Car control arm rear and front

Wishbone is a part of the suspension. It assumes the side forces that occur during cornering, braking and direction changing. Being a linker between the wheel and the body, wishbone plays an important role for safety. Therefore it is made of forge steel. On the surface there are hinges that provide a flexible connection. On the side of the body there are uses so-called silent blocks, or metal-rubber mountings. On the side of the wheel there is a ball joint. To make metal-rubber mountings elastomer is used.

It is a modern material with a number of advantages. But it also wears out. Often the reason for wishbone replacement is wear of rubber details. Less frequently the wishbone fails because of corrosion of steel parts. Material defects or accident can also cause cranks or other damages. In any case it is necessary to replace the damaged wishbone. If the vehicle is unsteered, it will be difficult to avoid an accident. In any case do not delay the repair.

It is not difficult to replace the wishbone. Still, be very carefully. Use self-locking bolt. They also must be replaced in case of repair. The same is about safety jaws. Our internet catalogue has a lot of other inexpensive and quality car parts. We offer you brake shoes, hubs, bearings, wheel brake cylinders, spark plugs, ignition distributors, taillights, headlamps and many other spare parts for your car.

How to detect a faulty independent suspension arm

To diagnose the component, use a jack or a car lift. First, remove ball joints, then make sure the suspension arm does not drop down. This may be checked by swinging it vertically. In normal condition, the arm acts as a spring, and returns to its initial position. Also pay attention to the rubber bush — it should not rotate in relation to the the eyelets.

You may notice that an independent Wishbone needs diagnostics by the following symptoms:

• gaps in wheel hubs;
• worn out tires;
• vibration of the car body or the steering wheel when driving;
• extraneous noise in turns and on poor quality road surfaces;
• reduced engine power;
• increased free play of the steering wheel.

The reasons of independent Suspension arm malfunctions

The most frequent malfunction of the component is deformation. The main reason of deformation is driving over potholes at high speed. Also, poor quality components that have been used beyond their service life quickly become faulty.

During vehicle operation, natural wear of the rubber bushes and ball joints in the suspension occurs, which results in loss of shape, or complete destruction of the arm. To prevent such malfunctions, do not fail to diagnose the mating suspension components after every 50,000 km of mileage.

Suspension wishbones may be made of steel or lightweight alloy. Steel components are more prone to corrosion due to ingress of water during driving. To make the suspension mechanism last longer, choose lightweight alloy arms.

Replacing an independent Trailing arm

To replace the arm yourself, follow the below recommendations:

• install supports under the vehicle after lifting it with a jack;
• remove the fastening nut;
• disconnect the arm from the car body;
• disconnect the tie-rod from the ball joint of the arm;
• remove the component and install a new one between the ball joint and the tie-rod;
• use new nuts and bolts for fastening the new component;
• tighten the nuts located beneath with the tightening torque of 90 Nm, then turn them back by 30°– 40°;
• in the rear, attach the bolt of the arm to the car body by tightening the nut (but not completely);
• using a jack, lift the arm so that it is horizontal at 80°;
• tighten the nut with the tightening torque of 60 Nm ;
• lower the car and remove the jack.