Honda Car Forum

Hi all - haven't been here in a while and I really don't have time to post
regularly again but I thought it'd be worth posting this one... which I'd
been trying to figure for a while.

My '92 Integra (soon to be sold/traded or whatever) developed a creak in a
ball joint - only when weather was really cold and only over big road
irregularities like in some parking lots, so I figured it was just dry and
wanted to get some fresh grease in all the joints before wear set in.

I'd tried once before with a grease gun + needle adapter... by bending the
needle into a near-hook shape and trying to force it in through the
narrow-end collar of the boot, at the stud. I'd had success with that with
a VW years ago but the Honda rubber boot is just too tight against the stud
and it was obvious that if I persisted I'd tear or pierce the boot.

This creak was annoying the hell out of me so I determined to give it
another go - no amount of finessing would get the needle in from the stud
end of the boot and I didn't want to just pierce the boot, so I tried from
the other (wide) end of the boot and it worked:

You need a grease gun and needle adapter which is available at most auto
parts stores - I have an old Wanner (actually a knock-off copy) trigger gun
which worked fine. The wide end of the Honda rubber boot has a spring
retaining clip which holds the boot's collar in a groove in the metal of
the ball-joint casing and that's where you want to get the needle in.
First I blunted the needle point with a file quite a bit, since you don't
want the thing piercing the rubber; then I cleaned around the rubber/metal
with a toothbrush and sprayed some silicone - prying, with a small
screwdriver inserted between the metal & rubber, against the spring clip
helps get the silicone into the crack, ready for the needle.

It helps to get the needle past the clip if the needle has a slight bend in
it .5" or so back from the tip and then, going at a slight angle off
perpendicular to the spring clip, I used a "technique" my dentist uses to
get the novocaine needle in between tooth and gum... you know those ones
where they go really deep (UGH)... he does this wobble (almost a vibration)
with the hand holding the syringe and so, pushing firmly and "wobbling", it
worked to get the needle in past the clip. Now all you have to do is pump
in the grease, extract and check the clip seating.

Once I'd figured it out I did the five remaining joints in 20 minutes or
so.

--
Rgds, George Macdonald

George Macdonald <fammacd=!SPAM^nothanks@tellurian.com> wrote in
news:0v1k51d5hlqkkj8i0b9rvalpmqfd0b2tb9@4ax.com:

> Hi all - haven't been here in a while and I really don't have time to
> post regularly again but I thought it'd be worth posting this one...
> which I'd been trying to figure for a while.
>
> My '92 Integra (soon to be sold/traded or whatever) developed a creak
> in a ball joint - only when weather was really cold and only over big
> road irregularities like in some parking lots,



That creak is usually the road spring moving in its seat, not the ball
joint. It eventually goes away if the car is driven long enough. I've never
heard of the ball joint creaking. When they get rusty, they seize and SNAP!

http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/misc/...int/index.html


--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

George Macdonald <fammacd=!SPAM^nothanks@tellurian.com> wrote in
news:0v1k51d5hlqkkj8i0b9rvalpmqfd0b2tb9@4ax.com:

> Hi all - haven't been here in a while



Hey! didn't notice your name at first! Welcome back.

--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

George Macdonald wrote:

> Hi all - haven't been here in a while . . . . .

---------------

Welcome Back ! !

We thought you were DEAD, or WORSE, (sold your Hondas and got a VW)

'Curly'

The same thing happened to me driving down the road in my 95 GTI VR6. The
driver's side balljoint snapped, the whole axle came out of the tranny, but
I could still steer it (I was going 25mph). No one got injured and there was
only minor damage to the car.

John
"TeGGer®" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote in message
news:Xns9635535B7248Etegger@207.14.113.17...
> George Macdonald <fammacd=!SPAM^nothanks@tellurian.com> wrote in
> news:0v1k51d5hlqkkj8i0b9rvalpmqfd0b2tb9@4ax.com:
>
> > Hi all - haven't been here in a while and I really don't have time to
> > post regularly again but I thought it'd be worth posting this one...
> > which I'd been trying to figure for a while.
> >
> > My '92 Integra (soon to be sold/traded or whatever) developed a creak
> > in a ball joint - only when weather was really cold and only over big
> > road irregularities like in some parking lots,
>
>
>
> That creak is usually the road spring moving in its seat, not the ball
> joint. It eventually goes away if the car is driven long enough. I've
never
> heard of the ball joint creaking. When they get rusty, they seize and
SNAP!
>
> http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/misc/...int/index.html
>
>
> --
> TeGGeR®
>
> The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
> www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

