How to Change 1997 Honda Crv Ball Joints

The CR-V has always stood apart as a prime example of that weird twilight zone between minivan and SUV. It's a minivan in that it's essentially a very tall unibody sedan -- the Civic, in this case. But its ride height and its four-wheel-drive system mark it as an SUV. Though, technically, the system this whatever-it-is uses defaults power to the front wheels and engages the rears when there's a loss in front traction, which really makes it a car-style AWD system like Mitsubishi's. But whatever you want to call it, the CR-V has upper and lower ball joints, and, sometimes, they break. That's the relevant part for this article.

Instructions

1

Remove the hubcaps, if so equipped. Loosen the wheel lugnuts. Lift the locking tab on the axle nut with a screwdriver and a hammer, and loosen the spindle nut. Kick wheel chocks in behind and in front of the rear wheels, lift the front of the vehicle, and lower it onto a set of jack stands. Kick the chocks again to make sure that they're snug against the wheel. Remove the lugnuts, wheel and axle nut.

2

Remove the bolt that secures the brake line mount to the spindle, and then remove the brake caliper mounting bolts. Pull the brake caliper off the rotor, and hang it off of something that you're not removing with a length of wire. Remove the two brake retaining screws from front of the rotor, then tighten both of the 8 mm bolts on the rotor one full turn to push the rotor away from the hub. Turn them another full turn, and the rotor should pop off the hub.

3

Remove the four sensor mounting bolts from the steering knuckle, but do not disconnect the sensor. Remove the cotter pin from the steering arm, remove the castle nut, and remove the steering arm. You're supposed to use a removal tool for this, but a few taps with a plastic hammer should do it. Repeat with the upper and lower ball joint castle nuts, and use a ball joint separator to separate the upper and lower ball joints from the upper and lower control arms. Alternately, you can slide a 1/2-inch wrench in between the control arm and knuckle, and hit the wrench with a hammer to knock the control arm off. Whatever floats your boat.

4

Pull the steering knuckle out, and tap the end of the driveshaft with your deadblow hammer to release its grip on the hub and allow the axle to slide out. When you get the spindle off, remove the ball joint boot set ring by prying it off. Install the Honda ball joint removal tool on the knuckle, over the ball joint, and use it to press the ball joint out.

5

Place the new ball joint in by hand, and then use the Honda tool to press the ball joint in. After you get the ball joint in, grease the joint, use the special tool to install the new dust boot and reinstall the set ring.

6

Knuckle installation is essentially the reverse of removal -- See the tips section for torque values. Tap the assembly back over the driveshaft, tap the lower control arm up onto the ball joint, and then the whole assembly up into the upper control arm. Reinstall the castle nuts on the ball joints, reinstall the steering knuckle and hand-tighten the castle nut. Back the bolts out of the rotor, slide it over the studs, and install the brake retainer screws. Install the caliper, and bolt the brake line back to the spindle. Reinstall the sensor on the spindle. Install a new axle nut, torque it down, and "stake" the metal flange down into the detente on the spindle with a cold chisel or thick screwdriver. Reinstall the wheels, and drive to the beach.