Honda Car Forum

Elle wrote:
>
> "joutlaw" <joutlaw@jam.rr.com> wrote
> > Well they say a picture is worth a thousand words. Here
> > are a few:
> >
> > Right Front Tire
> >
> > http://img113.imageshack.us/img113/2083/rftire2lu.jpg
>
> Looks like my right front tire (Civic, 177k miles, wear
> noticed around 175k miles late 2005, I think).
>
> My right stabilizer link was the one that was all corroded.
> Its rubbers practically crumbled in my hand; the bolt was
> seriously eaten away.
>
> Ya oughta post photographs of your stabilizer links. :-)
>
> My ball joint boots all look pretty good (knock on wood).
>
> > Right Front Lower Ball Joint
> >
> > http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/5...lljoint7vp.jpg
>
> Is that black lava flowing out at the bottom? It's a little
> hard to tell if the boot is ripped up here. But I guess from
> what you say, it's toast.
>
> > Right Front Upper Ball Joint
> >
> > http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/504...lljoint8wp.jpg
>
> Oh mah goodness! Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing here?
> Yikes! Frightening!
>
> I vote replace the right front upper BJ and its boot first.
>
> How could it get this bad?
>
> > Left Front Tire
> >
> > http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/7889/lftire3qm.jpg
>
> Doesn't look as bad as my 91 Civic's right front tire. :-)
>
> > Left Front Lower Ball Joint
> >
> > http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/6...lljoint8sl.jpg
>
> Looks like the boot is letting in dirt and water due to
> being corroded at the bottom.
>
> > Left Front Upper Ball Joint
> >
> > http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/4...lljoint0gu.jpg
>
> Is that an obvious crack/corrosion I see in the middle of
> this left front upper BJ boot?
>
> > Obviously the right side is the worst, but it apears both
> > sides are leaking at the seals.
>
> Note: There's nothing to really leak except maybe a tiny bit
> of grease. Those boots are there "just" to keep dirt and
> water out, AFAIK.
>
> > The wear is much more noticable on the right tire as well.
> > The tire wear is spotty too on the inner part of the tire.
>
> Sounds like you're on a mission which in my never humble
> opinion is very healthy. Enjoy. :-)


It is always good to remember that the right hand (curb) side usually
suffers the worst for damage/wear as that's where most puddles and road
defects exist. Over a period of time, this damage really stands out.

JT

Yep, I agree it seems like the uppers are worse than the lowers. I could put
my fingers inside the boots on both uppers.

I'll try and get some shots of the links tomorrow. I think it's in need of a
full rebuild.

That right front tire is about gone, steel belts will probably be showing
soon.

We're going to the soon to be in-laws next weekend for father's day... 2
hours away. I'll let him check it over for himself and give the verdict on
the repair.

For the time being we're limiting usage of this vehicle for going only to
work and back.

Thanks for the help everyone.

"Elle" <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:Tn3ig.3446$lf4.1573@newsread1.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
>
> "joutlaw" <joutlaw@jam.rr.com> wrote
>> Well they say a picture is worth a thousand words. Here are a few:
>>
>> Right Front Tire
>>
>> http://img113.imageshack.us/img113/2083/rftire2lu.jpg
>
> Looks like my right front tire (Civic, 177k miles, wear noticed around
> 175k miles late 2005, I think).
>
> My right stabilizer link was the one that was all corroded. Its rubbers
> practically crumbled in my hand; the bolt was seriously eaten away.
>
> Ya oughta post photographs of your stabilizer links. :-)
>
> My ball joint boots all look pretty good (knock on wood).
>
>> Right Front Lower Ball Joint
>>
>> http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/5...lljoint7vp.jpg
>
> Is that black lava flowing out at the bottom? It's a little hard to tell
> if the boot is ripped up here. But I guess from what you say, it's toast.
>
>> Right Front Upper Ball Joint
>>
>> http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/504...lljoint8wp.jpg
>
> Oh mah goodness! Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing here? Yikes!
> Frightening!
>
> I vote replace the right front upper BJ and its boot first.
>
> How could it get this bad?
>
>> Left Front Tire
>>
>> http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/7889/lftire3qm.jpg
>
> Doesn't look as bad as my 91 Civic's right front tire. :-)
>
>> Left Front Lower Ball Joint
>>
>> http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/6...lljoint8sl.jpg
>
> Looks like the boot is letting in dirt and water due to being corroded at
> the bottom.
>
>> Left Front Upper Ball Joint
>>
>> http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/4...lljoint0gu.jpg
>
> Is that an obvious crack/corrosion I see in the middle of this left front
> upper BJ boot?
>
>> Obviously the right side is the worst, but it apears both sides are
>> leaking at the seals.
>
> Note: There's nothing to really leak except maybe a tiny bit of grease.
> Those boots are there "just" to keep dirt and water out, AFAIK.
>
>> The wear is much more noticable on the right tire as well. The tire wear
>> is spotty too on the inner part of the tire.
>
> Sounds like you're on a mission which in my never humble opinion is very
> healthy. Enjoy. :-)
>

