What does the lower control arm do?
The control arms are one of the core components of a suspension system and serve as the direct connection points between the front wheel assemblies and the vehicle’s frame. The control arms allow a driver to steer a car while also guiding the wheels up and down with the road surface.
What are front lower control arms on a car?
Control arms “hold” front wheels. Most cars have two control arms in the front suspension. Often they are called lower control arms. This allows a control arm to swing up and down as front wheels roll over bumps and potholes. The outer end of a control arm has a ball joint.
What are the types of control arms?
Control arms come in different designs. There are the “A” shaped types, which also gave rise to the other name such as “A” arm, “A” frame,” and “wishbone.” These appear like a triangle and are one of the most common designs for these vehicle components.
Are there upper and lower control arms in a car?
These are critical to steering and suspension of the vehicle. Most front-wheel drive economy cars only have lower control arms, but other cars and larger vehicles such as SUVs and trucks have both upper and lower control arms in a double-wishbone suspension assembly.
How many control arms does a front wheel drive vehicle have?
Most vehicles use either one or two control arms per wheel, on both the front and rear suspension. Many front-wheel drive vehicles only use a lower control arm, while trucks and SUVs often have both an upper and lower control arm. A control arm connects the wheel hub and steering knuckle to the frame of the vehicle.
What are the different types of control arms?
Control arm bushings usually consist of an outer metal sleeve, a durable rubber or polyurethane bushing, and an inner metal sleeve. Control arm bushings are important for driving comfort and handling.
What makes up the lower control arm bushing?
These bushings are comprised of a cylinder of rubber or polyurethane bonded to a larger and a smaller cylinder of metal on the outside and inside areas, respectively. The control arms are the pieces of metal which connect the vehicle’s frame to the steering knuckle, where the wheels and tires attach.
What kind of control arm does a car have?
Modern, inexpensive cars mostly have a single control arm at each wheel- a lower control arm. These are vehicles that use the MacPherson strut suspension. This type of suspension supports most of the weight on a strut, and the reason for the lack of an upper control arm.
Can a bad upper control arm cause a bad lower control arm?
Your wheels should be strong and securely fastened to the control arms. But if any of the wheels are wobbly, then it could mean that you have a bad upper control arm. You can test for this problem by jacking up your vehicle and trying to push the wheels with your hands to see which ones are wobbly if any.
How does front suspension work without an upper control arm?
A strut front suspension without an upper control arm uses an adjustable upper strut mount known as a camber plate to adjust camber and caster. When viewed from the side, if the upper ball joint is behind (toward the back of the car) the lower ball joint, the car has positive caster.
Is it necessary to alignment upper control arms?
Even though the parts are “basically” the same, they are not exact. Newer parts will be tighter than old (less deflection and no wear), so will put the alignment into a different position. The only thing you are going to cause by not getting the alignment done is worn out tires.