When to Replace Upper Control Arms on Trucks and SUVs - Rancho

WHAT DO CONTROL ARMS DO?

Responsible for maintaining control and alignment while allowing for the up and down travel of the suspension system while you’re driving, control arms are key for maintaining your vehicle’s directional stability, torque and traction. The control arm connects your vehicle’s wheels to the frame and helps maintain proper wheel alignment and movement to improve overall handling. Control arms have a direct effect on wheel travel, suspension durability and wheel alignment.

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TYPES OF CONTROL ARMS

There are two main types of control arms – Original Equipment (OE) replacement and performance. An OE replacement arm will have the same shape and geometry as the arm your vehicle came with. A performance arm will use different shape and geometry to change the alignment, and often use different material and design for increased strength. There are situations when it may be wise to upgrade to a performance control arm. c

WHEN TO REPLACE CONTROL ARMS

While control arms are key to the performance of your vehicle when driving around town, they take on increased importance when off-roading and driving over rough terrain. The most common reason to replace the upper control arms is in conjunction with installing a lift kit or larger tires, or when making any suspension modification. Making changes to your vehicle’s suspension can impact its geometry. When you install a lift kit, the OE control arms can lose their ability to handle the clearance and alignment changes that come with lifting or modifying a vehicle’s suspension. The upper control arm moves farther down and can rub against other suspension components while larger tires can rub on the upper control arms. In addition, the ball joint may bind and fail or cause damage to the steering knuckle. Upgrading the control arms to handle the new lifted geometry of your vehicle can help alleviate all of these situations. If you don’t update the control arms, you may experience:

• Bad wheel alignment
• Premature tire wear
• Premature wear or damage to ball joints and bushings.
• Poor handling and performance

ADVANTAGES OF INSTALLING PREFORMANCE CONTROL ARMS

Replacing your stock control arms with aftermarket performance control arms is a modification that enhances your vehicle’s overall performance. Aftermarket upper control arms realign the suspension geometry to and improve camber and caster to ensure that your truck is aligned correctly after a lift is installed.

• Improves wheel travel – The vertical distance that a vehicle’s wheels can move, wheel travel is especially important for trucks and SUVs that are used for off-roading. An aftermarket control arm increases the wheel travel of the vehicle, keeping it as level as possible when travelling over rough terrain.
• Enhances ride performance – Upgrading the control arms improves the flex, droop and off-road capabilities of the vehicle. A new performance control arm can handle the different suspension angles that comes with a lifted vehicle.
• Strengthens suspension – Off-roading places stress on suspension components, and a stronger control arm can handle the rigors of the trail. Replacing the stock control arms with an aftermarket control arm designed for lifted vehicles will not only last longer but will help to strengthen the entire suspension system.

RANCHO® ADJUSTBALE CONTROL ARMS

Rancho performance upper control arms enhance the performance and durability of your level or lifted truck or SUV. Rancho control arms keep the ball joint in the proper angle and provide additional wheel travel and caster to aid in alignment compared to factory control arms on lifted applications. Made of heavy-duty tubing, the direct fit, bolt-on design comes with all necessary hardware for easy installation. Each control arm features OE-style rubber bushings for a maintenance free, smooth comfortable ride and preinstalled, replaceable ball joints. Maintaining the control arms is easy, thanks to ball joint zerk fittings for easy maintenance and quiet operation. Part Number Location Application RS Front Upper - Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra RS Front Upper - Ford F-150 RS Front Upper - Toyota Tacoma RS Front Upper - Toyota Tundra RS Front Upper - Toyota 4Runner, - Toyota FJ Cruiser RS Front Upper - Ram DT (coming Oct. ) RS Front Upper Ford F-150 (coming Feb. )

Learn more about performance control arm kits, find your performance suspension part, or find where to buy your shock or suspension part today.

The content in this article is for informational purposes only. You should consult with a certified technician or mechanic if you have questions relating to any of the topics covered herein. Tenneco will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on any content.

A new set of upper control arms looks great on any vehicle. They are a perfect compliment to a shiny new set of coilovers too. We might be biased, but we think our Element Hard Parts control arms look the best. But our control arms are not built to just pretty up your ride. Sure, they might look sexy, but they do have a functional role and bring some benefits too. What are those benefits? Let’s take a look at what a set of high-quality control arms can do for your ride.

 Making Gains

Any mass-produced part is going to be a compromise, and OEM upper control arms are no exception. To be efficient, vehicle manufacturers need to build upper control arms quickly. And, to maintain profitability, those arms need to be made cheaply. The result is a stamped upper control arm built out of decent steel with adequate strength.

Goto Zegao Machinery to know more.

 Adequate might be okay for the majority of people who only drive on pavement, but not for the rest of us. The vast majority of aftermarket control arms are going to be significantly stronger than stock ones. This big increase in strength comes from better materials and a better design. Aftermarket arms use either tubular Chromoly steel or, as is the case with our Element Hard Parts arms, high-quality billet aluminum. Fabricating a Chromoly steel arm or machining a billet aluminum one are both more durable than the stamping process. And, both use more material to increase strength further. 

 Getting Aligned

One of the most overlooked benefits of aftermarket upper control arms is they allow for proper wheel alignment. With some lifted vehicles it can be difficult (if not impossible) to align them back to factory specs. Aftermarket arms solve this by having a slightly different geometry than the factory ones. They also have more adjustability for alignment built into them. This extra adjustability not only lets you get back to factory specs, but it allows more flexibility when aligning your vehicle too. For example, you can dial in more caster if you want to push larger tires more forward.

 Coil Clearance

Aftermarket coilovers make a massive difference in the performance of your front suspension. Their larger diameter bodies hold more shock fluid for better cooling and have bigger pistons for more damping control. While better cooling and control are both good things, those bigger shock bodies can create clearance issues with the factory control arms. Everything might seem fine until your suspension goes to full droop, and your OEM control arms smash into your expensive new coilovers. That’s going to be a problem and potentially an expensive one. Quality aftermarket control arms remedy this issue by being designed to clear larger coilovers.

 Better Balls And Joints

Uniballs and better ball joints are another serious strength advantage that aftermarket upper control arms offer. The 1-inch FK uniballs we use in our Element Hard Parts control arms are incredibly beefy. They are a massive increase in strength over the factory ball joints and are right at home on trucks racing in the Baja . You won’t have to worry about the uniballs in most aftermarket arms ever failing. They do wear faster than standard ball joints but are much stronger. Some arms feature aftermarket ball joints as well. These high-quality ball joints are not as strong as uniballs, but offer more life and are still stronger than OEM joints.

 Unlocking Wheel Travel

But wait, there's more. Not only are the uniballs and ball joints in aftermarket control arms stronger, but they also have a bigger range of motion than OEM ball joints. This extra amount of movement allows for the suspension to go through its full range of motion without any binding. Aftermarkets arms enable you to get every inch of wheel travel available out of your suspension, especially when using extended travel coilovers.

For more control arms on a carinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.