What does a control arm do?

Steering and suspension parts are essential in the car. The track control arm, for instance, connects the wheels with the vehicle frame and allows wheels to smoothly move up and down. Finally, they also enable stabilization of the wheels.

 

What does a failing track control arm look like?

A bad track control arm often means that the ball joint and the silent block are worn out or broken. A car’s steering and suspension parts should be checked at least once a year. This way you will avoid that the car gets rejected at the car inspection and that your customer is unhappy.

How do you know whether a track control arm or a ball joint needs to be replaced? You might notice while driving that the car deviates from the straight line or that it becomes difficult to steer when turning or when coming across a hump on the road.

 

Check the leaflet – Find out more about worn parts!

How to inspect the car for worn parts like the track control arms?

First, check the condition of the dust cover on the ball joint. If the rubber material of the dust cover shows wear or cracks, the ball joint needs to be replaced. After this, you can test with a lever whether or not there is play on the ball joint. Do this by wringing up and down the track control arm in relation to the wheel bearing housing. If the arm moves downward while the ball joint remains in place, this indicates play.

Finally, check the state of the silent blocks. Visual inspection with a lamp allows you to detect cracks or wear. Put again a lever between the subframe and the track control arm and see if it is possible to create movement. If you can create a movement of one or more centimeters, this indicates play and wear of the silent blocks and they should be replaced too.

Check the video – How to recognize a bad track control arm

How to inspect the car for worn parts like the tie rod ends?

First, check the condition of the dust cover of the tie rod ends. If the rubber material of the dust cover shows wear or cracks, the part needs to be replaced. You can grasp the part and try to move it up and down. If the housing moves up while there is no movement in the pin stuck in the wheel bearing housing, this indicates play.

If there is no play on the tie rod end, you should check whether this is also the case for the axial joint. To do this, move the tie rod end in the same way as before. If there is no play on the tie rod end, there will be play on the axial joint. Finally, you can also check the steering rack gaiter. Check its condition and check if there are any cracks or grease loss. The steering rack gaiter must be in good condition to protect the axial joint.

Check the video – How to recognize bad tie rod ends

How to inspect the car for worn parts like stabilizer links?

At the start of the visual check, lift the car completely. First check the condition of the dust cover on the stabilizer link. If the rubber material of the dust cover shows wear or cracks, the part needs to be replaced.

Then proceed to check the stabilizer link. When you grasp the stabilizer bar, try to move it at the level of the stabilizer links. This movement is to check whether or not there is any play. In case of play, the suspension and steering of the car does not react accurately while driving. This can be risky with bumps or potholes in the road. It reduces the control over the car. In case of play, there will be little or no resistance at the beginning of the movement.

Check the video – How to recognize bad stabilizer links

Why choose Sidem?

Part of being an expert is knowing which steering and suspension brands to trust and choose from. Sidem is a 100% European and leading manufacturer with headquarters in Belgium and has its own production facility in Romania. Over 3 million parts are continuously available from stock in Sidem’s warehouse and our global activities mean that we are always nearby. By investing heavily in our fully automated distribution centre, products are shipped very quickly to more than 90 countries worldwide. Sidem is Europe’s longest-existing supplier of chassis parts founded more than 85 years ago, in the year 1933. Thanks to our strong teams and our year-long experience the family business can pride itself on family values and in-depth know-how when it comes to steering and suspension parts. As a result, OE brands also appreciate our approach.  That is why brands such as Porsche and Ford rely on Sidem for steering and suspension parts. We are proud to say that Sidem covers the most complete range of car brands and models in the aftermarket with no less than 9 000 unique references.

Find out more about the company Sidem

We have parts for 90% of all European and Asian cars

 

 

We do not focus on 1 car brand. Sidem produces parts for a large variety of all car brands.

Find in the list below a selection of popular brands for which we have ball joints, track control arms, tie rod ends, axial joints, silent blocks and strut mounts for.
Find ball joints for  ALFA ROMEO
Find ball joints for AUDI

Find ball joints for BMW
Find ball joints for CHEVROLET
Find ball joints for DAEWOO
Find ball joints for CHRYSLER
Find ball joints for CITROEN
Find ball joints for DACIA
Find ball joints for DAIHATSU
Find ball joints for FIAT
Find ball joints for FORD
Find ball joints for HONDA
Find ball joints for HYUNDAI
Find ball joints for INFINITI
Find ball joints for IVECO
Find ball joints for JAGUAR
Find ball joints for ISUZU
Find ball joints for JEEP
Find ball jointss for KIA

Find ball joints for LADA
Find ball joints for LANCIA
Find ball joints for LAND ROVER
Find ball joints for LEXUS
Find ball joints for MAZDA
Find ball joints for MERCEDES
Find ball joints for MERCEDES-BENZ
Find ball joints for MERCEDES-AMG
Find ball joints for MINI
Find ball joints for MITSUBISHI
Find ball joints for NISSAN
Find ball joints for OPEL
Find ball joints for PEUGEOT
Find ball joints for PORSCHE
Find ball joints for RENAULT
Find ball joints for ROVER
Find ball joints for SAAB

Find ball joints for SEAT
Find ball joints for SKODA
Find ball joints for SSANGYONG
Find ball joints for SUBARU
Find ball joints for SUZUKI
Find ball joints for TESLA
Find ball joints for TOYOTA
Find ball joints for VAUXHALL
Find ball joints for VOLKSWAGEN
Find ball joints for VOLVO

Related tips

Sidem mounting tools

For safe and easy assembly we have developed special assembly tools: a handy help to assemble parts faultlessly according to the state of the art.

Read more
How to repair steering and suspension parts?

Here’s the deal with keeping your car’s steering and suspension in tip-top shape! It’s a great idea to give those parts a once-over every year to see if they’re wearing out. If you spot any issues, it’s crucial to fix them up right! Get yourself the right tools and top-notch spare parts for the job! This article breaks down where to look at during your check-up and gives you some expert tips on how to install everything just right!

Read more
How to install or replace a track control arm?
Read more