Honda Lower Ball Joint Cotter Pin 90701-SX0-003

Honda Lower Ball Joint Cotter Pin - 90701-SX0-003

Replacing your lower ball joints and you need fresh cotter pins? Part number 90701-SX0-003. This is the OEM cotter pin that locks your ball joint castle nut so it can't back off. It threads through the hole in your ball joint stud after you've torqued the castle nut down. You bend the legs over and the nut's not going anywhere. Without it or if you reuse a bent cotter pin that doesn't spread right, your castle nut can loosen and your ball joint separates. That's your wheel flopping around or falling off completely. Don't reuse old cotter pins. They're single-use parts and they don't cost much to replace.

Here's Why You Don't Reuse Cotter Pins

Cotter pins are designed to bend once and lock a nut in place. When you remove a cotter pin, you're bending the legs back to pull it out. The metal's already stressed and weakened from the first bend. If you straighten it out and try to reuse it, the legs won't spread properly and won't hold the nut securely. The whole point of the cotter pin is to prevent the castle nut from rotating loose. A weak cotter pin means the nut can back off from vibration. Your ball joint separates and you're losing steering or the wheel's coming off. Buy fresh cotter pins. They're cheap and they actually work.

Critical Safety Part for Ball Joint Installation

The cotter pin's the last step in ball joint installation and it's the most important. You torque your castle nut to spec, line up the slots with the hole in the stud, push the cotter pin through, and bend the legs over. That's what keeps the nut from loosening. If you skip the cotter pin or use a worn one, your ball joint nut can vibrate loose over time. Ball joint separates and you're not steering anymore. The front wheel collapses or tears out of the control arm. It's catastrophic. Use a fresh one every time you install a ball joint.

Sold Individually, Order What You Need

The cotter pin's sold individually. If you're replacing both lower ball joints, order two. If you're doing all four ball joints (upper and lower on both sides), order four. Don't assume you've got extras laying around. Count how many you need and order them with your ball joints so everything shows up together. Nothing's worse than getting your new ball joint installed and realizing you don't have a cotter pin to finish the job.

What You Get

• Honda OEM lower ball joint cotter pin (part number 90701-SX0-003)
• Locks castle nut on ball joint stud
• Prevents nut from backing off
• Single-use part (replace every time)
• Sold individually
• Same cotter pin your car came with from the factory

Fits Your Car

• 2001-2003 Acura CL
• 2013-2015 Acura ILX
• 2024-2026 Acura Integra Type S
• 2001-2013 Acura MDX
• 2022-2026 Acura MDX
• 2017-2021 Acura NSX
• 2007-2018 Acura RDX
• 1996-2012 Acura RL
• 2014-2020 Acura RLX
• 2002-2004 Acura RSX
• 1999-2008 Acura TL
• 2004-2008 Acura TSX
• 2010-2013 Acura ZDX
• 1998-2007 Honda Accord
• 2001-2005 Honda Civic DX/EX/LX
• 2002-2005 Honda Civic Si
• 2012-2015 Honda Civic DX/EX/LX/Si
• 2017-2021 Honda Civic EX/LX/Type R
• 2002-2006 Honda CR-V
• 2003-2011 Honda Element
• 2007-2008 Honda Fit
• 2015-2020 Honda Fit
• 1995-2017 Honda Odyssey
• 2003-2015 Honda Pilot
• 2026 Honda Prelude
• 2006-2014 Honda Ridgeline
• 2000-2009 Honda S2000

Note: This cotter pin installs through the castle nut on your lower ball joint after you've torqued the nut to spec. Torque the castle nut, rotate it slightly until the slots line up with the hole in the ball joint stud, push the cotter pin through, and bend the legs over in opposite directions. One leg bends up along the stud, the other bends down or wraps around the nut. The legs need to be bent tight so the pin can't vibrate out. If the slots don't line up with the hole after torquing, don't back the nut off to align them. Tighten the nut a bit more until they line up. Never loosen a castle nut to install a cotter pin - you're reducing clamping force on the ball joint taper and it can separate. Replace the cotter pin every time you remove it. Don't try to straighten and reuse old ones.