Ball Joint Stud/Castle Nut "Froze"

All that's the same for my 91 Civic, except the service
manual (at least for the Civic CRX) describes the process
for replacing the lower BJ. Three special tools are listed.
Maybe the special tools are one reason why Haynes directs
people to a shop.

My recollection from my reading is that it's still customary
(or mandatory) to replace the whole upper arm to get a new
upper ball joint.

Yes to all. Here are the differences in car heights, right
and left sides, through my investigation:

Before doing anything: 3/4-inch
Old springs swapped: 3/8-inch
New springs: 1/2-inch.

The old springs uncompressed had a height difference of
1/4-inch, so there is some consistency here.

The new springs uncompressed were actually a little shorter
than the old ones. As expected, the car does sit a little
lower, overall, with the new springs.

I suspect the bushings are behind the 1/2-inch difference at
this point.

I won't quibble if I get the right and left sides within
1/4-inch. (I wonder if there's a spec on that.)

I am measuring from the ground to the top of the front wheel
wells here.

 

All that's the same for my 91 Civic, except the service
manual (at least for the Civic CRX) describes the process
for replacing the lower BJ. Three special tools are listed.
Maybe the special tools are one reason why Haynes directs
people to a shop.

My recollection from my reading is that it's still customary
(or mandatory) to replace the whole upper arm to get a new
upper ball joint.

Yes to all. Here are the differences in car heights, right
and left sides, through my investigation:

Before doing anything: 3/4-inch
Old springs swapped: 3/8-inch
New springs: 1/2-inch.

The old springs uncompressed had a height difference of
1/4-inch, so there is some consistency here.

The new springs uncompressed were actually a little shorter
than the old ones. As expected, the car does sit a little
lower, overall, with the new springs.

I suspect the bushings are behind the 1/2-inch difference at
this point.

I won't quibble if I get the right and left sides within
1/4-inch. (I wonder if there's a spec on that.)

I am measuring from the ground to the top of the front wheel
wells here.

 

The factory manual for my Integra indicates NO specs at all for ride
height.

My car currently has half-inch difference driver's to passenger's side.
When new, both front springs already had more than 1/4" difference (both
front springs were replaced about 9 years ago).

To determine ride height, you're supposed to measure fron the wheel well to
the center of the wheel. Measuring ground-up introduces the tire as a
variable.

You must also be certain that the ground is actually level, and you'd be
surprised how little pavement is *really and truly* level. When I check, I
jack up the necessary wheels only enough to shim under the tires with old
books. I use a line and a spirit level to level the car.

 

The factory manual for my Integra indicates NO specs at all for ride
height.

My car currently has half-inch difference driver's to passenger's side.
When new, both front springs already had more than 1/4" difference (both
front springs were replaced about 9 years ago).

To determine ride height, you're supposed to measure fron the wheel well to
the center of the wheel. Measuring ground-up introduces the tire as a
variable.

You must also be certain that the ground is actually level, and you'd be
surprised how little pavement is *really and truly* level. When I check, I
jack up the necessary wheels only enough to shim under the tires with old
books. I use a line and a spirit level to level the car.

 

Thanks for the tips. I am very careful about tire pressure,
for one thing.

Right now, my main interest is getting the castle nut off
and my new bushings installed, if only to improve handling.

At this point I am trying to cut the castle nut off with my
die grinder, a nut splitter and anything else I can find. I
haven't read reports of anyone else having this sort of
problem. I guess the fact that the other day before trying
to get the castle nut off, I unwittingly (despite Michael's
warning) PB Blastered the control arm tapered hole didn't
help. I brake-cleanered the taper several times today and
tried again and again. I couldn't get a C-clamp or vise grip
on the ball joint and arm to wedge the stud into a fixed
position. No luck putting all the weight on the control arm,
using a jack beneath it.

About mid-day, I started trying to cut the castle nut off
without damaging the stud threads.

So it goes. Very discouraging...

 

Thanks for the tips. I am very careful about tire pressure,
for one thing.

Right now, my main interest is getting the castle nut off
and my new bushings installed, if only to improve handling.

At this point I am trying to cut the castle nut off with my
die grinder, a nut splitter and anything else I can find. I
haven't read reports of anyone else having this sort of
problem. I guess the fact that the other day before trying
to get the castle nut off, I unwittingly (despite Michael's
warning) PB Blastered the control arm tapered hole didn't
help. I brake-cleanered the taper several times today and
tried again and again. I couldn't get a C-clamp or vise grip
on the ball joint and arm to wedge the stud into a fixed
position. No luck putting all the weight on the control arm,
using a jack beneath it.

About mid-day, I started trying to cut the castle nut off
without damaging the stud threads.

So it goes. Very discouraging...

 

A suggestion: Use the die grinder to cut off one side of the nut. Don't go
deep enough to actually get down to the ball-joint stud threads, just
enough to get very, very close.

The heat and vibration may just be enough to shock it loose so you can
wrench it off.

 

A suggestion: Use the die grinder to cut off one side of the nut. Don't go
deep enough to actually get down to the ball-joint stud threads, just
enough to get very, very close.

