Updated at: 24-07-2023 - By: Lucas

All vehicles have a suspension system, and the control arm, often known as the A-arm, is a critical component.

You may enjoy a comfortable ride thanks to this component, which regulates the rotation of your wheels.

Control arms wear down over time owing to the high friction involved, thus they must be replaced to keep your car running smoothly.

Having a broken control arm can cause a variety of symptoms, and if you’ve driven before, you’ll notice them right away.

Here are a few examples:

Your Steering Feels Unsteady.

When You Run Over Bumps, Your Car Makes a Popping Sound.

Uneven tread wear is a problem with your tires.

Your Vehicle’s Performance Is Affected.

Your brakes’ operation has undergone a significant transformation.

That’s why it’s important to have experience behind the wheel so you can see any changes in your car and react accordingly.

Your car’s control arms play an important part in ensuring that it offers you with a pleasant driving experience without incurring any extra complications.

Never forget to replace your control arm if it ever malfunctions.

What Does A Control Arm Do?

What Does A Control Arm Do-1

The number of control arms on your vehicle might range from two to four, depending on the model. Lower control arms on cars are known as “car lower control arms” when there are two of them.

One or the other of the two types of control arms can be found on the vast majority of cars and trucks.

For the most part, the A-arms’ principal purpose is to serve as a suspension connection connecting the car’s fame to the front-wheel steering knuckle.

A pair of rubber bushings connect the arms to the car’s framework in between the system. As a result of the rubbers, the joints experience less friction.

Additionally, the arms move in an upward and downward motion when your vehicle encounters difficult terrain or potholes, allowing the tires to roll smoothly.

In other words, this technique ensures that your front wheels stay in contact with the road.

When a ball joint and a bushing are used, the triangle-shaped end links the steering knuckle, while the other end connects to the ball joint and connects to the steering wheel.

Is Driving With A Bad Control Arm Dangerous?

Control arm bushings, which are made of soft rubber, wear out quickly because of the movement of the control arm, which produces friction.

A bent or damaged control arm is not safe to drive because of high friction, which causes the A-arm to wear down more faster than it should.

5 Things Will Happen If Your Control Arm Breaks When Driving

A malfunctioning control arm might make your day even more difficult. A broken control arm will not allow you to enjoy a pleasant ride.

As a result, you’ll have a difficult time behind the wheel. The broken arm must be replaced if you want to put an end to this.

1.Your Steering Becomes Unstable

When driving with a worn-out arm, it’s possible that your arm will bend, which indicates that it has broken. This implies that you’ll have a difficult time steering when your arm breaks because a bend on the arm significantly affects your steering performance.

Trying to brake or driving over uneven terrain will make you aware of this.

2. Your Vehicle Produces A Popping Sound When You Run Over Bumps

It’s possible to hear a popping sound when you’re making a turn or bumping into a pothole because of a bad control arm.

Rubber bushings or ball joints may be loose, causing the noise when you accelerate or decelerate or encounter a bump or pothole.

3. Your Tire Wear Unevenly

If the control arm wears, the tires will wear unevenly due to the friction force placed on them as you drive, which is one of the control arm’s primary tasks..

4. The Driving Performance Of Your Vehicle Is Affected

Bushings on the control arm absorb all of the shock as the vehicle travels over uneven pavement, such as potholes or pebbles.

In the event of an accident, your vehicle’s arm will break, resulting in a loud vibrating noise.

The constant rattling of the metal parts on the control arm produces a clunking sound that can be irritating. Most of the sound comes from the front wheels.

5. There Is A Significant Change In How Your Brakes Operate

Your brakes will suddenly feel as if they’re squealing as soon as you’re forced to stop. Your car’s control arm bushings may be partially damaged, resulting in this problem.

The movement of the control arm back and forth is lost due to the wear of the bushings, which affects your braking parts.

These kinds of conditions can cause your braking system to become unstable.

What Causes A Bad Control Arm?

Lower control arm bushings can be destroyed as you drive, causing your vehicle’s suspension system to be loosely coupled to its frame.

Because of this, you’ll start having steering-related issues, which will make for a rough ride. As a result, you must be familiar with some of the most common causes of arm injury.

The following are some of them:

1. Wear And Tear Due To Friction

The lower arm is subjected to a lot of stress every time the engine is started, and the bushings receive even more stress because they are responsible for keeping the arm attached to the frame.

A worn-out arm is an indication of a defective bushing, and if you hear clunking noises while driving, you should have the bushing repaired immediately.

2. Driving On Rough Terrain

Driving on hilly terrain or a road with many potholes at high speeds can cause the bushings to loosen because of the constant vibrations and roughness they receive from these driving risks.

As a result of this behavior, the bushing is subjected to a lot of jarring and wears out.

3. Unintended Damage

The lower control arm bushing is so small and delicate because of its design.

If your mechanic is working on your vehicle’s suspension system and accidentally messes with the lower control arm bushing, your suspension system could be damaged.

Because of its age and frequent use, the bushing may already be damaged if not treated with care. A clunking sound is heard if the bushing is destroyed.

4. Sudden Acceleration

It’s safe to assume that you’re a driver who likes to crank up the engine and press the gas pedal.

When you accelerate quickly, your control arm bushing is put under a lot of strain.

