Honda Element/CRV Front Lower Control Arm Bushings

[EricTheCarGuy]

I noticed the control arm bushings on my Element were worn and I thought it would be a good idea to make a video about their replacement. Comments welcome.

Topic

[Nick]

Eric, have you done a video on replacing the ball joints on your element?

[Jonathan Stiver]

According to Honda, the lower ball joint is not serviceable and they don’t sell one, they say the entire knuckle must be replaced.

Moog part # K500004 was the first aftermarket lower ball joint, which now parts stores carry this and others based on this design. It’s pretty straight forward, just remove the knuckle and press old one out, new one in. The new one comes with a c-clip to secure it.

[Nick]

Thanks for the info Eric.

[EricTheCarGuy]

[quote=”racerxnk” post=151888]Eric, have you done a video on replacing the ball joints on your element?[/quote]

Not yet, but I’m thinking about it since mine are old. You can get them aftermarket but I don’t know about the quality. The only way Honda sells them is part of the knuckle assembly.

[Nick]

I found a lot of the stuff on amazon. I have a 2004 CRV that I will be doing a lot of work on, tie rods, shocks etc.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UPOBR8/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1XHH7E8PHHC96&coliid=I33DRTQ5LTJIAE
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C57WDQ/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1XHH7E8PHHC96&coliid=I2IKGD9GSVCNGQ

[EricTheCarGuy]

[quote=”racerxnk” post=151933]I found a lot of the stuff on amazon. I have a 2004 CRV that I will be doing a lot of work on, tie rods, shocks etc.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UPOBR8/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1XHH7E8PHHC96&coliid=I33DRTQ5LTJIAE
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C57WDQ/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1XHH7E8PHHC96&coliid=I2IKGD9GSVCNGQ%5B/quote%5D

The drawback is that many aftermarket parts don’t have the same level of quality as the original Honda parts. With suspension parts this can effect the vehicle alignment as well.

[Gene]

Hey Eric! In this video you suggested you might do a video on “what to do” when the fork bolt is seized to the inner part of the bushing and how to get it off. Has that video ever been made? I know from prior comments that you have suggested it is a real bear!

[EricTheCarGuy]

[quote=”CanDo807″ post=174871]Hey Eric! In this video you suggested you might do a video on “what to do” when the fork bolt is seized to the inner part of the bushing and how to get it off. Has that video ever been made? I know from prior comments that you have suggested it is a real bear![/quote]

You don’t get it off. You leave it in and work around it. Otherwise, you’ll be replacing the bushing or control arm.

[Gene]

[quote=”EricTheCarGuy” post=175024]You don’t get it off. You leave it in and work around it. Otherwise, you’ll be replacing the bushing or control arm.[/quote]

I was afraid you might say that! 🙂

Unfortunately it looks like I am headed that direction as I have done about the entire front end of an 89 Accord Lxi:
struts
steering rack
UCAs with ball joint
TREs
Stabilizer links
rotors / pads
calipers refurbished

Now I see I have a torn LH lower ball joint boot AND the RH outer CV boot is ripped. So can imagine that , on this 27 yo car, next will be one of the LCA bushings. So I figure I might as well fight the fight and replace the LCAs once and for all so that next time I have to do front end work nothing is a struggle.

Have watched the axle replacement videos and saw the work around for the stuck fork, but not sure it makes sense to me to take apart an OEM axle in order to install it. (I’m not that good) Now I recognize that a bit of my perfectionist tendencies seeping in and it is offset by your 15+ years of experience and expertise and I respect that.

So what is involved? Cutting off the nut & driving the bolt out? Melting the bushing? How bad is it?

[EricTheCarGuy]

If it’s that stuck it’s not likely you’ll be able to drive it out. I cut them out with a torch. The bushing will catch on fire when you do this. Make sure you’re in a well ventilated area and that you don’t breath it in too much.

[Gene]

Thank you!

Sounds like some “fun”!

[Randy Lipnicky]

Does the rear bushing on the lower control arm have a certain orientation that it needs to be installed like the compliance bushing? Unfortunately I didn’t look closely at the rear bushing before I took it out and then started to look at the new bushing and noticed it had a couple of markings (for the lack of a better term) 180 deg apart. From the video there wasn’t any mention that the rear bushing had to back in any special way.

[Author]

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