🔧 Civic - Front Lower Control Arm Replacement

This repair replaces the front lower control arms, which connect the front suspension to the chassis and help keep the wheels aligned. Worn control arm bushings or ball joints can cause clunks, wandering steering, uneven tire wear, or poor braking stability.

Difficulty Level: Advanced | Estimated Time: 3-5 hours

---

⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Support your Civic with jack stands only; never work under a vehicle held by a floor jack.
• ⚠️ The front suspension is heavy and can move suddenly when bolts are removed.
• ⚠️ Do not hammer the aluminum knuckle directly; damage can cause unsafe steering or suspension failure.
• ⚠️ Replace control arms in pairs if one side is worn, because suspension behavior should remain balanced left-to-right.
• ⚠️ A wheel alignment is required after this repair.
• ⚠️ Battery disconnect is not required for this repair.

---

🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack rated 3-ton minimum
• Jack stands rated 3-ton minimum
• Wheel chocks
• 19mm lug nut socket
• Breaker bar 1/2-inch drive
• Torque wrench 1/2-inch drive, 20-250 Nm range
• Ratchet 1/2-inch drive
• Ratchet 3/8-inch drive
• 14mm socket
• 17mm socket
• 19mm socket
• 22mm socket
• 14mm wrench
• 17mm wrench
• 19mm wrench
• Ball joint separator tool (specialty)
• Pry bar 18-inch
• Rubber mallet
• Needle-nose pliers
• Paint marker
• Penetrating oil
• Wire brush
• Safety glasses
• Mechanic gloves

---

🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Front lower control arm assembly - Left: Qty: 1
• Front lower control arm assembly - Right: Qty: 1
• Lower ball joint cotter pin - Qty: 2
• Control arm mounting bolts and nuts - Qty: 1 set
• Lower ball joint castle nut - Qty: 2

Note: Replace in pairs for best handling and braking stability.

---

📋 Before You Begin

• 🅿️ Park your Civic on level ground and set the parking brake.
• 🧱 Place wheel chocks behind the rear wheels.
• 🔩 Loosen the front lug nuts slightly before lifting the vehicle.
• 🖊️ Use a paint marker to mark the position of each control arm bolt before removal; this helps keep the vehicle close enough to drive to an alignment shop.
• 💡 A ball joint separator is a tool that separates the tapered ball joint stud from the steering knuckle without damaging the rubber boot.
• 💡 A torque wrench tightens bolts to a measured force so suspension parts are not left too loose or over-tightened.

---

🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Loosen the Front Wheel Lug Nuts

• Use a 19mm lug nut socket and breaker bar 1/2-inch drive to loosen each front lug nut about 1/2 turn.
• Do not fully remove the lug nuts yet.
• Break them loose on the ground.

Step 2: Raise and Support the Front of the Vehicle

• Use a floor jack rated 3-ton minimum at the front center jacking point.
• Place jack stands rated 3-ton minimum under the approved front side support points.
• Lower the vehicle gently onto the jack stands.
• Use your hands to gently shake the vehicle to confirm it is stable.

Step 3: Remove the Front Wheels

• Use the 19mm lug nut socket and ratchet 1/2-inch drive to remove the loosened lug nuts.
• Remove both front wheels and set them flat on the ground.

Step 4: Clean and Mark the Mounting Points

• Use a wire brush to clean dirt and rust from the lower control arm mounting bolts.
• Spray the front control arm bolts, rear control arm bolts, and lower ball joint nut with penetrating oil.
• Use a paint marker to mark the position of the control arm mounting bolts and washers.

Step 5: Remove the Lower Ball Joint Cotter Pin and Nut

• Use needle-nose pliers to straighten and remove the cotter pin from the lower ball joint stud.
• Use a 17mm socket or 17mm wrench to remove the lower ball joint castle nut.
• If the nut is tight, use the breaker bar 1/2-inch drive with the 17mm socket.

Step 6: Separate the Lower Ball Joint from the Knuckle

• Install the ball joint separator tool (specialty) between the lower control arm and steering knuckle.
• Tighten the separator tool slowly with the correct socket from your tool kit until the joint pops loose.
• Use a rubber mallet only for light tapping if needed.
• Do not strike the steering knuckle with a steel hammer.
• The pop sound is normal.

