I was just wondering how long it take to change the compliance bushings and lower ball joint boots in a 2004 honda civic lx?

go to autozone to buy ball joints and borrow ball joint press. return it for deposit back.

On a car this old, I would replace the whole lower arm, because the inner bushing is probably worn out, too. Much easier to do, so the cost of the part might be offset by the savings in labor. Just a few nuts and bolts and getting the ball joint to release from the knuckle with a few hammer hits.

compliance bushings are shot Honda Knows of this Problem and are trying to keep it on the down low. !!!!!!!!!!!

When you say I, do you mean you? Upper ball joint,
you had to replace the control arm. Lower ball joint,
you remove the steering knuckle and have a machine
shop replace the ball joint. I would back track and make
sure no bushings or bolts are missing and all is tight.
Of course there is always the possibility the ball joint
replaced is defective. If you personally didn't replace
the joint-take it back. Sounds dangerous.

You could have worn out control arm bushings or bad ball joints.

I had a question i bought a used control arm for a 2001 honda civic compared it to the original and everything was the same except the part where the ball joint goes into is a few mm thicker on the control arm. Beedless to say i got it in but i had to over tighten to get the nut in all the way. I thought this would stop the rattling sound when i hit a pothole bit its still doing it and i fear the control arm is the incorrect one what other honda has the same control arm as the civic?

UPPER CONTROL ARM:

Do not disassemble the upper arm. If the ball joint or bushings are faulty, or the upper arm is damaged, the entire upper arm must be replaced.

1. Raise and support the vehicle safely.
2. Remove the front wheels. Support the lower control arm assembly with a floor jack.
3. Separate the upper ball joint from the steering knuckle using a ball joint separator tool.
4. Remove the self-locking nuts from the upper arm anchor bolts. Remove the upper arm from the vehicle.

Do not disassemble the upper arm. If the ball joint or bushings are faulty, or the upper arm is damaged, the entire upper arm must be replaced.
To install:
Use new self-locking nuts when installing the upper arm and strut.

1. Install the upper control arm assembly into the strut tower.
2. Connect the upper ball joint.
3. Install the front wheels and lower the vehicle.
4. With all four of the vehicle's wheels on the ground, torque the upper control arm nuts to 47 ft. lbs. (65 Nm). Torque the castle nut to 32 ft. lbs. (44 Nm); then, only tighten it enough to install a new cotter pin.
5. Tighten the wheel nuts to 80 ft. lbs. (110 Nm).
6. Check and adjust the vehicle's front end alignment.

The bushings on the front lower control arms are replaceable on most models.
This procedure requires the use of a press and may be above the skill range of the average driveway enthusiast. It is recommended that this procedure be done by a qualified machine shop if you are not skilled in the proper use of a press.

1. Remove the lower control arm that is in need of new bushings.
   

It is recommended that both the left and right lower control arm bushings be replaced at the same time. The vehicles handling may become unstable if there are new bushings on one side of the car and worn ones on the other.

1. Set up the control arm in a press.
2. Using a impact socket of the correct length and size, press out the old bushing.
3. Install the new bushing by slowly using the press to push it into the control arm.
4. WARNINGExcessive force could cause the bushing to bend or tear so be careful.
5. Once the bushing is properly seated in the control arm, remove the arm from the press and install it on the vehicle.

havent a clue to be truthful ,just try fitting it but check the actual stud in case its a different size thickness as this can vary between build runs

The ball joints are pressed into the steering knuckles. To remove them requires use of a ball joint press. If you don't have one you can usually rent one from a major auto parts retailer. You'll have to remove the brake calipers, rotors and backing plates. Disconnect the tie rod ends, and remove the upper pinch bolt. The lower joint has a nut that holds it to the axle that must be removed as well. Use a ball joint separator or "pickle fork" tool to separate the lower joint from the axle. Once you have the steering knuckle in hand, remove the snap ring from the bottom of the lower joint. Use the press to push the lower joint out then do the upper. replace the upper joint first using the press then do the lower joint in a similar fashion. Installation is naturally the reverse of removal. One thing to note is that the upper ball joint is located in the axle with a bushing. This bushing is where caster and camber adjustments are made. the factory presets these measurements using a bushing with a tab on it that locates it only one way in the axle. If the vehicle has ever been aligned and caster and camber adjustments were performed, the factory bushing will have been replaced with an aftermarket bushing. These bushings are rotatable and care must be taken to note where they were indexed in the axle. You should probably still get the alignment checked though, as suspension parts will tend to settle, and steering angles will change. Hope this helps.