drivers side I actually took the castle nut off and simply dropped the lca off the ball joint assembly completed. Passenger side won't budge. I drowned it in pb blaster, propped the breaker bar between the lca and strut assembly like I did on the other side, hammered away, not a damn thing. I'm gonna try to separate the ball joint since I finally managed to get that bolt off. Has anyone successfully used the ball joint separator tool that can be found at Advance etc? Does it work? I'm not talking about the pickle fork thing, but the tool that forces the whole joint out of the lca. What opening should it have to fit our joint?
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get an adjustable one like this style:

 

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/OTC-6297-Ball-Joint-Separator/dp/B0015PN010/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1316003362&sr=8-5]Amazon.com: OTC 6297 Ball Joint Separator: Automotive[/ame]

All I need now is a hill holder and a center passing light...
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Take a look at this thread:

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/do-you-disconnect-lca-ball-jointi-168791.html

 

I used this tool and had it apart in about 30 seconds. This is after four Wisconsin winters. I didn't even attempt the other method.

http://www.harborfreight.com/tie-rod-and-pitman-arm-puller-1752.html

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Take a look at this thread:

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/do-you-disconnect-lca-ball-jointi-168791.html

 

I used this tool and had it apart in about 30 seconds. This is after four Wisconsin winters. I didn't even attempt the other method.

http://www.harborfreight.com/tie-rod-and-pitman-arm-puller-1752.html

 

This type of puller works for a lot of cars. If your tight on money get the 9.99 type or loaner from autozone. Sometimes you don't have room to approach from above the ball joint. That and the increased leverage is the benefit of the more expensive OTC tool I linked. I dislike having bought one tool "to get by" then find out I have to buy the more expensive one on a later project.

All I need now is a hill holder and a center passing light...
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I got the $100 loaner from Advance :lol:

It has 4 different kinds of tools in the box so I'm sure at least one will work. I can't wait to pop that thing off, I've been struggling with it for longer than I thought I was going to have to.

And I'm sure putting that castle nut back on will be fun when the ball joint will start spinning when I try to tighten it in ...

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I got the $100 loaner from Advance :lol:

It has 4 different kinds of tools in the box so I'm sure at least one will work. I can't wait to pop that thing off, I've been struggling with it for longer than I thought I was going to have to.

And I'm sure putting that castle nut back on will be fun when the ball joint will start spinning when I try to tighten it in ...

 

I own the $100 loaner kit from Advance. :lol: I have used it a couple of times and it has saved me every time.

 

I used an impact wrench to put the castle nut back on. It spins the nut on fast enough so the ball joint doesn't spin. Just don't go too tight and make sure you torque it properly. This is as long as you didn't mess up the threads too badly on the ball joint.

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I was going to do my LCA's today, but ran out of time.

 

Bummed. I was really looking forward to them.

[URL="http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/proper-flip-key-interesti-159894.html"]Flip Key Development Thread[/URL] "Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped." - E. Hubbard
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Given the incredibly loud bang produced when I was finally able to loosen the ball joint from the LCA, there was no way in hell I was going to get it undone with just bangin' on it. Autozone tool worked like a charm, I should have gotten it from the start and not waste an afternoon. Literally took not even 5 minutes.

Now ... how the hell am I going to be able to tighten the castle nut back on if the ball joint is going to start spinning freely, which I know it will.

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  • 1 month later...
.............My bench vise and the Part Source balljoint set weren't up to the task of pressing the bushings in/out, so I had to take the arms and new bushings to a buddy's work and used their press. .......

 

Is this ball joint press kit from HF similar to the one you unsuccessfully tried?

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-in-1-ball-joint-u-joint-c-frame-press-service-kit-38335.html

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I ended up having to use the Advance kit and it worked great. Save yourself the wasted time and just go rent it.

If the ball joint starts spinning freely like in my case when trying to tighten the castle nut back on, just jack it up a bit. It will wedge it and keep it from spinning.

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I measured the Whiteline bushings at 1.964". I didn't even think to try mm.

 

I am looking for a set to swap mine also. I have a press but no adapters yet. The generic ball joint press from Autozone does not have the right adapters.

 

Monk

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  • 2 months later...
  • 3 months later...

To anyone who has done this already, I have 3 questions:

 

How long did it take you? How many miles were on your car? Did you notice any improvement with the new bushings?

 

I noticed my bushings were starting to crack and wear thin while I was doing my brakes this weekend. This seems like a fun way to waste an afternoon

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It took me about 3-4 hours to do. I had about 106K miles on my car. I noticed a huge improvement in the handling. It was much more crisp and felt more confident. You will NEED a press to get the old bushings out and put the new ones in.
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