I purchased a 1998 Prelude Base Model in October 2007 for my son. After completing high school he traded the car to my daughter for 1997 Ford GT Mustang 5sp she was having trouble learning to shift.
We have purchased a 2002 Ford Mustang for her and so I have inherited the Prelude. As a result I am starting a thread to discuss options and exchange ideas with those who have travelled before me in the hopes that I will not waste time and money, both being in short supply.
Since the purchase we have had tire wear problems mostly on the left front, then in descending order, the right front , right rear and the left rear seems to produce the best wear.
We had the shocks and struts replaced due to poor ride and completed a front end alignment. The left front and right rear were outside the range and it was suggested that we take it someplace and have adjustable balls joints installed. All this occured in 2007 - 2008.
The journey continued for a couple of years before I inherited the car, fast forward to August 2008 and I discovered the Prelude Online.com. I began to ask questions and seek advice and now have decided to start a thread as previously mentioned.
My goal: On the left front, To replace the upper and lower balls joints in an attempt to get the camber back in the proper range.
This and some research is the reason I choose to change the ball joints in lieu of toe in - toe out solutions such as tie rods adjustments and radius rod adjustments.
I started on the car at the left front wheel. Removed the five lugs and tire wheel assy. Then, using an impact driver, I was able to remove the two rotor retaining screws without damage to either. And off came the rotor.
I separated the upper ball joint from the knuckle using a small pitman arm puller I borrowed from O'Reilly Auto Parts, and using their ball joint tool, removed and replaced the upper ball joint. What followed next was a series of mistakes that caused me rethink keeping this car in favor of paying someone to place it in a car crusher.
Not wanting to connect the upper ball joint for the torquing I was about to apply to the spindle nut, I began to apply power to the nut using a 36mm socket purchased at O'Reilly Auto Parts and an old breaker bar. What resulted was a twisting and rotating motion downward and outward that resulted in the CV driveshaft slipping out of the large cup located at the front of the motor.
After many failed attempts to get the parts to slide back together, I decided that I would remove the boot clamp, pull back the boot, and attempt to reintegrate the two components. NO LUCK! Needless to say, but I will anyway, the bearings fell off on the ground, each at one time or another depending on which attempt I was on, resulting in much sandy grains sticking to each.
Separating the knuckle was the next idea, so using the large pitman arm puller obtained from O'Reilly, I separated the tie rod, the lower ball joint and removed the assy which included the knuckle, hub and bearing, and the separated CV shaft. Having someone else hold the assy, I attempted again to reintegrate the two CV shaft components. NO LUCK!
Last edited by ccmahal; 01-09-2012 at 10:25 AM.
Reason: Add RefBack
We are just about to arrive at the current status.
I pulled the knuckle far enough down to completely separate the CV drive shaft, removed the bearings, placing them into the other part of the shaft for safe greasy keeping, and laying the shaft down below I connected the lower ball joint, upper ball joint, and tie rod. On to next strange ordeal.
That dang 36mm spindle nut will not disengage! I purchased a 1 inch dia. black pipe cheater 3 foot in length to put on my old breaker and that's what she did.......broke. Maybe shatter is a better word. The neighbor, seeing my great distress at the situation, coulda been the cussin', offered his 1/2 drive Kobalt breaker bar. Wonderful, after new tool integration a massive torque was applied and ............you guessed it..........NOTHING. That dang 36mm spindle nut will not disengage! Heat was applied from hobby torches to Benz O Matic torches, NO LUCK!
After seaching for torque data on the two 1/2 drive impact wrenches I have (failed to mention that I have already brought both to bear on the problem - NO LUCK!) and an internet search uncoved the fact that a 1200 ft/lb reverse break away impact wrench would cost over 400 buck, another trip to the O'Reilly ensued for the purchase of 4 lb sledge and a couple of chisels.
