Control Arms: Small Part, Big Impact
August 30, 2026
Here’s one part of your vehicle you may never have heard of: the control arm. It’s the part that connects the wheel hub and steering knuckle to your vehicle’s frame. What it does is lets your wheel move up and down while keeping it aligned with your vehicle.
Most control arms have things called ball joints and bushings. They take a constant beating and wear out after a while. It’s important to make sure your control arms are in good shape so your steering is stable and handling easy. It also reduces wear on your tires and allows your suspension parts to wear evenly.
How do you know if you need a new control arm? You might feel clunks or knocking sounds every time you drive over a bump. Your tires may wear unevenly and you might feel your steering wheel vibrate. You might find your vehicle pulls to one side when you’re driving.
If you notice some of these signs, it’s a good idea to bring your vehicle over so one of our technicians can check things out. If they find you need a new control arm, they’ll remove the old one, install the new one and tighten bolts to specifications recommended by the manufacturer.
Sometimes we recommend replacing other components, such as sway bars, if it appears they’ve worn out. It’s also a good idea to have us replace both control arms to keep your handling even. And after a control arm replacement, it’s best to have us perform a wheel alignment.
Elite Tire And Auto Care
33729 Plymouth Rd.
Livonia, Michigan 48150
734.427.3100
Need Service?
More articles from Elite Tire & Auto Care
Wobbly in Turns? Your Sway Bar May Be to Blame
November 1, 2026
When you take a corner in your vehicle, its supposed to feel controlled and stable. But you might notice one day that your vehicle feels like it is unstable, or even like its floating. It can be a scary sensation that gets your attention. If you feel that as you change lanes or when turning a ... More
Helping Your Engine Breathe Easier
October 25, 2026
You may have heard someone tell you its time to replace your vehicles engine air filter and thought, Its OK. Ill do it in a while. While its tempting to put that off, keep in mind that having your engine air filter replaced is one of the easiest ways to maintain your vehicles performance and ef... More
Let’s Clear the Air
October 23, 2026
In an effort to keep the air we breathe clean, modern vehicles with internal combustion engines are designed to reduce the emissions by recirculating exhaust gas into the engine. It has a part that controls how much of that gas to put back into the engine, and thats known as the EGR valve. EGR s... More