The heat and vibration may just be enough to shock it loose so you can
wrench it off.

 

Something that occurred to me;cut a SLOT in the BJ stud with a Dremel,and
use a screwdriver to hold it from turning,Or grind a couple of flats on the
end of the stud,and use a wrench to hold.(if there's enough room.)

 

Something that occurred to me;cut a SLOT in the BJ stud with a Dremel,and
use a screwdriver to hold it from turning,Or grind a couple of flats on the
end of the stud,and use a wrench to hold.(if there's enough room.)

 

If you cut enough off,the nut will split when you try to turn it.

I've also used cold chisels to cut thru a frozen nut.

Of course,if you're replacing the BJ anyways,just cut thru the stud -above-
the nut.Use a drift to ppush out the remaining taper.

 

If you cut enough off,the nut will split when you try to turn it.

I've also used cold chisels to cut thru a frozen nut.

Of course,if you're replacing the BJ anyways,just cut thru the stud -above-
the nut.Use a drift to ppush out the remaining taper.

 

Tegger and Jim: Unfortunately I found the space so tight
that I couldn't get vertical cuts with the die grinder. I
cut some with it, but was concerned about cutting into the
threads and so was conservative.

I did find the nut's metal fairly soft (in contrast with the
control arm bolts I tackled recently). An ordinary hack saw
turns out to be pretty effective, though angling it ideally
is also a challenge.

Because I forged ahead, thinking with enough pounding etc.
this little nut would come free, now no nut is left to get a
hold of with any kind of wrench. Thus I can't try grinding a
slot in the stud and holding it with a screwdriver somehow.
That does sound promising next time around.

About half of the nut remains in place, and I still can't
pound it out with a hammer and chisel (applied to edges). I
applied PB Blaster to the exposed edges; it certainly seemed
to be sucked into the crevices, at least, per its advertised
capillary action. Still an hour or so later, no doggone
luck.

It seems more than a coincidence that I had much less
trouble with the pass side inboard control arm bolt and no
trouble with its castle nut. Could the fact that the car
routinely carries a driver and his/her extra weight pounds
on the driver side bushings and castle nut (among other
drivers' side suspension components) that they are more
likely to "weld" in place?

Or, like I mentioned before, I screwed up this second castle
nut from the get-go.

The way it's going, I certainly may be replacing the BJ. I
know there's a procedure for removing the knuckle (and then
the BJ), but I have been holding off, fearing that's another
can of worms (= rusty nuts and bolts).

Going to recharge overnight and see if I can't get the last
bit of castle nut off tomorrow.

Thanks again, Jim and Tegger, for your suggestions. Next
time I'll know more.

 

Tegger and Jim: Unfortunately I found the space so tight
that I couldn't get vertical cuts with the die grinder. I
cut some with it, but was concerned about cutting into the
threads and so was conservative.

I did find the nut's metal fairly soft (in contrast with the
control arm bolts I tackled recently). An ordinary hack saw
turns out to be pretty effective, though angling it ideally
is also a challenge.

Because I forged ahead, thinking with enough pounding etc.
this little nut would come free, now no nut is left to get a
hold of with any kind of wrench. Thus I can't try grinding a
slot in the stud and holding it with a screwdriver somehow.
That does sound promising next time around.

About half of the nut remains in place, and I still can't
pound it out with a hammer and chisel (applied to edges). I
applied PB Blaster to the exposed edges; it certainly seemed
to be sucked into the crevices, at least, per its advertised
capillary action. Still an hour or so later, no doggone
luck.

It seems more than a coincidence that I had much less
trouble with the pass side inboard control arm bolt and no
trouble with its castle nut. Could the fact that the car
routinely carries a driver and his/her extra weight pounds
on the driver side bushings and castle nut (among other
drivers' side suspension components) that they are more
likely to "weld" in place?

Or, like I mentioned before, I screwed up this second castle
nut from the get-go.

The way it's going, I certainly may be replacing the BJ. I
know there's a procedure for removing the knuckle (and then
the BJ), but I have been holding off, fearing that's another
can of worms (= rusty nuts and bolts).

Going to recharge overnight and see if I can't get the last
bit of castle nut off tomorrow.

Thanks again, Jim and Tegger, for your suggestions. Next
time I'll know more.

 

No vertical cuts! Just hold the grinder wheel parallel with the horizon,
and grind away up and down until that side of the nut is mostly gone.

 

No vertical cuts! Just hold the grinder wheel parallel with the horizon,
and grind away up and down until that side of the nut is mostly gone.

 

Elle, you are setting new standards in defining "sweat equity!"

Mike

 

Elle, you are setting new standards in defining "sweat equity!"

Mike

 

Oh, I get it now. I was focused on cutoff wheels (for my air
die grinder) and forgot about the grinding wheels I can use
with it as well.

Michael, "school of hard knocks" is my middle name when it
comes to my car's repairs.

Oh well. It's always easier the next time.

 

Oh, I get it now. I was focused on cutoff wheels (for my air
die grinder) and forgot about the grinding wheels I can use
with it as well.

Michael, "school of hard knocks" is my middle name when it
comes to my car's repairs.

Oh well. It's always easier the next time.