Symptoms of failing Front Control Arm Bushings

Noises

Hey, welcome to your first day of Cars 101. Here’s your first lesson: Noises aren’t good. Other than the roar of your engine and the music you like to blast, your car shouldn’t really make many noises. And when you hear abnormal ones, you should pay attention to them because they’re only going to get worse. If your car’s front control arm bushings are failing, you’re likely to hear a knocking noise. This is the result of the bushings struggling to hold the control arms in place. The control arms will move over as the car does, which means that when you drive over bumps or other imperfections in the road, you’re likely to hear some bumping and thumping. Class dismissed.

Pulling

Pulling is when your car isn’t really driving in a straight line. You’re not moving the steering wheel, but the car is pulling to the left or the right. Your car can pull to the left or the right for a few reasons. Most common among them is uneven wear and tear on your tires. But your car can also begin to pull if the front control arm bushings are busted. Damaged bushings will impact the alignment of your wheels, which is a common cause of pulling. You also might notice that it’s harder to steer than normal. When in doubt, pay attention to your car when it doesn’t feel right.

Uneven tire wear

That part up there about broken front control arm bushings hurting the alignment of your car? You’ll notice that in the tire wear. If a car’s wheels aren’t aligned properly, the tires won’t wear evenly. It’s a good idea to get in the habit of checking the wear of your tires, as it can help you spot problems before they get too severe. If you notice wear and tear that’s uneven, it may be due to some bushings.