Over the next couple of days I slowly whacked that spindle nut with said sledge and chisel. Then slanting the chisel in the direction of a loosening blow, I began to whack somemore. After a bit I decided to apply my massive torque apperatus. DANGIT! That nut came loose so easy I coulda used a 3/8drive on her. No massive bust loose event, no serious grunting, not even some good ol' tooth crushing teeth grinding................almost seems like I'm complaining. I guess after all that I was a bit disappointed.
Application of another tool borrowed from O'Reilly and out came the separated drive. And there we are Status Today!
So here are a few questions I have...........
1. Can CV joint grease be purchased, if so where?
2. Is it wise to restore the CV drive axel by cleaning, reintegrating the two pieces, and relubricating the assy? I have heard that it is best just replace it and I'm leaning that way - New $70
3. How do you replace the steering boot (it's torn and I would like to not have to add a steering assy to the task list).
4. Is it necessary to replace the inner tie rod when replacing the outter?
2: If it's not clicking it can be rebuild but you need a special tool to put the bands back on, yes they are special bands. Might wanna just replace the axle if you don't have the tool.
3: Super easy but you have to remove the outer tie rod and doing so would mean the car would have to get another alignment.
4: No but like above you have to get an alignment after replacing the outer tie rods.
Axle nuts can be ridiculously hard to remove by hand, air tools are the only easy solution.
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New Formula Red 93 BB2: JDM OBD1 H22a/T2W4 Accord Euro R transmission
2: If it's not clicking it can be rebuild but you need a special tool to put the bands back on, yes they are special bands. Might wanna just replace the axle if you don't have the tool.
3: Super easy but you have to remove the outer tie rod and doing so would mean the car would have to get another alignment.
4: No but like above you have to get an alignment after replacing the outer tie rods.
Axle nuts can be ridiculously hard to remove by hand, air tools are the only easy solution.
Ref 2: Bands? Special Tool? Can you explain? I have thought of replacing the axel, however I wonder how to separate it from the bracket and intermediate shaft coming from the tranny?
Ref 3: Can you describe how this is done so it's super easy for me?
Alignments aren't a problem, I paid for life time alignments so I won't have to pay for any more of them.
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1988 Prelude S - victim of an 80mph backflip
1991 Prelude Si - sold
1989 Accord DX - impounded
1998 Prelude SH - totaled on 3/29/12
2006 CRF150F - sold
2006 YZ250F - sold
Please dont get rid of this car over a busted up axle! Its super easy! Wellllll i wouldnt say super but its easy! Just keep at it and you will get it! And if the day ever comes to put it in a crusher make sure you part it out first! There is a link on here to the helms manual and thats exactly what i used to replace my axle a short while ago! Good luck!
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1991 Acura Integra RS-Totaled
1993 Samba green Del Sol w/nitrous-RIP
1997 Prelude Base-Wife/DD
what minilogo guys say s is true, but if you go to home depot you can buy the tool that will put the band camp on. The same tool is used on PVC plumbing but using much smaller bands. You can then go to NAPA and buy a new boot and a new clamp, rather than replacing the whoel axel.
Google CV boot band tool and the rack end boots are just held on by a band on the inner and a simple clam on the outer end.
Thanks for the info on the CV boot band tool, I think what you call a band I call a clamp.
Steering boot, It looks as though the boot at the small end will be troublesome going over the inner tie rod. Is easy to slip over and re-clamp without tearing?
Please dont get rid of this car over a busted up axle! Its super easy! Wellllll i wouldnt say super but its easy! Just keep at it and you will get it! And if the day ever comes to put it in a crusher make sure you part it out first! There is a link on here to the helms manual and thats exactly what i used to replace my axle a short while ago! Good luck!
LOL, I won't, it was just part of my cussin' tirade. But I would like a link to the part out site and the helms manual site. Thanks!
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1988 Prelude S - victim of an 80mph backflip
1991 Prelude Si - sold
1989 Accord DX - impounded
1998 Prelude SH - totaled on 3/29/12
2006 CRF150F - sold
2006 YZ250F - sold
what minilogo guys say s is true, but if you go to home depot you can buy the tool that will put the band camp on. The same tool is used on PVC plumbing but using much smaller bands. You can then go to NAPA and buy a new boot and a new clamp, rather than replacing the whoel axel.