"Grumpy AuContraire" <Grumpster@GrumpyvilleNOT.com> wrote
> It is always good to remember that the right hand (curb)
> side usually
> suffers the worst for damage/wear as that's where most
> puddles and road
> defects exist. Over a period of time, this damage really
> stands out.

Good to know. That helps narrow the search for the cause of
the front right tire wear.

jqoutlaw@gmail.com wrote:

> I posted last week about a 1994 Accord EX with 235K+ miles that needed
> suspension/alignment/steering work. It is tugging and jerking the wheel
> up to around 40Mph, then a had vibration around 50-55, then a constant
> vibration to about 80Mph. Any transition in speed will cause a
> vibrationa as well. Oddly, if you go into a corner the vibration stops
> while turning at speed, but resumes when you get straight. The
> condition is getting worse, and I'm afraid it is getting pretty
> dangerous to drive.
>
> With the mileage, I'm guessing its the ball joints. The car is showing
> its in alignment, but its wearing the inside of both front tires.
>
> I figure a lot of bushings are worn out up front as well, and found
> this auction on ebay:
>
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/94-97...QQcmdZViewItem
>
> For around 160$ shipped this looks like a steal, but wanted to see if
> anyone had any input on it. Wouldn't it be easier to just replace all
> these parts at one time while the front end is apart?
>
> Do you think it would be a tough job for a DIY'er. I have access to a
> lot of tools, impact wrenchs, etc... , but not a lift.

With that many miles if may be worth it to replace the whole front end if
you plan to drive the car another year. You won't reget it.

I replace the suspension on my 87 accord and it drove and handled like new
until I sold it. If I can do the work, then anyone can. Order the parts
online, take the control arms to a machine shop to push out the bushings.
replace all the rubber and upper and lower ball joints.

The lower ball joints are pressed into the knuckle. You can either get a
ball joint press or take the knuckle to the shop as well. That's what I
did.

Make sure you check the bushings on the radius arm as well

Reassemble and enjoy. I never regretted the work I did once. The only thing
I wish I did differently is that I did all the work in one shot.

Grumpy AuContraire wrote:
>
> jim beam wrote:
>
>>
>
>
> sarcasm snipped
>
>
>
> Geeeeeeez, are you always this argumentative or do you have a problem
> parsing text?
>
> The guy stated that he's done the majority of maintenance to date and
> certainly, a front end kit is a lot easier to install than individual components.
>
> Sheeeeeeeeesh!
>
> JT

hmmm. i point out the technical reasons not to have a drain plug on an
automatic transmission's torque converter, but you take it personally
and get so bent, you have to post stuff like this? why do you bother?

I took the plunge and ordered the parts. We're hoping to get the work done
this weekend. I printed 40 pages of information on the front suspension from
the 1994 Accord workshop manual.

Her dad has replaced the axles on that car before, so I believe the tear
down will be similar. He also has a ball joint seperator tool already. We're
going to do the loaner program from Autozone for the ball joint
remover/installer.