Step 7: Remove the Sway Bar End Link from the Control Arm if Attached

• Use a 14mm socket and 14mm wrench to remove the sway bar end link nut if it attaches to the lower control arm.
• Move the sway bar link aside without stretching the rubber boot.

Step 8: Remove the Front Control Arm Mounting Bolt

• Support the control arm by hand or with the floor jack rated 3-ton minimum using light pressure only.
• Use a 19mm socket, 19mm wrench, and breaker bar 1/2-inch drive to loosen the front control arm mounting bolt and nut.
• Remove the bolt and keep track of washer direction.

Step 9: Remove the Rear Control Arm Mounting Bolt

• Use a 22mm socket, 19mm wrench, and breaker bar 1/2-inch drive to loosen the rear control arm mounting bolt and nut.
• Remove the rear mounting bolt.
• Use a pry bar 18-inch only if the bushing sleeve is stuck in the bracket.

Step 10: Remove the Lower Control Arm

• Use your hands to guide the lower control arm out of the front and rear brackets.
• Use a pry bar 18-inch gently if the arm is tight in the subframe brackets.
• Compare the old and new control arms to verify the shape, bushing locations, and ball joint position match.

Step 11: Install the New Lower Control Arm

• Position the new front lower control arm assembly into the rear bracket first, then the front bracket.
• Install the rear mounting bolt by hand first.
• Install the front mounting bolt by hand next.
• Do not fully tighten the bushing bolts yet.
• Start bolts by hand first.

Step 12: Connect the Lower Ball Joint

• Guide the lower ball joint stud into the steering knuckle by hand.
• Install the new lower ball joint castle nut.
• Use a 17mm socket and torque wrench 1/2-inch drive to tighten the lower ball joint nut to Torque to 59 Nm (44 ft-lbs).
• Continue tightening only enough to align the cotter pin hole; do not loosen the nut to align it.
• Use needle-nose pliers to install and bend the new cotter pin.

Step 13: Reconnect the Sway Bar End Link if Removed

• Use a 14mm socket, 14mm wrench, and torque wrench 1/2-inch drive to tighten the sway bar end link nut to Torque to 39 Nm (29 ft-lbs).

Step 14: Preload the Suspension Before Tightening Bushings

• Use the floor jack rated 3-ton minimum under the outer end of the lower control arm.
• Raise the control arm until the suspension sits close to normal ride height.
• This prevents twisting the rubber bushings when the vehicle is lowered.

Step 15: Tighten the Control Arm Mounting Bolts

• Use a 19mm socket, 19mm wrench, and torque wrench 1/2-inch drive to tighten the front control arm mounting bolt to Torque to 103 Nm (76 ft-lbs).
• Use a 22mm socket, 19mm wrench, and torque wrench 1/2-inch drive to tighten the rear control arm mounting bolt to Torque to 127 Nm (94 ft-lbs).
• Repeat Steps 5-15 on the opposite side.

Step 16: Reinstall the Front Wheels

• Install each front wheel by hand.
• Use the 19mm lug nut socket and ratchet 1/2-inch drive to snug the lug nuts in a star pattern.
• Do not fully torque the lug nuts while the wheels are off the ground.

Step 17: Lower the Vehicle and Torque the Wheels

• Use the floor jack rated 3-ton minimum to lift the vehicle slightly off the jack stands.
• Remove the jack stands rated 3-ton minimum.
• Lower your Civic to the ground.
• Use the 19mm lug nut socket and torque wrench 1/2-inch drive to tighten the wheel lug nuts to Torque to 108 Nm (80 ft-lbs) in a star pattern.

---

✅ After Repair

• ✅ Turn the steering wheel lock-to-lock slowly and listen for rubbing, popping, or binding.
• ✅ Test drive at low speed first. Listen for clunks over small bumps.
• ✅ Schedule a professional four-wheel alignment immediately after the repair.
• ✅ Recheck lug nut torque after 25-50 miles.
• ✅ If the steering wheel is off-center or the vehicle pulls, do not delay the alignment.

---

💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $650-$1,100 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $220-$500 (parts only)

You Save: $430-$600 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 2.5-4.0 hours.

---

🎯 Ready to get started?

HowToo makes it easy: same-day/2-day shipping on every part, plus all the tools and specialty tools you need! Check out the parts and tools sections below to add everything to your cart.