On 11 Apr 2005 12:12:28 GMT, "TeGGer®" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote:

>George Macdonald <fammacd=!SPAM^nothanks@tellurian.com> wrote in
>news:0v1k51d5hlqkkj8i0b9rvalpmqfd0b2tb9@4ax.com :
>
>> Hi all - haven't been here in a while and I really don't have time to
>> post regularly again but I thought it'd be worth posting this one...
>> which I'd been trying to figure for a while.
>>
>> My '92 Integra (soon to be sold/traded or whatever) developed a creak
>> in a ball joint - only when weather was really cold and only over big
>> road irregularities like in some parking lots,
>
>
>
>That creak is usually the road spring moving in its seat, not the ball
>joint. It eventually goes away if the car is driven long enough. I've never
>heard of the ball joint creaking. When they get rusty, they seize and SNAP!

Nope, I know what a spring creak sounds like - I've described it often
enough here in the past... and its uhh, temporary cure.:-)

--
Rgds, George Macdonald

On 11 Apr 2005 12:13:13 GMT, "TeGGer®" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote:

>George Macdonald <fammacd=!SPAM^nothanks@tellurian.com> wrote in
>news:0v1k51d5hlqkkj8i0b9rvalpmqfd0b2tb9@4ax.com :
>
>> Hi all - haven't been here in a while
>
>
>
>Hey! didn't notice your name at first! Welcome back.

When I see the volume of msgs in this group, many on their 1000th or more
repeat, I'm reminded why I couldn't keep up with it.

--
Rgds, George Macdonald

"George Macdonald" <fammacd=!SPAM^nothanks@tellurian.com> wrote in message
newsbno51hgpjqt6n4np8iv3snidpiaga3git@4ax.com...
> On 11 Apr 2005 12:13:13 GMT, "TeGGer®" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote:
>
> >George Macdonald <fammacd=!SPAM^nothanks@tellurian.com> wrote in
> >news:0v1k51d5hlqkkj8i0b9rvalpmqfd0b2tb9@4ax.com :
> >
> >> Hi all - haven't been here in a while
> >
> >
> >
> >Hey! didn't notice your name at first! Welcome back.
>
> When I see the volume of msgs in this group, many on their 1000th or more
> repeat, I'm reminded why I couldn't keep up with it.

Hey George. Welcome back. Didn't you have 2000 Si(R)?

Pars

>
> --
> Rgds, George Macdonald

On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 15:33:18 -0400, "Pars" <sdaro(remove)@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>
>"George Macdonald" <fammacd=!SPAM^nothanks@tellurian.com> wrote in message
>newsbno51hgpjqt6n4np8iv3snidpiaga3git@4ax.com.. .
>> On 11 Apr 2005 12:13:13 GMT, "TeGGer®" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote:
>>
>> >George Macdonald <fammacd=!SPAM^nothanks@tellurian.com> wrote in
>> >news:0v1k51d5hlqkkj8i0b9rvalpmqfd0b2tb9@4ax.com :
>> >
>> >> Hi all - haven't been here in a while
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >Hey! didn't notice your name at first! Welcome back.
>>
>> When I see the volume of msgs in this group, many on their 1000th or more
>> repeat, I'm reminded why I couldn't keep up with it.
>
>Hey George. Welcome back. Didn't you have 2000 Si(R)?

Nope - current inventory: 1) '92 Integra GS(my all-time favorite Honda...
err, Acura) which my daughter uses; 2) '99 Integra GS (s'OK); 2K Accord EX
Coupe (nice car for my wife).

The '92 Integra has a lot of recently replaced stuff (timing belt,
radiator, front springs/shocks, distributor, all coolant hoses, brake
calipers, etc) but it's getting beyond my desire/ability to maintain - some
corrosion showing on the rear hatch and drive shafts and clutch will be
coming up so I want to get rid of it. I can't make up my mind what to get
next - maybe RSX... dunno if I want to spring for Type S on cost *or*
insurance.

--
Rgds, George Macdonald