How to Replace Rear Upper Control Arm 2001-05 Honda Civic
Created on: 2016-05-18
How to repair, install, fix, change or replace failing, rusted, rotted, or damaged front upper control arms on 03 Honda Civic
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step 1 :Removing the Wheel
- Loosen the 19mm lug nuts with the vehicle on the ground
- Raise the vehicle with a floor jack
- Secure the vehicle on jack stands
- Remove the lug nuts
- Pull off the wheel
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step 2 :Removing the Control Arm
- Remove the 10mm bolt holding the wheel speed wiring harness
- Remove the speed sensor harness bracket
- Remove the 17mm bolt holding the upper control arm to the spindle
- If the bolt gets struck, remove the bolt with a 14mm wrench and 17mm socket
- Remove the two 17mm bolts from the control arm
- Remove the control arm
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step 3 :Installing the Control Arm
- Insert the control arm into place
- Hand tighten the 17mm bolts to the control arm
- With the vehicle supported, use the jack to raise the lower control arm
- Tighten the 17mm bolts to the control arm
- Line up the upper control arm to the spindle
- Tighten the 17mm bolt to the spindle
- Lower your jack
- Insert the speed sensor harness bracket into place
- Tighten the 10mm bolt to the bracket
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step 4 :Reattaching the Wheel
- Slide the wheel into place
- Start the lug nuts by hand
- Tighten the 19mm lug nuts preliminarily
- Lower the vehicle to the ground
- Torque the lug nuts to 80 foot-pounds in a crossing or star pattern
Tools needed
-
14mm Wrench
Socket Extensions
Rust Penetrant
17mm Socket
Jack Stands
19mm Socket
10mm Socket
Ratchet
Floor Jack
1/2 Inch Breaker Bar
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Hi, I'm Mike from 1A Auto. I hope this how-to video helps you out, and next time you need parts for your vehicle, think of 1AAuto.com. Thanks.
In this video, we're going to show you a rear upper control arm. This is a 2003 Honda Civic. We show you on the driver side, but the passenger side is the same procedure. Items you'll need include a 10-17 mm sockets, ratchet and extension, 14mm wrench, breaker bar, penetrating oil, and jack and jack stands.
Raise and support the vehicle, remove the tire. Remove the 10mm bolt for the wheel speed wire harness. Remove the 17mm bolt holding the upper control arm to the rear spindle. We're using a breaker to get it moving, the rest we'll do with a 1/2" ratchet.
These bolts are prone to getting stuck into the rubber bushings, so we're going to use 14mm wrench that fits over the shaft, and behind the flange of the bolt, to put a little outward pressure while we spin it out of the bushing. Be careful that when the spindle is released from the control arm, this brake line doesn't become too taut or tear. Remove the two 17mm bolts securing the rear of the control arm to the body of the car. We're going to break them loose with our breaker bar. Bring them the rest of the way out with a 1/2" drive ratchet. Move your control arm from the vehicle.
When checking out a control arm, you want to check that the bushings are not torn through, or excessively dry rotted in any way. Make sure that we don't have any kind of excessive side-to-side play. If it were failing, you may notice a knocking or clunking sound in the back over bumps, or during hard cornering. You could also notice it during braking, or possibly an alignment issue. If these go bad, it'll tend to tip the top of the tire in toward the vehicle. Ours looks all right, so we're going to go ahead and put in back in, as not to waste a good part.
Start your 17mm bolts off in the back. With your vehicle raised and supported on jack stands, you can use your jack to lift up the lower control arm, careful not to hit the backing plate behind the drum. Bring your mount up to the same height as the control arm. You can line up your upper control arm, send your 17 mm bolt through with the weight of the vehicle already on the suspension from the jack.
We can tighten our 17mm bolt all the way down without preloading the rubber bushing, and causing it to wear out prematurely. Insure that your jack stands, or in our case the lift, is still at the proper point to support the vehicle, and slowly lower your suspension. Hook your speed sensor harness bracket back into the control arm. Tighten down your 10mm bolt.
Reinstall the wheel, your four 19 mm lug nuts. Work your four lug nuts to 80 foot-pounds in a cross pattern.
Thanks for tuning in. We hope this video helped you out. Next time you need parts for your car, please visit 1AAuto.com. Also check out our other helpful how-to and diagnosis videos.
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