More great info, thank you! I am changing my mind about changing the axel and may roll in on a re-assemble. I think i made a mistake on the upper ball joint change though. It seems that the only way to change the upper arm bushings is to buy an assy which comes complete with the ball joint. Might have to eat 23 bucks on that deal.
Also I am using the borrowed tools from Auto Zone and O'Reilly and I am not able to fully remove the lower ball joint, the clamp assy is not wide enough to accomodate the special pieces to complete the removal. I think the other pieces will allow for installation once I remove the the lower ball joint though.
LOL, Well I did buy that car from a female in the Houston area, and when I offered the GT Mustang to my son he jumped on it due to the 5sp tranny. And, even though my wife will likely drive the car, due to the great gas mileage it gets (somewhere around 34mpg) I'll be behind that wheel from time to time, so I'm gonna roll large and claim hisness and hersness on that shifter.
34 mpg in a lude is pretty dang good, sounds like you got a prelude that is still running in tip top shape, id say replace the axle with a new one and just keep her... until the auto tranny breaks that is.
You cannot just slip the boot over the outer tie rod, that's why I said you'll need an alignment if you replace it because the outer tie rod will have to come off.
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New Formula Red 93 BB2: JDM OBD1 H22a/T2W4 Accord Euro R transmission
So now I have the left steering knuckle removed from the car. I have all the necessary tools from the borrow a tool program from Auto Zone and O'Reilly and will bring them to bare on the lower ball joint.
Huh, I can see no way that these tools will complete the removal. I have taken some of the pieces from the base kit and tried to use the pieces that I think will work from the Honda ball joint add on kit and using the tools not necessarily as designed have the joint about have way out. The problem is the clamp is not wide enough to accept all the pieces necessary to fully push the ball joint from the knuckle.
Solution.....impact force, you know........the BFH!!! After some contemplation I decide to hold the knuckle to the floor with left foot, align the ball stem as best I can, and using superior hand-eye coordination, apply massive impact force to the stem with the previously mentioned 4lb sledge in right hand. So I whack 'im!! After four blows, out pops the ball joint. Dang, another almost innocuous event.
No wanting to loose the star alignment apparently going on in the heavens, quickly I obtain a new lower ball joint. Using special tool and impact wrench speed, in pops the new ball joint. I'm so happy and giddy maybe the dude was right, it is a her's shifter, LOL.
34 mpg in a lude is pretty dang good, sounds like you got a prelude that is still running in tip top shape, id say replace the axle with a new one and just keep her... until the auto tranny breaks that is.
Oh man!! Funny you should come to mention such an event. Remember the purchase of said 98 in 2007? 10 miles into purchase auto tranny failure! Made it to the Honda dealer so I could pay $4400 bucks for a new 50,000 mile warranty tranny. Now the Pakistani imigrants I bought from were very cool, at least to some degree. Even though the cost of a rebuilt R&R would cost $1900 and I was gonna buy a new warranty tranny for $4400, they returned to me $900 bucks on a cash purchase. I wanted the $1900 but all they would do was $900.
Now some may think that I made a racial slur, but let me continue. I mentioned the ethnicity because alot of people think alot of stuff if'n ya know what I mean and since this was a cash purchase, no warranty implied or otherwise, they didn't have to give me a dime, so the $900 was damn decent of I thought even though it wasn't as much as what I wanted.
Now you may begin to see why this car rests on the precipice of the crusher, can you dig it???
You cannot just slip the boot over the outer tie rod, that's why I said you'll need an alignment if you replace it because the outer tie rod will have to come off.
Sorry about that, didn't mean to imply that I was. I will remove the outer rod, but it seemed to me that a problem will exist getting over the larger portion of the inner. So are you saying it will slide over pretty easy once the outer rod is removed?
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There is a link on here to the helms manual and thats exactly what i used to replace my axle a short while ago! Good luck!
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