The Ohio Random Thread... aka We Should Probably Be Working

[Lewis7789]

What vehicle are you talking about, Nick?

Ivan just replaced his inner tie rods and we didn't have to touch the ball joint. I did my outer tie rods on the P5 without touching the ball joint as well...

Outer tie rods are pretty simple. You'll need to rent a tool from Autozone for the inner tie rod but the hardest part was getting the boot on/off. But all in all, without rust, it's pretty simple. 2 out of 5 rating.

But like aMaff said, you'll need an alignment afterwards to be on the safe side. ($65)

 

[Lewis7789]

If any of the local Protege guys are interested, I'm going to sell my DG oem-style carbon fiber hood. PM me.

 

[Fiji Mazda3]

Long sory short, my brother in laws front wheel on his 2000 Civic is at a 45degree angle. They think it's a ball joint or the outer tie rod end. We're on our way up to look at it and pick him up.

 

[Fiji Mazda3]

 

[PrinceValorum]

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/naborgia/f9070cef.jpg

Joining the slammed thread?

 

[aMaff]

Joining the slammed thread?

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA so wrong.

But yeah, that picture looks like an outer ball joint failure (unless the inner completely separated from the steering rack or rusted through).

Ivan just replaced his inner tie rods and we didn't have to touch the ball joint.

Now that I think about it, you're right that should totally be possible. Like I said, I've never replaced an inner before so I'd never really thought about it, it just seemed to make sense that to get to the inner you have to remove the outer, but you don't need to remove it from the knuckle.

 

[o0n8]

mad camber yo!

 

[Lewis7789]

aMaff, i think your mixing up your terms. I know you're a smart cat so I'll chalk it up to it being sunday. No ball joints on the steering rack. And if the tie rod busted I don't think it would give you the hellaslammed camber, yO. The ball joints could though perhaps. Pop the wheel off and take some pics, Nick. I don't know Civic suspension as well as I used to. Maybe the upper control arm ball joint blew out.

 

[Fiji Mazda3]

Where's Phen when I need him??

 

[Lewis7789]

On the couch. Send him a text.

 

[THE Phen]

Where's Phen when I need him??

Ask and he shall appear.

 

[aMaff]

aMaff, i think your mixing up your terms. I know you're a smart cat so I'll chalk it up to it being sunday.

No, you can chalk it up to me not being clear, and you reading it differently than I meant it. In my head it made sense, ok!

that picture looks like an outer ball joint failure (unless the inner tie rod end completely separated from the steering rack or rusted through).

You can pretty much interchange outer tie-rod end with "ball joint" since all it is, generally, is a carrier for the ball joint.

And if the tie rod busted I don't think it would give you the hellaslammed camber, yO. The ball joints could though perhaps.

Caster + a crazy amount of toe will definitely tilt the wheel in strange and unique ways. I think you're right though that it probably won't tilt it in THAT much. Looking at it though with that 1 pic it's hard to tell. That may well be an upper control arm ball-joint failure or broken upper control arm, and not a tie rod end.

 

[THE Phen]

I've been running thru the suspension setup on the EK's and coming up with ideas as to what could have failed. I'm willing to believe it's the ball joint, or maybe the knuckle assembly for the strut. It's got a wishbone setup that stradles the axle. A single bolt pinches housing and holds the strut in place. If that bolt breaks, the strut and the assembly could, in a freak instance, cause the wheel to fall in like that under load.

Are both front wheels at least pointing in the same direction?

 

[Fiji Mazda3]

I got a call from Levi to check here.

There pointing in the same direction. His roommate is a big Honda fan and thinks its the ball joint as well. How hard/expensive do you think it'll be to fix?

 

[fishdonotbounce]

Looking on rockauto, the control arm for that car is just a two bolt affair. The part costs about $17 for the Dorman brand +shipping.

 

[subspeed6]

Actually, I have seen this failure in person a couple of times and I have to agree with the others. Phen has it right.

 

[XCLR8TN]

I'm just teasing, Jess. But with all your speeding tickets and being so close to loosing your license, wouldn't you want to slow down? I'm not trying to tell you what to do and I speed too (though not nearly as fast in the Milly now) but I would be so skeerd to loose my license then not be able to drive at all.

Yeah, that's what I should do. Everytime I try and keep up (slow down?) with traffic I get to see all the idiotic s*** people pull and almost everytime I get hit by someone so I'm over it. I speed, but I have slowed it down some.

gotta live on the edge old man, you don't have much time left

also helps when you don't plan on seeing 70 y/o, I know you meant this as a joke but if I would have said it, concerning me, I would have been serious

Actually, I have seen this failure in person a couple of times and I have to agree with the others. Phen has it right.

that Honda is nuts! The upper control arm on my miata broke (rear) and that's exactly what it looked like haha

 

[Lewis7789]

Maybe the upper control arm ball joint blew out.

Good job, Phen. (bowdown)

 

[PrinceValorum]

also helps when you don't plan on seeing 70 y/o,

70, heck, 40 is probably pushing it at my rate!

 

[THE Phen]

I got a call from Levi to check here.

There pointing in the same direction. His roommate is a big Honda fan and thinks its the ball joint as well. How hard/expensive do you think it'll be to fix?

Providing the bolts come out nicely, it's not too bad. While doing my engine swap, I had a b**** of a time getting the ball joint to separate. But... there was also 170k miles on the car when we did the swap. Since then, I have been able to break the ball joint down with very little issue. If it's high mileage, you may have to fight it to break it apart... but a good ball joint separator tool will make all the difference.