Track control arms
Basically, a suspension arm or control arm is a triangular steel or aluminium component with control arm bushings in every corner. It is part of the wheel suspension and connects the joint to the body via the ball joint . The ball
joint is stuck on the wheel side of the suspension arm. Due to the shape and
strength of the arm, forces of your car, such as braking and acceleration, can
be transferred to the wheel. Without a track control arm, the car would tip
over. The forces would have a too great of an impact on the wheels.
A suspension arm ensures that the braking and driving force has as little
influence as possible on the position of the wheel. If you turn the wheel, the
wheels pivot over the ball joint. The suspension arm and the ball joint will
then absorb the lateral forces.
Failing control arms In general, a suspension arm doesn’t just break. Often the rubber bearings or the balls are prone to
wear and / or ageing. If it appears that the rubber bearings or the ball are
worn out, they need to be replaced though. Worn balls, rubber bearings or
suspension arm can be recognized by the following symptoms:
Weird, undefinable noises; Banging sound while driving on dirt roads; Room or a ticking sound while steering; The car pulls to either side while driving; The car doesn´t corner as good; Faster wearing tyres than usual; Suspension arms wear faster if you drive more frequently over speed bumps,
dirt roads or badly maintained roads. To influence wear as much as possible,
it´s recommended to drive as gently as possible or to avoid bad roads at all.
Control arm replacement Control arm replacement is often easy and can be done by yourself. You do
not need any special tools to replace the suspension arm. The costs for
replacement do not have to be high either. If you replace it yourself, this is
already possible for as little as £ 50. Of course, this depends on the make and
type of car you drive. Spot any wear on the attachment points of a suspension
arm? Then the ball joint or bushings need to be replaced. Sometimes these parts
are not available separately and you have to replace the entire suspension arm.
In fact, it is often the case that a complete control arm is cheaper than the
individual parts.
When replacing a suspension arm, all parts around need to be removed. Place
your car on a car lift or car jack and remove the wheel. Then loosen the nut
that secures the ball joint to the knuckle. Now you can push the arm down with
a lever and remove the ball joint. Loosen all screws and other fixings and
remove the arm.
Buying track control arms Does the track control arm of your car need to be replaced? Then you can
easily order one at Winparts. Just enter your number plate on the website and
the right products for your car will be displayed. Of course, it goes without
saying that you can also find control arm bushings and ball joints at
Winparts.
