If you aren't a car mechanic or someone who often deals in the mechanisms of cars themselves, you likely have no idea what control arms are even for. In many cases, they are a component that often goes ignored when it comes to vehicle maintenance. If you find that you are in this situation, read on. Below we have a guide to the different kinds of control arms.

What Are Control Arms?

Before we get into the different kinds of control lines that are available for your car, we must define control arms themselves, as they are parts that people are most often not familiar with. A control arm is a part of the car that forms a link between the suspension and the chassis. While control arms may come in many different shapes and be made from many different materials, they can all be found in the same place on a car, making them relatively easy to identify.

In most situations, control arms can be found on the axle, where they attach to the steering knuckle. In cases where the vehicle is designed to pull larger loads, the control arms will also be placed on the rear axle. The number of control arms per wheel may also change depending on the type of wheel, as well as what the vehicle is designed to do. When a suspension system utilizes two arms, the wheel suspension system is often referred to as a wishbone suspension system.

What Do Control Arms Do in a Car?

It may be surprising, but the control arm serves many different functions while driving. Because it connects the wheels to the frame, the control arms ensure the wheels’ overall stability, as well as the synchronous movements of the wheels to the frame. Control arms help also dampen vibrations from the road as they help soften the wheels’ movements up and down.

Besides this, control arms are responsible for enabling you to steer your vehicle effectively while moving in a forward direction, as it would be extremely hard for the wheel to travel while rolling in such a way under normal circumstances. The last and perhaps most important function that control arms serve is that they help dampen any large movements in the vehicle’s wheels. If you've ever noticed that you feel as much as from a bump or pothole, you can be sure that your control arms are working.

What Kinds of Control Arms Are There?

While there are many different kinds of control arms on the market, you can find three main types in most modern vehicles today. The first and most popular is the strut type of control arm. These control arms have fewer parts in their construction. Besides this, they weigh and cost less to manufacture, making them the superior of the two. Because of the different factors relating to the ease of manufacturing and maintenance, it is easy to see why many manufacturers often choose this type of control arm.

Another type of control arm that you can expect to see in any modern car is a wishbone suspension system. This double control arm format was an earlier iteration of the control arm design, having more moving parts, as well as more weight. However, you can still find these types of suspension systems in vehicles designed to go through rough terrain, such as modern off-road vehicles. This is because the double wishbone design often sports higher capabilities when it comes to rougher movements, while providing more cushioning for the car itself.

You can also find this type of suspension on high-end cars for this reason. In many cases, the owners of these higher-end cars do not mind having the higher repair costs associated with these types of control arms due the fact that they provide many benefits for their vehicle.

The last kind of control that you can commonly see on the road is adjustable control arms. These control arms are adjustable in that they allow you to change the wheel camber as well as vertical alignment. This can be especially useful in some off-roading conditions where you may be facing various landscapes that you must traverse.

What About Control Arm Materials?

In general, you can expect your control arm to be made out of three different materials. The first type of material that is commonly seen is steel. Steel sports high material resistance as well as wearability, while being a relatively affordable material to produce. One factor that makes steel a lot more successful and ubiquitous is its ability to flex in a wheel control arm situation. Flexing is an absolute must, as the wheel must be able to adjust with the road at a moment’s notice.

However, a big disadvantage of steel control arms is their susceptibility to rust. If not treated or coated with a chemical that enables them to be rust-resistant, the control arm may lose its durability over time and need to be replaced.

The other main control arm material that is commonly used is aluminum. Aluminum is a lightweight yet strong material that does not rust under any circumstances. The aluminum’s lightweight property also helps the vehicle’s handling, which may result in easier steering and tighter turns.

However, unlike steel control arms, aluminum control arms do not have the ability to flex under stress. This could mean that if you suffer extreme stress or impact while driving, your control arms may snap in half. However, this is not to say that aluminum control arms are bad, as the type of load that could cause the breakage would be the result of an extreme situation in the first place.

We hope you have enjoyed our guide to the different kinds of control arms. Purchasing control arms is as easy as shopping for your car’s brand. In many cases, different control arms may link up with different brands or models of cars differently, which is why it's so important for you to understand.

The brand of your car matters when choosing control arms, and if you are looking for access to control arms for lifted trucks, we suggest reaching out to Supreme Suspensions. We have a wide variety of different high-quality control arms from various car manufacturers in stock to ensure we are the one-stop shop for all your suspension needs.