The control arm is one of the most common components you’d find in just about any car you see around.
It is so common in most cars because it ensures safe driving and a smooth ride. On the flip side, a faulty control arm will affect your driving experience, which is why you need to understand what bad control symptoms are.
Understanding when your control arm has gone bad can save you from a car crash or expensive repair fixes. In this article, we will look at how control arms work, the types of control arms available, the symptoms of bad control arms, the implications of not replacing them, and more.
If you have been looking for information about your car’s control arms, then this is just what you have been looking for.
Types of Control Arms and how they work
The control arms are at the heart of a car’s front suspension system because they serve as the link between the front wheels and the vehicle. Although they come in different shapes and sizes, they are all designed to attach to the wheel assembly and the car’s framework simultaneously. Here are the types of control arms:
Lower Control Arms
This is the kind of control arm you find in cars with a MacPherson strut-style front or rear suspension. With such vehicles, an upper control arm isn’t needed since the strut serves its function. It is important that you understand the symptoms of a bad lower control arm
Upper Control Arms/Trailing Arms
This is the type of control arm used in cars without the strut suspension system. They can be used on both the front and rear wheels of a vehicle, though they are primarily used on front-wheel-drive systems. It often consists of upper and lower arms with rubber bushings at each end. It is also important that you understand the symptoms of a bad upper control arm.
Adjustable Control Arms
This kind of control arm is used to adjust the vertical alignment of the vehicle’s wheels. It is crucial to ensure that the wheels are well aligned, especially when racing, balancing, or lifting a car.
For instance, adjustable control arms come in handy when a lift kit is installed on a vehicle. They ensure the wheel is well aligned so that the tires have the proper traction.
So how do control arms work?
Some cars come with upper and lower control arms. The upper control arm is designed to attach to the uppermost area of the front wheel, while the lower control arm is linked to the lower areas of the car’s front wheel. Both arms are then connected to the vehicle’s frame.
For other cars, you get only the lower control arm.
Regardless of type, control arms are composed of a ball joint, a main body, bushings, and sleeves.
Control arms are linked to the car’s frame via bushings, which allow up-and-down motion.
The other end of the control arm is connected to a steel spindle, which, in turn, connects to the ball joint and the vehicle’s front wheel. The ball joint enables the spindle and front wheel to revolve left and right so that the vehicle’s wheels can move along the road’s surface.
This movement is further facilitated by a steel coil spring placed between the control arm and vehicle frame to help the vehicle manage bumps and support its weight.
So, how long can you drive with bad control arm bushings? It depends. A bad control arm can take you to a few thousand miles or stop you before covering 50 miles in the middle of nowhere.
A functional control arm with well-aligned bushings and ball joints ensures stability and enhances your vehicle’s control. The driving experience is also improved as steering the car and managing vibrations and bumps in the road become easier. Bad control arm bushings offer the exact opposite experience.
Bad Control Arm Symptoms
Despite its importance to your vehicle’s functionality, the control arm is, after all, a mechanical component. So it is liable to fail or go bad sooner or later. Driving around with a bad control arm is not a great idea, so replace the control arms as soon as you notice they are worn.
But how do you know when the control arms have gone bad? Thankfully, certain symptoms should tip you off in that direction. Here they are:
Vibrations of the Steering Wheel
This is one of the most apparent symptoms of a bad control arm. What happens is that the worn control arm bushings often generate wheel shimmy. The wheel’s vibrations often become more intense when you step on the accelerator, but ease out at cruise-control speed.
Steering Wheel Wandering
The control arms are designed to improve the efficient steering of your car. If you notice that your vehicle’s steering wheel moves from side to side, you might have an issue with the bushings or ball joints of your car’s control arm. Check the cars’ control arms as soon as you notice this symptom, as you risk yourself and other road users if the issue is not quickly resolved.
Unusual Noises
You are bound to hear unusual noises like popping or clunking noises when the bushings and ball joints of the car’s control arm have issues. Once they are worn to a certain degree, they fail to control the control arm’s movement, causing the metal components to make popping and clunking noises. This is one of the more common Jeep XJ bad control arm symptoms.
