Hello All,
I have posted here and gotten good and helpful answers. Thanks.
I have a 2004 Accord EX 4-door with a 5-speed MT. It has 109K on the odometer. I need to replace the upper control arm ball joints due to wear and noise on the passenger side. I am going to replace both upper control arms. The shop manual states that the strut needs to be removed. My question is, can the upper control arm be removed (easily) with the strut left in place?
Thanks.

 

I never had to do this on a newer accord. You will have to look at how tough it will be to access the two bolts holding in the upper arm.

Taking the strut out as an assembly isn't too bad. I would probably keep the wishbone attached to the strut and remove the long bolt/nut to disconnect the lower half.

 

Just an update. I replaced both upper control arms with aftermarket parts. The struts did need to come out for clearance to get the control arm bolts out. It all came apart pretty easy. The driver's side ball joint did not have play like the passenger's side. The car now rides quieter and tracks better. The vibration I had while accelerating between 20-30 mph is greatly reduced. Thanks for the info.