Wade wrote:
> Seems kind of early for a car with 70K miles, huh?
>> Yup. Way early. Get a second opinion.
>>
>> --
>> Tegger
>
> My '99 Accord LX 4 dr 5 spd has 157K miles, and in last couple of
> months, I have wondered about the front end. On occasion it will track
> slightly to the left. I had the alignment checked, it's okay, it did
> not need adjustment. I rotate regularly every 6-7k miles, tire wear is
> normal. When I go over harder bumps, I hear / feel more of a clunk
> than before. I am concerned that someone needing to do more work, will
> go ahead and recommend costly work I can't afford. I have jack stands,
> is this something I can self diagnose? How do you really tell if the
> ball joints need replacing?
>
> Thanks,
> Wade

you need to get under the car and check stuff out. check all bolts are
tightened properly, check things like sway bar bushings are ok, then
check ball joints. i've actually had more problems with upper joints
than lower on civics, so check yours on the accord. jack the vehicle up
under the lower swing arm until the wheel is just off the ground, then
lever under the wheel with a crow bar. you should be able to see or
feel looseness if any exists. this works better if you have an
assistant carefully do this while you hold a joint - you can definitely
feel any looseness then.