Up next is going to be new tires all around and an alignment. Hopefully it
will drive a lot better after this work. I'll update this thread after the
work.


"Butternut Squash" <rxrx@yamama.com> wrote in message
news:7Y4ig.152630$Fs1.29853@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> jqoutlaw@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> I posted last week about a 1994 Accord EX with 235K+ miles that needed
>> suspension/alignment/steering work. It is tugging and jerking the wheel
>> up to around 40Mph, then a had vibration around 50-55, then a constant
>> vibration to about 80Mph. Any transition in speed will cause a
>> vibrationa as well. Oddly, if you go into a corner the vibration stops
>> while turning at speed, but resumes when you get straight. The
>> condition is getting worse, and I'm afraid it is getting pretty
>> dangerous to drive.
>>
>> With the mileage, I'm guessing its the ball joints. The car is showing
>> its in alignment, but its wearing the inside of both front tires.
>>
>> I figure a lot of bushings are worn out up front as well, and found
>> this auction on ebay:
>>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/94-97...QQcmdZViewItem
>>
>> For around 160$ shipped this looks like a steal, but wanted to see if
>> anyone had any input on it. Wouldn't it be easier to just replace all
>> these parts at one time while the front end is apart?
>>
>> Do you think it would be a tough job for a DIY'er. I have access to a
>> lot of tools, impact wrenchs, etc... , but not a lift.
>
> With that many miles if may be worth it to replace the whole front end if
> you plan to drive the car another year. You won't reget it.
>
> I replace the suspension on my 87 accord and it drove and handled like new
> until I sold it. If I can do the work, then anyone can. Order the parts
> online, take the control arms to a machine shop to push out the bushings.
> replace all the rubber and upper and lower ball joints.
>
> The lower ball joints are pressed into the knuckle. You can either get a
> ball joint press or take the knuckle to the shop as well. That's what I
> did.
>
> Make sure you check the bushings on the radius arm as well
>
> Reassemble and enjoy. I never regretted the work I did once. The only
> thing
> I wish I did differently is that I did all the work in one shot.

We did the work this weekend and what a difference it made. We're lucky
we made the 2 hour drive b/c when we got there we took off the right
fron't tire and it had a huge knot in it with steel belts coming out.
It wouldn't have made the trip home.

We had a couple of cases of seized bolts, but nothing a torch couldn't
take care of.

We replaced the following:

Upper ball joints - easy since it came as the whole control arm and two
bolts held it in
Lower ball joints - pretty difficult b/c the remover/installer had a
hard time getting into the relatively small spot in the knuckle
Inner tie rod - very difficult b/c of the cramped working conditions
and the snap bolt/ locking washer that holds it in. It was hard to get
to with the boot pulled back.
Outer tie rod - easy to install, just screws in then has a bolt to lock
in place
Stabalizer bar/bashing - easy compared to the other work.
Front rotors and pads - the hub was seized pretty good to the knuckle,
but this was an easy job and made a huge difference in braking . The
original rotors had 235K miles on them and were never turned. They were
severely pitted though.
Right front tire - her cousin did that at his shop.

In all this was a tough job, but well worth the money and effort. It
took us about 8 hours to do the work. We got everything back together
and I took it for a ride. We had measured the old tie rods and
everything was straight steering wise. We're still going to get an
alignment and the tires balanced.

The ride is dramatically changed. The outer tie rod ball joints had
significant wear upon inspection. It made the steering pretty sloppy
before, but now its like new. No vibration and no steering wheel wobble
is great too. The brakes used to take a lot of effort and go almost all
the way to the ground, but now it grabs well.

I would say almost anyone with mechanical knowledge could do this job.
We got the special tools we needed from autozone and got our deposit
back. Other than that it was basic metric tools. An impact wrench
really saved some time and effort, but it could be done without. Make
sure you have a big socket for the spindle nut.

hondahookup.com has the manual for the 94 accord, and although we
didn't use it that much ... it helped when we got stuck on something.

