disallow wrote:
>
> Hi there,
>
> My girlfriends car is an 87 prelude. This sunday, the
> balljoint popped on the driver side. It shredded the
> inner CV boot in the process, but that is not why I am
> here. We have had the car apart several times, to do
> trannie/clutch related work. The problem is, the lower
> ball joint on the driver side is obviously not OEM, and
> does not have a nut on it that can accept a cotter pin.
> The stud is not OEM size, so I can't even go to honda to
> get the nut.
>
> It is a Nylon locking nut, and the even funnier thing is
> that it takes a 3/4" socket to take it off. (Standard
> socket on an import?? should be metric, no?)

3/4" is roughly the same as 19mm. Check the threads with a thread pitch
gauge, they're probably metric as well.

> Anyways, I have searched up and down this city for a fine
> thread Nylon locking nut of the same size, to no avail. Nobody makes it,
> according to all the bolt guys here. I even talked to a manufacturer,
> and he said he could do it, but I would have to buy 10000 of them....

Forget the nylon lock nut. It's failed once already, why repeat this
situation?

> My question is, does anyone have any bright ideas as to
> I could fasten the old nut (or a new non-locking one)
> without actually replacing the balljoint? I was thinking
> of drilling a hole in the ball joint stud to make my own
> cotter pin hole. Would that work?

You should be able to get a castle nut which would allow you to use a cotter
key. You could drill the current ball joint stud if it doesn't have holes
in it already. Lining up the holes could be tricky so I would use a castle
nut as a drilling guide.

> How about my even more desperate solution, spot weld the
> nut to the ball joint stud. Then if we ever have to do the
> balljoint, we'll just have to chisel off the weld, maybe
> have to cut the old ball joint. (and replace it at that point).
>
> The car has 200k kms on it, so we don't want to spend a
> tonne of cash on it, any ideas would be welcome! (other
> than just "replace the ball joint". I am looking for
> something a little more creative...)

Red Loctite might hold it cut I wouldn't put my complete trust in it
especially with something as critical as a ball joint.

Eric