Suspension Control Arms & Trailing Arms

Upgrading your suspension control arms and trailing arms will result in better handling on the street, off road, and at the track. The reason for this is that aftermarket arms are thicker and stronger, such as with tubular control arms, and include firmer bushings, resulting in less suspension flex. This results in the tires being more firmly planted to the ground during hard launches or when traversing uneven surfaces and going around corners at higher speed.

Aftermarket steel and aluminum control arms are designed to be stronger and use thicker material as well as improved bushings, which reduces damage caused by stress. This results in a much longer service life, requiring less maintenance and increased cost-savings.

The purpose of trailing arms and control arms on car or truck applications is to allow the vehicle suspension to move up and down over uneven surfaces while driving. They also locate the rear axle and front wheel spindles, so that they do not move forward or backward within the wheel well. Trailing arms (often referred to as control arms) are long bars with a mounting point ahead of the front or rear axle attached to the chassis. A trailing arm suspension is usually found on the rear of a vehicle. Front control arms are most commonly an "A" shape, attached to the chassis at two points. On the other end, they connect to the spindle via the ball joints. Many control arms on car or truck applications incorporate coil springs and shocks into their design to control up and down movement. For most control arms, bushings are used at the pivot / mounting points to reduce wear and allow some flexibility to provide better ride comfort. To help with replacement, front control arms are available with bushings and ball joints installed, saving you time.

If the metal part of the suspension control arm is protected from rust and corrosion, it will last a very long time. However, the control arm bushings will need to be replaced when they are worn or deteriorated from age and use. The best way to determine this is with a visual inspection that will confirm weakness in the metal from damage or corrosion or deformation or deterioration of the bushings. Replacing the original rubber bushings with a polyurethane material increases the service life as well as provides a firmer connection point, for improved handling.

Depending on the year, make, and model, the cost of a control arm can run anywhere from under $50 each to over $2,000 for a pair or kit. The labor varies greatly depending on the vehicle and number of hours required to complete replacement, determined by your local and trusted repair shop.

Adjustable control arms allow changes to be made to the caster and camber on the front wheels and the pinion angle on the rear axle. When lowering or raising the front suspension, adjustment is important to allow fine-tuning of the angle of the tires after camber is altered to restore proper alignment. Adjustable rear control arms are ideal for lifted trucks or lowered vehicles as well as for modified racing suspensions when the pinion angle is in need of adjustment. Rear adjustable control arms raise or lower the connection point of the universal joint at the rear pinion to provide the proper driveline angle.

If you need better handling performance, upgrading the front or rear control arms on your vehicle will help you reach your goal. Aftermarket trailing and control arms provide a stronger design, which will better plant your tires to the ground. The stronger and thicker materials control arms are made from will also last a lot longer than their factory-spec counterparts, as they will not flex and suffer from fatigue from high performance use. View our full line of high performance front and rear trailing arms and control arms (including adjustable control arms) to increase your handling and traction performance.