Thanks for the input everyone.

joutlaw wrote:
> I took the plunge and ordered the parts. We're hoping to get the work done
> this weekend. I printed 40 pages of information on the front suspension from
> the 1994 Accord workshop manual.
>
> Her dad has replaced the axles on that car before, so I believe the tear
> down will be similar. He also has a ball joint seperator tool already. We're
> going to do the loaner program from Autozone for the ball joint
> remover/installer.
>
> Up next is going to be new tires all around and an alignment. Hopefully it
> will drive a lot better after this work. I'll update this thread after the
> work.
>
>
> "Butternut Squash" <rxrx@yamama.com> wrote in message
> news:7Y4ig.152630$Fs1.29853@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> > jqoutlaw@gmail.com wrote:
> >
> >> I posted last week about a 1994 Accord EX with 235K+ miles that needed
> >> suspension/alignment/steering work. It is tugging and jerking the wheel
> >> up to around 40Mph, then a had vibration around 50-55, then a constant
> >> vibration to about 80Mph. Any transition in speed will cause a
> >> vibrationa as well. Oddly, if you go into a corner the vibration stops
> >> while turning at speed, but resumes when you get straight. The
> >> condition is getting worse, and I'm afraid it is getting pretty
> >> dangerous to drive.
> >>
> >> With the mileage, I'm guessing its the ball joints. The car is showing
> >> its in alignment, but its wearing the inside of both front tires.
> >>
> >> I figure a lot of bushings are worn out up front as well, and found
> >> this auction on ebay:
> >>
> > http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/94-97...QQcmdZViewItem
> >>
> >> For around 160$ shipped this looks like a steal, but wanted to see if
> >> anyone had any input on it. Wouldn't it be easier to just replace all
> >> these parts at one time while the front end is apart?
> >>
> >> Do you think it would be a tough job for a DIY'er. I have access to a
> >> lot of tools, impact wrenchs, etc... , but not a lift.
> >
> > With that many miles if may be worth it to replace the whole front end if
> > you plan to drive the car another year. You won't reget it.
> >
> > I replace the suspension on my 87 accord and it drove and handled like new
> > until I sold it. If I can do the work, then anyone can. Order the parts
> > online, take the control arms to a machine shop to push out the bushings.
> > replace all the rubber and upper and lower ball joints.
> >
> > The lower ball joints are pressed into the knuckle. You can either get a
> > ball joint press or take the knuckle to the shop as well. That's what I
> > did.
> >
> > Make sure you check the bushings on the radius arm as well
> >
> > Reassemble and enjoy. I never regretted the work I did once. The only
> > thing
> > I wish I did differently is that I did all the work in one shot.

Nice update.

How did the old stabilizer links look? Just curious, since
it seems like all the other old parts you replaced could
easily have been behind the original problems.


