We've all been there, under our car beating the crap out of the lower control arm with a BFH, we've even used a ball joint fork and destroyed the rubber boots and some of us have even tried fire!!

Anyway, using this method you will easily separate the ball joint without hurting you or the car!! and you'll do it quickly!!

1) Get the car in the air and secure it on jack stands. Remove the tire. You're gonna want to get in front of the assembly like below.


2) Place you floor jack underneath the ball joint and lower control arm and CAREFULLY lift the suspension. Make sure you screw the ball joint nut on slightly so that you don't ruin the threads while lifting. Lift the suspension until you start to raise the car. Once you do this STOP!! You don't want to lift the car, you just want to compress the suspension.


3) Whip out your handy dandy 3/8 ratchet (I think one with a square handle works the best)

4) Place the handle strategically in between the knuckle and the lower control arm. There is a small tab you can grab and wedge the tool under on the knuckle. Look at the picture, it's easier to visualize.

5) Once the handle is wedged in between the two components step back a little and lower the jack. Using the force of the car’s front spring and geometry of the suspension components physics will separate the ball joint with one large "pop"!!

This works EVERY TIME!!!

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Great trick. That would have saved me a LOT of time when i had to replace my ball joints on the old gsr.

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I've been dreading having to do this for quite some time, now I have a way to go about it.

Thanks

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You are never done, you're just saving money for your next mod.

Great trick...seen it on another forum as well

Sometimes just lowering the jack doesnt work so giving it a little drop kick will pop out the ball joint

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HONDA LOVE

92 nsx (black/red)
91 crx (white)

that was spectacular... I was dreading having to do this when pulling the tranny on my friend's civic hatch... but that shit made it so fucking easy.

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2001 Honda S2000
201.63 whp : 135.74 ft/lbs

this was one of the best writeups i've read. and it really came in handy. i'm actually changing out both ball joints and both tie rod ends on my crx. mine didn't work with just "Using the force of the car’s front spring and geometry of the suspension components physics"... i just jumped on it. =) the pictures are the best though. they really help. thanks man!