Shaky Vehicle Wheels
When the control arms fail to keep the vehicle’s wheels firmly connected to the car, you are bound to experience this symptom. Control arms fail to stabilize the wheels when the ball joints and bushings are worn or the control arms are bent. When this happens, the wheel’s alignment is affected, and it starts shaking.
Bumpy Rides
Control arms that are correctly set up reduce the harshness of bumps while driving. Whenever any of its parts go bad, its shock-absorbing function is compromised, and the bumps become more troublesome. You might also notice that the car leans a lot at sharp corners. If you notice any of these symptoms, you might want to check the control arms.
Uneven Tire Wear
Driving with bad control arm bushings can cause this symptom. When bushings and ball joints wear to a certain degree, they can affect wheel alignment. This causes uneven tire wear because the edges of the tire start to wear off simultaneously.
What next?
Whenever you notice any of the situations described above, you are likely to have a bad control arm. If that is the case, the best option would be to replace the control arm. Let’s look at what that might cost you.
Control Arm Replacement Cost
Once your control arm goes bad, your best bet is to replace it. Now, how much would that cost? When computing control arm replacement cost, you need to consider a few factors: the costs of the parts, the labor costs, the year, the make and model of the car, and the control arm repair shop you visit.
Even at that, what you spend on replacing a control arm depends on the severity of the damage. The cost of replacing a few components of the control arm will differ from that of replacing the whole system. As such, the cost of replacing the rear upper control arm will differ from the cost of replacing the front control arm.
Before you replace the control arm, you might want to have a professional evaluate the situation. That way, you can get an idea of what needs to be replaced to ascertain the financial implications.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
Q: Can you drive with bad control arms?
You can, but it is not a great idea because driving a vehicle with a bad control arm is unsafe. The reason is that poorly controlled arms make the steering wheel unpredictable to use, which makes you a hazard to yourself and other road users, as you could be driving unsafely and putting everyone at risk. So, is driving with a bad control arm dangerous? Yes, it is.
Q: What happens if the control arm breaks while driving?
You will be in a precarious situation because you might lose control of the car. A broken control arm can cause wheel alignment issues and a possible loss of control over the car’s wheels. This situation happens because the wheel is no longer stable. It is a difficult situation to be in.
Q: How long do control arms usually last?
It depends on how the vehicle is used, but by and large, they can last between 90,000 and 100,000 miles if the car is used properly and there are no adverse situations, like accidents or frequent entry into potholes.
Constantly entering large potholes or any form of vehicular accident will reduce the longevity of the control arms.
Q: Are control arms hard to replace?
It depends on who is doing it and your vehicle’s make and model. It might be difficult for a DIY proponent without the right tools and technical know-how, especially if the car’s suspension is rusted or corroded.
A professional will make light work of replacing control arms. That said, in straightforward situations, such as uninstalling an old control arm and replacing it with a new one, it should not be difficult. However, some vehicle manufacturers design their vehicles so that repair jobs are easier to access than on other vehicles.
Q: Should you replace the lower control arm?
Not really. The thing is, it is not compulsory to replace both lower control arms if one is bad. In most cases, they wear off at about the same time. If you find yourself in a situation where one has gone bad and the other hasn’t, you can replace the damaged one and walk away if you are on a tight budget. If you have the money, you still replace them.
Q: Is it OK to replace only one control arm?
It depends on the state of the other control arm. The thing is, in most cases, they wear off at the same time. If they don’t, then one of them might not be far off. In most cases, it is not a good idea to replace only one control. Except that you are on a tight budget, it makes sense to replace both if one is bad.
Q: Do I need an alignment after replacing the upper control arm?
Yes, you do. It’s best to get a wheel alignment after a significant task like replacing the upper control arm. Upper control arms are often used in the car’s front suspension, where the steering wheel is located, and any work done there can affect the wheel alignment.
Final Words:
Your car will not offer the same driving experience when the control arms are worn out. This is because functional control arms provide a smooth ride and efficient control, among other benefits. A bad control arm offers the exact opposite, so you need to be able to identify bad control arm symptoms.
Hopefully, at this point, you have gotten some insights on how to detect these symptoms. We recommend that you get professional help ASAP if you notice any of the symptoms described in this article. You might also want to run an internet search on “control arm replacement near me.”