<jqoutlaw@gmail.com> wrote
> We did the work this weekend and what a difference it
> made. We're lucky
> we made the 2 hour drive b/c when we got there we took off
> the right
> fron't tire and it had a huge knot in it with steel belts
> coming out.
> It wouldn't have made the trip home.
>
> We had a couple of cases of seized bolts, but nothing a
> torch couldn't
> take care of.
>
> We replaced the following:
>
> Upper ball joints - easy since it came as the whole
> control arm and two
> bolts held it in
> Lower ball joints - pretty difficult b/c the
> remover/installer had a
> hard time getting into the relatively small spot in the
> knuckle
> Inner tie rod - very difficult b/c of the cramped working
> conditions
> and the snap bolt/ locking washer that holds it in. It was
> hard to get
> to with the boot pulled back.
> Outer tie rod - easy to install, just screws in then has a
> bolt to lock
> in place
> Stabalizer bar/bashing - easy compared to the other work.
> Front rotors and pads - the hub was seized pretty good to
> the knuckle,
> but this was an easy job and made a huge difference in
> braking . The
> original rotors had 235K miles on them and were never
> turned. They were
> severely pitted though.
> Right front tire - her cousin did that at his shop.
>
> In all this was a tough job, but well worth the money and
> effort. It
> took us about 8 hours to do the work. We got everything
> back together
> and I took it for a ride. We had measured the old tie rods
> and
> everything was straight steering wise. We're still going
> to get an
> alignment and the tires balanced.
>
> The ride is dramatically changed. The outer tie rod ball
> joints had
> significant wear upon inspection. It made the steering
> pretty sloppy
> before, but now its like new. No vibration and no steering
> wheel wobble
> is great too. The brakes used to take a lot of effort and
> go almost all
> the way to the ground, but now it grabs well.
>
> I would say almost anyone with mechanical knowledge could
> do this job.
> We got the special tools we needed from autozone and got
> our deposit
> back. Other than that it was basic metric tools. An impact
> wrench
> really saved some time and effort, but it could be done
> without. Make
> sure you have a big socket for the spindle nut.
>
> hondahookup.com has the manual for the 94 accord, and
> although we
> didn't use it that much ... it helped when we got stuck on
> something.
>
> Thanks for the input everyone.
>
> joutlaw wrote:
>> I took the plunge and ordered the parts. We're hoping to
>> get the work done
>> this weekend. I printed 40 pages of information on the
>> front suspension from
>> the 1994 Accord workshop manual.
>>
>> Her dad has replaced the axles on that car before, so I
>> believe the tear
>> down will be similar. He also has a ball joint seperator
>> tool already. We're
>> going to do the loaner program from Autozone for the ball
>> joint
>> remover/installer.
>>
>> Up next is going to be new tires all around and an
>> alignment. Hopefully it
>> will drive a lot better after this work. I'll update this
>> thread after the
>> work.
>>
>>
>> "Butternut Squash" <rxrx@yamama.com> wrote in message
>> news:7Y4ig.152630$Fs1.29853@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>> > jqoutlaw@gmail.com wrote:
>> >
>> >> I posted last week about a 1994 Accord EX with 235K+
>> >> miles that needed
>> >> suspension/alignment/steering work. It is tugging and
>> >> jerking the wheel
>> >> up to around 40Mph, then a had vibration around 50-55,
>> >> then a constant
>> >> vibration to about 80Mph. Any transition in speed will
>> >> cause a
>> >> vibrationa as well. Oddly, if you go into a corner the
>> >> vibration stops
>> >> while turning at speed, but resumes when you get
>> >> straight. The
>> >> condition is getting worse, and I'm afraid it is
>> >> getting pretty
>> >> dangerous to drive.
>> >>
>> >> With the mileage, I'm guessing its the ball joints.
>> >> The car is showing
>> >> its in alignment, but its wearing the inside of both
>> >> front tires.
>> >>
>> >> I figure a lot of bushings are worn out up front as
>> >> well, and found
>> >> this auction on ebay:
>> >>
>> > http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/94-97...QQcmdZViewItem
>> >>
>> >> For around 160$ shipped this looks like a steal, but
>> >> wanted to see if
>> >> anyone had any input on it. Wouldn't it be easier to
>> >> just replace all
>> >> these parts at one time while the front end is apart?
>> >>
>> >> Do you think it would be a tough job for a DIY'er. I
>> >> have access to a
>> >> lot of tools, impact wrenchs, etc... , but not a lift.
>> >
>> > With that many miles if may be worth it to replace the
>> > whole front end if
>> > you plan to drive the car another year. You won't reget
>> > it.
>> >
>> > I replace the suspension on my 87 accord and it drove
>> > and handled like new
>> > until I sold it. If I can do the work, then anyone
>> > can. Order the parts
>> > online, take the control arms to a machine shop to push
>> > out the bushings.
>> > replace all the rubber and upper and lower ball joints.
>> >
>> > The lower ball joints are pressed into the knuckle. You
>> > can either get a
>> > ball joint press or take the knuckle to the shop as
>> > well. That's what I
>> > did.
>> >
>> > Make sure you check the bushings on the radius arm as
>> > well
>> >
>> > Reassemble and enjoy. I never regretted the work I did
>> > once. The only
>> > thing
>> > I wish I did differently is that I did all the work in
>> > one shot.
>

The bushings were dry rotted and cracked on the old stabilizer links.

