Control arms connect the car’s suspension to the actual vehicle frame. They are connected to the frame through a component called bushings, while they attach to the suspension through the ball joint. That allows the vehicle to turn its wheel and pivot, connecting the tire to the car’s suspension. A control arm is a bar that has a pivot at both ends. Your car has several, including the upper control arm and the lower control arm, which are arranged to form the letter “A”.
Control Arm assemblies normally wear out between 145,000 and 160,000 kilometers. They can wear out faster if you go over a large pothole or are involved in a car accident. Various parts of the assembly may wear out as well, such as the bushings or ball joints.
A bad or failing control arm assembly can be identified with symptoms such as steering wheel vibration and or steering wandering. Other signs can be clunking noises. Over time, the control arm assembly can become worn or bent. The steering wheel or vehicle vibrates while you are driving down the road. Loud noises, such as banging, when you go over bumps or potholes, Uneven tire wear, the steering wheel is not as responsive as it was before, and or the wheels move or shake while you are driving.