You can loosen the three 12mm (or 14?) nuts securing the top of the strut to the frame, lower the fork, then jack up the control arm to get the top of the strut back up.

NOTE: Only hand tighten the 3 nuts and then fully tighten them when the car is back on the ground with all the weight on it.

 

Well, I have thought about that and may try it in a second. The current problem is that the Control Arm, not the strut fork is too high. It is not hanging in any way loosely I have tried to compress the strut with no luck. I can push it down with my hand but still do not manage to get the fork to fit over it.

 

Oh, yeah I gotcha now. Remove the stabilized end link aka take the bolt out holding the sway bar to the control arm. That should free up some tension and allow you to push the arm down. If thats not enough you can remove the two 17mm bolts holding the radius rod to the control arm too.

 

I got all of that apart the strut isn't attached at the top and the control arm is plenty loose. They just won't slip together it seems like the fork closed up a bit or something.... I haven't a clue where to go at this point.

 

Did you put the lower ball joint/knuckle back into the lower control arm?

 

I just attempted that......it just seems that the fork no longer "fits" over the control arm....

 

Finally...it gave in! I got it all together now its just make sure that all the screws are tight and get to finishing the brake caliper bracket and all.

Thanks for everyone's help!

 

Final thanks for all the help and deserthonda's wonderful writeups. It feels so nice to have smooth braking again.

Also, wow I see why everyone loves Honda pads. The ones I took off had around 50% or a little less of the pad left on them compared to the new ones. I bought the car in summer of 2003 with 130k miles, the brakes were about a year old receipts show they were installed at 120k. The car is 500miles from 200k and the pads I took off were that little worn.....thats just a big wow.