After reading the post, I'd like to point out that the right upper
control bolts are somewhat difficult to get to. You have the ABS relays
and main fuse box in the way. There's about 5 bolts holding them in,
and you can push them out of the way. We had to be careful because some
of the wires looked fragile going to the main fuse box.

So we're now at 236K miles and counting. FWIW, I again have more faith
in her 94 Accord with that mileage, then my 2000 Millenia with 99K
miles.





Elle wrote:
> Nice update.
>
> How did the old stabilizer links look? Just curious, since
> it seems like all the other old parts you replaced could
> easily have been behind the original problems.
>
>
> <jqoutlaw@gmail.com> wrote
> > We did the work this weekend and what a difference it
> > made. We're lucky
> > we made the 2 hour drive b/c when we got there we took off
> > the right
> > fron't tire and it had a huge knot in it with steel belts
> > coming out.
> > It wouldn't have made the trip home.
> >
> > We had a couple of cases of seized bolts, but nothing a
> > torch couldn't
> > take care of.
> >
> > We replaced the following:
> >
> > Upper ball joints - easy since it came as the whole
> > control arm and two
> > bolts held it in
> > Lower ball joints - pretty difficult b/c the
> > remover/installer had a
> > hard time getting into the relatively small spot in the
> > knuckle
> > Inner tie rod - very difficult b/c of the cramped working
> > conditions
> > and the snap bolt/ locking washer that holds it in. It was
> > hard to get
> > to with the boot pulled back.
> > Outer tie rod - easy to install, just screws in then has a
> > bolt to lock
> > in place
> > Stabalizer bar/bashing - easy compared to the other work.
> > Front rotors and pads - the hub was seized pretty good to
> > the knuckle,
> > but this was an easy job and made a huge difference in
> > braking . The
> > original rotors had 235K miles on them and were never
> > turned. They were
> > severely pitted though.
> > Right front tire - her cousin did that at his shop.
> >
> > In all this was a tough job, but well worth the money and
> > effort. It
> > took us about 8 hours to do the work. We got everything
> > back together
> > and I took it for a ride. We had measured the old tie rods
> > and
> > everything was straight steering wise. We're still going
> > to get an
> > alignment and the tires balanced.
> >
> > The ride is dramatically changed. The outer tie rod ball
> > joints had
> > significant wear upon inspection. It made the steering
> > pretty sloppy
> > before, but now its like new. No vibration and no steering
> > wheel wobble
> > is great too. The brakes used to take a lot of effort and
> > go almost all
> > the way to the ground, but now it grabs well.
> >
> > I would say almost anyone with mechanical knowledge could
> > do this job.
> > We got the special tools we needed from autozone and got
> > our deposit
> > back. Other than that it was basic metric tools. An impact
> > wrench
> > really saved some time and effort, but it could be done
> > without. Make
> > sure you have a big socket for the spindle nut.
> >
> > hondahookup.com has the manual for the 94 accord, and
> > although we
> > didn't use it that much ... it helped when we got stuck on
> > something.
> >
> > Thanks for the input everyone.
> >
> > joutlaw wrote:
> >> I took the plunge and ordered the parts. We're hoping to
> >> get the work done
> >> this weekend. I printed 40 pages of information on the
> >> front suspension from
> >> the 1994 Accord workshop manual.
> >>
> >> Her dad has replaced the axles on that car before, so I
> >> believe the tear
> >> down will be similar. He also has a ball joint seperator
> >> tool already. We're
> >> going to do the loaner program from Autozone for the ball
> >> joint
> >> remover/installer.
> >>
> >> Up next is going to be new tires all around and an
> >> alignment. Hopefully it
> >> will drive a lot better after this work. I'll update this
> >> thread after the
> >> work.
> >>
> >>
> >> "Butternut Squash" <rxrx@yamama.com> wrote in message
> >> news:7Y4ig.152630$Fs1.29853@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> >> > jqoutlaw@gmail.com wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> I posted last week about a 1994 Accord EX with 235K+
> >> >> miles that needed
> >> >> suspension/alignment/steering work. It is tugging and
> >> >> jerking the wheel
> >> >> up to around 40Mph, then a had vibration around 50-55,
> >> >> then a constant
> >> >> vibration to about 80Mph. Any transition in speed will
> >> >> cause a
> >> >> vibrationa as well. Oddly, if you go into a corner the
> >> >> vibration stops
> >> >> while turning at speed, but resumes when you get
> >> >> straight. The
> >> >> condition is getting worse, and I'm afraid it is
> >> >> getting pretty
> >> >> dangerous to drive.
> >> >>
> >> >> With the mileage, I'm guessing its the ball joints.
> >> >> The car is showing
> >> >> its in alignment, but its wearing the inside of both
> >> >> front tires.
> >> >>
> >> >> I figure a lot of bushings are worn out up front as
> >> >> well, and found
> >> >> this auction on ebay:
> >> >>
> >> > http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/94-97...QQcmdZViewItem
> >> >>
> >> >> For around 160$ shipped this looks like a steal, but
> >> >> wanted to see if
> >> >> anyone had any input on it. Wouldn't it be easier to
> >> >> just replace all
> >> >> these parts at one time while the front end is apart?
> >> >>
> >> >> Do you think it would be a tough job for a DIY'er. I
> >> >> have access to a
> >> >> lot of tools, impact wrenchs, etc... , but not a lift.
> >> >
> >> > With that many miles if may be worth it to replace the
> >> > whole front end if
> >> > you plan to drive the car another year. You won't reget
> >> > it.
> >> >
> >> > I replace the suspension on my 87 accord and it drove
> >> > and handled like new
> >> > until I sold it. If I can do the work, then anyone
> >> > can. Order the parts
> >> > online, take the control arms to a machine shop to push
> >> > out the bushings.
> >> > replace all the rubber and upper and lower ball joints.
> >> >
> >> > The lower ball joints are pressed into the knuckle. You
> >> > can either get a
> >> > ball joint press or take the knuckle to the shop as
> >> > well. That's what I
> >> > did.
> >> >
> >> > Make sure you check the bushings on the radius arm as
> >> > well
> >> >
> >> > Reassemble and enjoy. I never regretted the work I did
> >> > once. The only
> >> > thing
> >> > I wish I did differently is that I did all the work in
> >> > one shot.
> >

