Upper Control Arm Replacement

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Here's a tutorial on how to replace the upper control arm on a Honda Accord.

This applies to most vehicles with double wishbone front suspension, and was demonstrated on a 2003-2007 Honda Accord.

The upper ball joint is responsible for setting the caster and camber angle of the front wheels. Over time, the ball joint gets loose in its socket and the bushings tear due to wear.

As a result, the upper control arm should be replaced. Replacing the bushings and ball joints can be done separately, however it is time consuming to press them in and out of the arm.

The upper control arm is held onto the body via the 17mm castle nut at the steering knuckle, and two 14mm bolts on the body, behind the coil over suspension. Once the castle nut is removed, a ball joint separator (or a nice whack with a hammer) is used to free the taper off the ball joint.

To access the two 14mm bolts behind the coil over spring, the spring needs to be dropped off the strut mount to give you enough room to get a ratchet behind there. There are 3 14mm and 2 12mm bolts at the top of the strut mount under the hood that need to be removed. The use of a long extension bar to pry the lower control arm will aid with moving the coil over strut out of the way to access the upper control arm bolts.

Installation is the reverse of removal. Be sure to torque the upper strut mounts with the weight of the vehicle on the ground.

The amount of upper ball joint play can be determined wiggling the wheel when jacked up. If any looseness is felt or seen at the upper ball joint, it should be replaced immediately, as it could become a safety issue.