| tom34diy |
| I just noticed while under the front of our 2003 MDX (108k miles)admiring our new transmission that on the inside of the left front wheel, there is a steel bar that runs from the frame to the wheel at a downward angle. It could be the lower control arm, but I am not sure. Anyway, the rubber sleeve or jacket at the joint on the wheel is worn out or broken, which I guess would lead to dirt getting into the joint and wearing it out. If anyone understands which part I am talking about and knows whether that is a do it your self job, please let me know more about how. It looks like it is just held to the wheel by a bolt witha cotter pin. Any tips would be appreciated. Tom |
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| SuperTech |
Sounds like the lower ball joint boot. It's sorta DIY. Removing the cotter pin and castle nut are easy enough. But seperating the joint from the control arm can be a drag. Especially if you are working on the ground. There's a special on-car ball joint breaker press we use that would be good. It damages more ball joints than it actually works for though. I usually just turn the brake rotor out of the way, take a big hammer and wail on the end of the control arm, and check with a prybar till it's breaks free. Then the boot has a sping clamp holding it over a groove of the joint which can be dealt with usually with a couple small screwdrivers.
If you're not comfy taking a large hammer to your vehicle...bring it to a shop. |
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| tom34diy |
| Supertech, thanks for the info. I'd give it a try if I could be sure I could get it back together. Is it a major deal if it does not get replaced? Also, it does not sound too involved, so would a shop charge a lot for that work? Tom |
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