<jqoutlaw@gmail.com> wrote
> The bushings were dry rotted and cracked on the old
> stabilizer links.

Excellent. Maybe I'll see my tire wear problem eliminated
since I replaced all my stabilizer links w/bushings, too.

Aside: Yesterday I did my '91 Civic's trailing arm bushings
with my new, $139.95 tool in record time. Very easy with the
tool. Freeing a few of the five bolts that must be free to
do the trailing arm bushings this way is what took all the
time about a week ago.

I highly recommend the "Honda Acura Trailing Arm Bushing
Xtractor" tool. If it works perfectly on my rusted old
Civic, it will work on anyone's. The Ebay dealer who sold it
to me shipped it within a day. It arrived early.

> After reading the post, I'd like to point out that the
> right upper
> control bolts are somewhat difficult to get to. You have
> the ABS relays
> and main fuse box in the way. There's about 5 bolts
> holding them in,
> and you can push them out of the way. We had to be careful
> because some
> of the wires looked fragile going to the main fuse box.

:-)

I was wondering about that comment of yours re it's 'easy...
two bolts' for the upper arms.

> So we're now at 236K miles and counting. FWIW, I again
> have more faith
> in her 94 Accord with that mileage, then my 2000 Millenia
> with 99K
> miles.

:-)

Further updates on this car are always welcome. I want to
take my Civic to at least 250k miles.