When this happens, can the axle be damaged? Or just any other suspension component? I'm trying to assess the possibility that some other pricey part is broken and or is above my mechanical patience. I'm about to take a weekend and replace the one side upper/lower/tie rod etc...
upper control arm came loose.
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It would help to know a bit more about your car. There are 2 UCA'a on mine and I cant see how yours came loose!
Unless I'm missing something or people have had this issue before these don't just come loose. Something breaks. Is yours 'loose' where it connects to the shock mount or on the ball joint side?
If you are going to do one side then it's best to do both sides. I doubt it did any damage to the axle IF it just came loose and you noticed it right away.
Unless I'm missing something or people have had this issue before these don't just come loose. Something breaks. Is yours 'loose' where it connects to the shock mount or on the ball joint side?
If you are going to do one side then it's best to do both sides. I doubt it did any damage to the axle IF it just came loose and you noticed it right away.
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It shouldn't damage the axles since they have CV joints and can move about freely. You will have premature tire wear because your front end is no longer aligned properly if there's slop in the UCAs. It's also a huge safety factor if the UCA ball joints decide to separate on you.
+1 on doing both sides at the same time. You're going to have to pay for an alignment each time you replace the arms so it's better to do both sides and get everything aligned once. If one side is bad then the other can't be far behind.
+1 on doing both sides at the same time. You're going to have to pay for an alignment each time you replace the arms so it's better to do both sides and get everything aligned once. If one side is bad then the other can't be far behind.
I'm also curious as to what a "loose" control arm means. Did the ball joint pop out? Or is the inner bushing completely shot? Because other than that, I can't think of any way for it to be "loose".
If one UCA has failed, there's no reason to think the others are not far behind, and kits that include the UCA's and outer TRE's are not expensive. But before you disassemble your suspension, go ahead and start soaking the UCA pinch polt in penetrating oil (i.e. NOT WD-40; use P'Blaster, Liquid Wrench, or a 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone-based nail polish remover) once or twice a day while you wait for parts. Soak it at the bolt end, nut end, and at each UCA slot.
If one UCA has failed, there's no reason to think the others are not far behind, and kits that include the UCA's and outer TRE's are not expensive. But before you disassemble your suspension, go ahead and start soaking the UCA pinch polt in penetrating oil (i.e. NOT WD-40; use P'Blaster, Liquid Wrench, or a 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone-based nail polish remover) once or twice a day while you wait for parts. Soak it at the bolt end, nut end, and at each UCA slot.
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Crap, so you think my cv joint and is broke too? I should really just replace anyways..How hard is this job ? You think I can get it done in an afternoon?
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If one of the outer control arm ball joints breaks loose the entire front end of the car on that side will drop to the ground. The distance it drops is greater than the length of the axle and it will pull the inner joint apart since the outer joint is essentially fixed. I don't think this will actually damage the inner joint as I believe you can simply pop it back together, although it might be a good idea to replace the inner boot if it's stressed too much and looks torn. The one on my wife's car came apart while I was backing it out of a parking space and the shop only had to replace the broken control arm.
Replacing both axles shouldn't take you more than a couple of hours if you've never done it before. I can usually do both axles in about 60-75 minutes, give or take.
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Yes. I meant to say if one of the lower control arms comes loose it will cause you problems. The upper spindle is still held by the 2nd control arm and the tie rod so it shouldn't overly stress the CV joints if one of them breaks loose. Your alignment will go to hell in a handbasket, but you may still be able to drive the car a short distance. The steering may be a bit wonky, but the spindle is still being supported by three of the control arms and the tie rod. However, I would recommend getting the car towed and not risking it should any control arm break.
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