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View Full Version : Small Miracles Everywhere!

Steve Craig
09-27-2009, 02:42 PM
Lower ball joint sheared this morning in my son's '95 Civic. He was on a residential street making a RH turn from a stop. He was headed for the highway.
Balljoint an easy fix, fender wrinkled a bit but easy fix too.
Will be checking the other side too.
1967GS340
09-27-2009, 02:58 PM
Well that was a small miracle.
If he would have been on the highway it might have been ugly.
Glad things went the way they did!
1 bad gs
09-27-2009, 08:19 PM
were you able to save the axle?
1 bad gs
09-27-2009, 08:19 PM
were you able to save the axle?
Smartin
09-27-2009, 08:30 PM
The same thing happened to my sister's Civic a few years ago..
Steve Craig
09-28-2009, 06:50 AM
Not sure yet on the axle. Had to leave it at a shop local to his campus. He's about 60 miles away. They will look at it & advise next couple days.
I want to have a good look at the remnants of the ball joint. Visible in the pic is the lower end after it sheared. Upper end still on the spindle.
gatkins2004
09-28-2009, 06:56 AM
Happened to me a couple of times and seen it a couple of dozen more. It always happens in parking lots or turning sharp and moving slow...lucky for all of us.

Although maybe it does happen on highways at higher speeds i've never heard of it yet.

Gary
Steve Craig
09-28-2009, 07:04 AM
Gary,
That's exactly how it happened. Sharp RH turn, going very slow, weight shifted all to the LH side. Parted when it had room to move.
The mid-'80's F150 trucks were notorious for the same thing. Usually happened while in reverse making tight turns in a parking lot. Many, many crumpled fenders at the time.
Steve Craig
09-28-2009, 02:58 PM
Two lower ball joints & one axle. $650.00 taxes in, car is back on the road.
No injuries....no complaints.
1 bad gs
09-28-2009, 03:51 PM
Ball Joints Ware Out Just Like Everything Else On A Car. When You Consider The Pounding They Take For Years, They Last A Long Time . How Many Miles On Your Honda Steve?
Steve Craig
09-28-2009, 04:34 PM
225KM, about 140K miles. Runs like a top, we make sure the timing belt goes no further than 100KM = 62K miles.Car in excellent shape otherwise. Did a complete resto on it a couple Winters ago. My son helped out when he could as he's a student studying away.
New quarters, LH door & threshold, one seat cover carpet etc...
Good experience for both of us. Picked it up for almost nothing. It's been a good car for a student who has to row @ 5:00AM & again @ 5:00PM.