What causes control arm bushings to wear?
What causes control arm bushings to wear?
Sometimes the wear and tear driving can cause bushings to become loose. Other times, it could be a mechanic who forgot to tightly fasten the bushing back onto the control arm. In any event, the bushing will get damaged if it keeps knocking into those components.
Where is the control arm bushing located on a car?
Over time these bushings become hard and start to crack, which can cause some problems. The Control Arm Bushing is located on the control arm, bolted on the vehicle frame side. The control arm is the arm located at the bottom of the suspension in the front suspension.
What happens if control arm bushings are bad?
If the control arm bushings in a car have become bad, braking may not be affected profoundly, but it can sometimes become unstable, so that the front end of the car bounces back and forth due to inertia when the car tries to stop.
Why are the ball joints on my control arm worn out?
They are equipped with bushings and ball joints that allow it to flex and move according to road conditions and steering input from the driver. Over time, the bushings or ball joints on the control arm can wear out and cause all sorts of problems.
How often should I change my control arm bushing?
Replacing the control arm bushing or even the control arm itself isn’t a difficult task, considering that you have a bit of knowledge regarding cars and their suspensions. The control arms don’t go bad as often as their bushings, and it is advised to change the bushings every year.
Do you need to replace lower control arm bushings?
If you own a vehicle long enough you will likely need to replace the lower control arm ball joint and bushings, but you can take steps to lengthen the life of the ball joints.
What are the symptoms of bad control arm bushing?
As mentioned earlier, when accelerating from a dead stop, you may notice that the steering is wobbly and the front of the car tends to shake and jitter when you turn the car at a considerable speed or press the brakes. This is due to the fact that the control arm bushing has too much play and not holding the wheel in place correctly.
Where is the horizontal bolt on a PT Cruiser?
To access the passenger side horizontal bolt for the control arm, you need to take off the engine mount. Remember to check your ball joints before you order bushings.
What happens when your control arm is worn out?
If the control arm bushings are worn out, you may hear rattling noises while driving, especially when you turn your car around, which makes the driving experience quite unpleasant.
