DC5R Rear Lower Control Arm Replacement

[timofytit]

This is how to replace the rear lower control arms on a DC5R.

Duration: 2hrs

Unfortunately Honda do not supply the tool to remove the outer 3 bolts on each side. I have spoken to honda australia about getting the tool, it is not sold and honda do not stock the part because the bolts are not to be removed. They are a 10mm thread with a 10 star 17mm socket, whereas a normal 17mm socket is 12 star.

Tools required:

17mm Sidchrome Ring Spanner
Hammer
3inch grinder or thereabouts with a 1.5-2mm cutting wheel
23mm socket
18mm ring spanner/something you can use as a lever for the 17mm spanner
Car Jack
Car Stands
Wet Rags to cover parts of the underside of the car you do not wish to throw sparks on when grinding.
2 - 3 Phone books
Replacement or aftermarket Lower Control Arms (LCA)
Loctite Thread Locker
Grease

Loosen the wheel nuts, then jack the car up from the rear tow point and locate the stands under the rear jacking points infront of the rear wheels. If your jack doesn't go high enough, use phone books on the top of the jack, I use 2. Done it several times.

You have to modify the 3 outer bolts with your grinder. There are 3 on each side. Use your grinder with the cutting wheel to cut off 2 stars on each side of the bolts. Be careful and use the wet rags to cover parts of the car you do not wish to shower with sparks. Make sure you cut the 2 stars from both sides of the bolts and make sure they are cut at the same angle/parrallel --> |*| Picture below of the bolts after cutting.


Now get your 17mm (maybe a close imperial or 16mm or 18mm can be used depending on your cutting ability, has to fit tight) place the ring end over the bolt and tap it on with a hammer. The bolt should still be warm, so the metal will be softer than your spanners metal. The bolts have green thread locker on them, so you can either use heat on the thread or with brute strength and a bar. Turn them anti clockwise, like removing a normal bolt. Once the 3 are out on each side use the 17mm spanner to remove the inner bolts, one on the left and one on the right. They are a standard bolt.




You should now have the old lower control arms removed. Time to fit the new ones. I have fresh D2 Racing ones that i purchased and they come with pillow balls on the inside, and the replacement bolts for the outer 3 that you modified on each side. Lubricate the pillow balls with grease.

Use your loctite threadlocker on the replacement bolts. You dont need a lot, just a small line from the head to the tip. Hold the replacement LCA in place and start fitting the outer bolts with loctite on them. Your 23mm socket or spanner is used to tighten these bolts to FT (f*%ken tight). Do the same to the ones on the other side.

Now to do the inside. Put some loctite on the inside bolts, and do up with a standard 17mm socket or spanner to the FT standard.




Get the wheels back on, jack the car, remove stands an look at it, and dont forget to tighten the wheels nuts. Enjoy your improved rear handling.

[DEMON83]

nice, what bolts did u use to replace original?

[m0nty ITR]

nice, what bolts did u use to replace original?

Most LCAs will come with replacement bolts because they know you gotta butcher the old ones.

[timofytit]

nice, what bolts did u use to replace original?

Yes, like Sam said. Most kits do come with replacement bolts of a standard hex head. But even thought the stock ones have been cut to fit the socket/spanner, if they were removed successfully with a socket/spanner, you should be able to re-use them if you needed to.

[xntrik]

If your jack doesn't go high enough, use phone books on the top of the jack, I use 2.

What.

[timofytit]

What.

Always. Noone uses phone books anymore, and they get delivered in shrink wrap so they are nice and secure. When you jack a dc5r up from the rear tow point to get stands under the rear jacking points you will notice that the stands need to be about 200mm to fit under. 2 phone books add the extra 100mm so you can get the stands under.

[16OTH]

if you wanted to do this without butchering the nuts, I've found this on club RSX while dreaming of stuff I want to buy for my TEG

http://www.clubrsx.com/cr/SPC-69330.html

I read through the first bit of this post and realised how much it sounded like an ad (or paid endorsement) but honestly it isn't, I've never used club RSX for parts before, i'm juts on there "Window" shopping