ANYONE EVER BENT CONTROL ARM ?
10-05-2012, 01:51 PM
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2001 E55 - 2008 CLS63 -2016 F-150
ANYONE EVER BENT CONTROL ARM ?
So I was comin thru the city of detroit headin back out to the burbs and as I was switching lanes happened to be some wavy asphalt that has been rippled by semis or somthing but felt like I hit the worst pothole in the world , Thought I bent or chracked the 20 inch wheels for sure , pulled over got out the driver side front was sittin on top of the tire and had about 30 miles togo home .
Low and behold I get home , dont ask how the whole time was hoping the tire didnt fall off , back last year a coil had snapped on the same spring and dropped the car in the same manner so now I was concerned the spring perch had came apart from the weld , no way another coil could have snapped .
I had a surgery last week on my abdomen so no way I was gonna get down and look under there called a buddy who works at a indi shop , he stated no way the control arm is messed up as their invincible .. Then I take the car and the conrol arm was almost L shaped .
Cost me $425 parts n labor
Cant beleive how nice the car drives now .. I beleive it had probably a little bend before and this time was the icing on the cake because my car did drive a little bumpy but I figured it was just the 20's also the bushing on my original control arm were still good ..
Anyone else ever had this issue ?
Low and behold I get home , dont ask how the whole time was hoping the tire didnt fall off , back last year a coil had snapped on the same spring and dropped the car in the same manner so now I was concerned the spring perch had came apart from the weld , no way another coil could have snapped .
I had a surgery last week on my abdomen so no way I was gonna get down and look under there called a buddy who works at a indi shop , he stated no way the control arm is messed up as their invincible .. Then I take the car and the conrol arm was almost L shaped .
Cost me $425 parts n labor
Cant beleive how nice the car drives now .. I beleive it had probably a little bend before and this time was the icing on the cake because my car did drive a little bumpy but I figured it was just the 20's also the bushing on my original control arm were still good ..
Anyone else ever had this issue ?
10-05-2012, 03:02 PM
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1999 Mercedes Benz E55 AMG
Yes,I've replaced both,left and right on mine. Normally,you just replace the bushings,but it's a well known fact that the lower control arms in W210s rust at the joint of the control arm because of the poor design. Water just gathers there and has no way of going out. The new OEM part you buy comes with a little hole,so that the water can leak out and not sit there and rust. The reason I'm mentioning rust is because that's what causing the weakness in the lower control arm joint,eventually bending or breaking all together.
10-05-2012, 05:22 PM
#3
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Yes,I've replaced both,left and right on mine. Normally,you just replace the bushings,but it's a well known fact that the lower control arms in W210s rust at the joint of the control arm because of the poor design. Water just gathers there and has no way of going out. The new OEM part you buy comes with a little hole,so that the water can leak out and not sit there and rust. The reason I'm mentioning rust is because that's what causing the weakness in the lower control arm joint,eventually bending or breaking all together.
10-05-2012, 06:00 PM
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1999 Mercedes Benz E55 AMG
Bear in mind,don't do it anywhere,it has to be at the joint,you can't miss it,because if you look at the way the control arm sits,you will see the angle and how the water comes from the wheel and down the control arm to the only place it can sit. Just look at the picture of the OEM new one on one of the parts websites,to see where they've made the hole. Also,it is very important where the car has been driven most of it's life. Some don't have this problem if driven in a warm climate.
10-05-2012, 06:10 PM
#5
Super Member
Yes,you can make a hole. You don't even need to use a power tool,if it's rusted,just use something sharp and make a little hole. That's what I did initially,but eventually I still had to change the control arm because it was already rusted beyond saving and it cracked when hitting a big pothole...
Bear in mind,don't do it anywhere,it has to be at the joint,you can't miss it,because if you look at the way the control arm sits,you will see the angle and how the water comes from the wheel and down the control arm to the only place it can sit. Just look at the picture of the OEM new one on one of the parts websites,to see where they've made the hole. Also,it is very important where the car has been driven most of it's life. Some don't have this problem if driven in a warm climate.
Bear in mind,don't do it anywhere,it has to be at the joint,you can't miss it,because if you look at the way the control arm sits,you will see the angle and how the water comes from the wheel and down the control arm to the only place it can sit. Just look at the picture of the OEM new one on one of the parts websites,to see where they've made the hole. Also,it is very important where the car has been driven most of it's life. Some don't have this problem if driven in a warm climate.
10-05-2012, 08:41 PM
#6
Man, one customer here in his e55 bent the control arm / subframe (engine support) and rear subframe with control bars in the drivers side,you need to see the potholes here to beleave me :S
Fabio Daniel
Fabio Daniel
Last edited by Fabio D; 10-05-2012 at 08:46 PM.
