Looking good! I was going to get exactly the same parts - B.A. LCArms, and same brand axles, but got busy with the newborn, and now its too cold outside ) Will do it in April.
Please post if these parts happen to fail.

 

Looks like a good call on the LCA's if the rubber in the bushings is quality and holds up. Cardone axles...meh. I've never been impressed. If you got them both installed and they work with no vibrations then you're doing well already, though. Time will tell how the boots hold up, etc.. It's extra money but the OEM axles really are worth the cost. Honda axles are about $200 each plus shipping so not bad considering how long they last. My 08's have almost 180K on them. In fact, I just inspected them tonight and original boots are still in great shape.

 

Yeah, I was really hesitant on the axle (just did drivers side). But seeing as how easy it is to actually replace it (remove ball joint from knuckle, take off the big nut, and pop it out) I figured I take my chances on $50 vs $200. I chose Cardone Select (new) vs A1 Cardone (reman./rebuilt whatever).
I did notice the boot clamps weren't as heavy duty as what came off (Moose clamps vs the better one's that need crimping).

So far no weird vibrations from 0-75 mph.

 

Buying B/A parts is a real crap shoot. Sometimes they rebox OEM (what they always used to do) and sometimes they rebox pure junk.

 

I understand this could be reality for different parts (Lower Control Arm vs end links or something) but do you think they would rebox good and sometimes junk within a certain part? For example if Odyssey.owner wanted to buy the same LCA I did, since I got a nice looking one from Rock Auto with that part number, and he ordered the same, do you think there's a possibility he gets reboxed junk? or is he at least assured he'll get the same decent LCA I got, though that might not be true for other B/A parts ordered.

 

Regarding axles, make sure reman'd axles are the correct length before you turn in the old OEM axles. Been there, done that.

 

I have 2005 Honda Odyssey and I've noticed loud metal rubbing noise when I turn wheel (in park), I suspect the LCA's. I've read up on older post for LCU's, its seems a lot of members have success with Moog LCA's. Anyone confirm Moog parts (quality)? Also, anyone know what the shop time for this procedure is (I want to make sure I'm not cheated)? I live in an apartment and not set up to do this job. Thanks.

 

I live in an apartment and not set up to do this job. Thanks.

Comparing my californian apartment and canadian, I wish I was in Cali right now, I would change my LCAs today! )
Good shop should do both arms in 1 hour, there is not much to do. I can do it at home in 2 hours.

 

I'd suggest getting new sway bar bushings while you're at it. Or new sway bar end links. Because of the length of the forward horizontal bushing bolt on the LCA, I wasn't able pull it out with the sway bar in place. I replaced both sway bar bushings so I just took those bushings and brackets off and was able to swing the sway bar rearward w/o taking off the end links (which were a little rusty). This allowed me to slide the front bolt out (towards the rear of the van). I'll take some pictures tonight, I be in there replacing the tie rod ends.
The sway bar bushings are a bit of a pain to replace as their location doesn't allow much ratchet/wrench degrees of movement/rotation.

Is sway bar and stabilizing bar the same thing?

 

Yeah, sorry, I think the official name is a stabilizer bar. Keeps body roll to a minimum when cornering. It's a bar that goes from one side of the van to the other, attached to them are end links which are also connected to the steering knuckle.
Unless the end links need replacing, I'd replace the sway bar bushings (bolted down with brackets onto the frame/unibody) since they are much cheaper at $6 for a Moog pair vs. $20 for each end link (Moog also). The end links can be a major pain to take apart if they're rusted, most guys including myself just cut them off if they need to be replaced.

 

What do you guys use to separate the ball joint? I have never replaced a control arm before but working my way up to it. I have now done swaybar bushings, swaybar end links, and rear shocks. I have a cordless impact wrench. Maybe I need to watch some Youtubes but I am not picturing what needs to be done to separate the ball joint and then reattach the new one. When attaching the new one does the tightening of the bolt just ultimately pop it into the socket?

 

What do you guys use to separate the ball joint?

You mean separate ball joint from knuckle? Just remove nut, grab a good hammer, and hit the knuckle in the spot near ball joint. It will come off. Watch youtube to see the exact spot to hit.
To put it back - just use the nut to pull ball joint into the knuckle.
Ball joint is not separable from the control arm, it comes together with LCA, if you were asking that.

 

I should have done a DIY walkthrough on the LCA, but unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of the ball joint area. Once you take the wheel off and take a look at the front suspension, it's actually a pretty basic setup! Much better than the Grand Cherokee we had (multiple ball joints and multiple control arms).

Here's a pretty good video that will give you a really good idea of how it goes. It is an 03 Odyssey, but essentially the same.

This is one of many videos on youtube.

The only things I would say is the front horizontal bolt doesn't get install towards the back from the front as he did it, but from the back towards the front as my pictures below show. Also, instead of jacking up the suspension as he did at the end, just tighten the horizontal bolt and ball joint nut to spec, snug up the vertical one, then lower the van and torque the vertical one. Also, some nut sizes may be different. Annd a plain old pickle fork and hammer will do the same as his impact gun and fork, just a little slower, but still within a minute or two.

Here you can see the head of the front horizontal bolt

The arrow points to the head of the same bolt. You can see the sway bar in the way.

The arrow on the left points to the end of the bolt, which is on the front side. Unfortunately that nut is welded on. the right arrow points to where you'd find the head of that bolt.

These arrows point to the small bolts holding down the bracket for the sway bar bushing. These are the ones I took out (for both sides, one side wasn't enough) to be able to swing the entire bar backwards.

 

Hello Aviator1!
Any updates on your recently installed B&A LCA's and Cardone axles? How are they holding up?
I am about to get these too, just a bit worried about aftermarket axles..

 

I've been happy about the LCA arm, just did a 4,200 mile road trip to Florida and Minnesota and still everything rides great with no clunks.

As for the axles, I wish I could give you a 100% great review, but I'm just not totally sure. I was getting a weird vibration in the front end every once and a while on the highway. NOT all the time, maybe once every few hundred miles it happened. I don't know if it was based on the roads or what. Sometimes it was very noticable, even when I was in the passengers seat, sometimes it was smooth as ever, so I'm not 100% sure if it was even the axle or not. Again it could be the roads, out of balance wheels, or something else. There is NO vibration on acceleration.
Right now, I would buy both again for sure. The axle is only like 55 bucks on rock auto so that's not a huge amount. And with a new LCA and ball joint, if you needed to seperate the ball joint to replace the Cardone axle, it shouldn't be too tough, maybe an hour job. I know there's pretty bad reviews on aftermarket axles, but I decided to take the chance, and it's worked out pretty well. However, if it was to give me issues right now, I'd probably go with OEM to replace the cardone.

One thing I would say is pretty much necessary or at minimum a good idea when doing axles is Get a new axle seal. They're like 6 bucks on Rock Auto. I needed one because the little circular spring came off the old one when I pulled the axle out. and I could NOT get it back on. When you get one you'll see why. Also, the old one can tear or get messed up pulling the axle out.
But it's just the seal that is installed right at the opening of the transmission. I carefully pulled the old one with a small crowbar, and installed the new one with the axle nut socket (37mm or something), a long extension, and a mallet (light tapping it evenly).