Long Beach Control Arm Repair

Control arms are an important component of your vehicle’s suspension. Control arms & bushings can wear down over time & need to be replaced. Many car owners may not have even heard of control arms until your mechanic tells you that you need new ones. But despite not being too well-known, control arms are a critical component of your car’s suspension that allow your wheels to go smoothly up & down. Without them, you might have a rough time riding over the potholes of Long Beach.

What control arms do is control the motion of the wheels so that they stay in line with the car’s body. Control arms connect the car’s suspension to the actual vehicle frame. They are connected to the frame by bushings & attached to the suspension through the ball joint. This allows the vehicle to turn its wheel & pivot. The control arm assembly is triangular in shape with two bushings at each end and at the ball joint.

Cars typically have two to four control arms depending on whether the vehicle’s suspension system has struts or shocks. Many of today’s cars only have control arms in the front suspension. Some vehicles have upper & lower control arms, although auto experts say most cars today only come with lower ones because of the way the strut assembly is designed. Cars with upper and lower control arms are called a double wishbone suspension, in which the arms work parallel to each other.

Like any vehicular component, control arms wear down & need to be replaced over time. Many control arm assemblies wear down every 90,000 to 100,000 miles. Control arms can bend or break when driving over large potholes or bumps, while bushings can also wear out on their own. Your tires may start to wear unevenly. Another sign that a control arm assembly may need to be replaced is if the steering wheel is vibrating or there is a banging or clunking noise while driving over bumps.

Control arm replacement can be expensive. Often, the bushings and ball joints must be replaced at the same time as well, although it depends on the level of damage & wear. All of these components work together.

If you have questions regarding Control Arm Repair contact Orozco’s Auto Service at any of our convenient locations in Long Beach, Bellflower, Garden Grove or Fullerton!