Front Lower Control Arms

[andrewwynn]

If there's play in the control arm/wishbone, you should feel a shudder in the steering wheel when you brake gently from about 40-50mph down to 5-10 less.

In addition if you are driving on the top of a crown (eg center freeway lane), and gently curve left/right, the steering wheel will tug against you 2-3x right as the wheel passes dead center.

If those both happen it's been 100% the wishbone.

One side ball joint is swaged in, don't try to hope the inboard bushing is the problem, it's usually the ball joint on the outboard side.

Not a difficult diy.

If the bolt holding the Morse taper into the knuckle was over torqued you'll have some trouble removing.

When I did mine; a few minutes pounding with 4# hammer on the left, fell out with one pry with prybar on right.

If the one you start on fights go to the other side, odds are it will be much easier.

Satisfaction instant and obvious. One the best and easiest fixes.

Alignment needed after.



FYI the aforementioned over torque was self inflicted. I temporarily removed the wishbones I fogot why but put the old ones back in for a week or so until exchanging them for new. Since I was replacing soon I didn't torque I just banged quick with the M18 big gun. Big mistake. Over torqued and turned one hit into dozens.