A loosened bushing in your vehicle’s suspension system might cause loud knocking if you do this repeatedly.

5. Loosely Tightened Arms

Make sure that the control arm bushings are securely closed after each examination of your vehicle’s suspension system.

An annoyance is the constant thudding noises created by loose bushings inside the system.

The bushings in the suspension system can be damaged if the arms are not properly tightened by the mechanic.

As a result, you should make sure that your control arm bushings are properly reinstalled following service.

To ensure that your arms last a long time, you should avoid driving your vehicle on difficult terrain at high speeds.

How Do You Solve Control Arm Problems?

Having a broken arm on the way to an important meeting might have a negative effect on one’s mood.

There are several ways to deal with a broken control arm, and the following are just a few of those.

Your axle has to be aligned.

Your control arm should be singing.

Your vehicle’s wheels should be straight.

Test the vehicle’s acceleration and turning capabilities.

When Should You Replace Your Control Arms?

Friction forces your suspension system to wear out over time, and worn-out control arms need to be replaced.

After 90,000 to 100,000 miles on the road, the majority of your vehicle’s control arms will be worn out.

Driving over bumps and potholes with your arms might cause them to bend or break.

What Is The Cost Of Replacing A Broken Control Arm?

You should repair a broken control arm as soon as you notice or hear its sins.

In most automobiles, the cost of replacing a control arm is between $117 and $306. To replace the part, which costs $42 to $103 and takes up to two hours, it may take up to two hours.

How To Check A Faulty Control Arm Before Replacing It

A malfunctioning front control arm, control arm bushings, and ball joints can be diagnosed using a variety of methods.

In order to conduct the check in a safe manner, you should lift your vehicle off the ground. Always wear eye protection.

Inspecting for malfunctioning control arms can be made easier by following the steps listed below:

The control arm should be visually inspected for problems such as cracks and rust.

Place a pry bar on the control arm near the bushing and move the control arm back and forth with minimal force to check for any play in the bushings.

Check for play in the ball joints, depending on your vehicle’s suspension. You must press the pry against the wheel assembly to examine the joint for horizontal and vertical play.

When your car is on the ground, you can easily check the wear on certain joints because they have indicators.

To see if the connection is worn, you can check if the indication is protruding from the joint.

How To Replace A Control Arm

Before you begin, keep in mind that no two vehicles are exactly same, and that you must adhere to the specific installation guidelines for the software you’re installing.

You can utilize repair manuals to get thorough instructions on how to replace the part.

For the replacement of your control arm, here are some guidelines:

Step 1: Removing The Control Arm

To begin, you should remove the control arm and ensure that you are wearing eye protection.

In order to loosen the wheel lug nuts, you will need a breaker. Set the parking brakes after you’ve jacked up your car and choked the back wheels. Remove both the wheel and the tire.

The sway bar link can be removed from the control arm, and the castle nut from the ball joint can be removed from the cotter pin in the castle nut.

Remove the bolts holding the control arm to the frame by separating the ball joint and steering knuckle.

To remove the control arm from the frame, remove it from its brackets, and if necessary, use a pry bar.

Step 2: Installing A New Control Arm

The replacement arm should be compared to the old one when the faulty one is removed.

As soon as you’ve installed your new control arm, make sure the bolts holding it to your frame aren’t tightened too much because you’ll be torqueing them later.

Tighten the ball joint using a torque wrench after inserting it into the knuckle and securing it in place.

Attach the sway bar link to the control arm using a cotter pin that may be included with the new control arm. Use a torque wrench to tighten the nut at this point.

Use a socket and ratchet to snugly tighten the lug nuts on the tire assembly once more.

Safely remove your car’s jack and tighten the lug nuts with a torque wrench.

Tighten the arm bolts with a torque wrench while the car is at its regular operating height, and then drive it to an auto repair shop to have the alignment checked by a professional mechanic.

This process can be dangerous if you do not follow the manufacturer’s guidelines precisely, so always read the repair information provided by the manufacturer before getting started.

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Replacing The Upper Arm?

There are differing opinions on the length of time between arm replacements. The pros and cons of replacing control arms with aftermarket ones are outlined below:

Pros

It appears as though the suspension travel on your car has increased.

Shocks can greatly improve the ride quality of your vehicle. – wikipedia

You’ll have a better ball joint.

You can also choose a higher seat height if you desire it.

Cons

The quality of your ride may be compromised if you employ spacer lifts.

Your factory ball joints will wear out more quickly if you use spacer lifts.

If you utilize spacer lifts, be aware that if they are fully compressed when off-road, they might cause considerable damage.

How Long Can You Drive With Bad Control Arm Bushings?

Before replacing the control arm, if you’ve already noticed indicators of a problem, you can drive your car for up to a week and a half to ensure that the problem isn’t more serious.

However, it’s best to replace it as soon as possible. You begin to recognize the warning indications to avoid additional damage to expensive components….

Conclusion

In order to ensure a smooth ride, control arms play an important role..

It’s not necessary to repair all of the arms at once when replacing a broken one, but you can rest guaranteed that the other arm will go out soon enough.

Assembling the entire suspension system requires careful attention to the bushings.

After a repair, get your wheels aligned to avoid having an uneven tire and saving money on new tires.

Check your control arms on a regular basis to guarantee that your car and your safety are not in danger of harm.