What is a Front Upper Control Arm?

The front upper control arm is a vital part of your car’s suspension, which makes it a very important part of your car. Your car has numerous control arms, which serve to connect the suspension system to the frame of the car.

By doing this, the control arms are able to limit and absorb the amount of force that the car has to deal with. This keeps your ride a lot smoother, while also protecting other parts of your car from unnecessary stress. Okay, let’s try to explain how the control arms work.

Most cars have control arms placed at each corner of the car. Front control arms usually connect to the frame at one end and the steering knuckle at the other. When the vehicle travels over a bump, the control arm pivots on bushings, allowing your car’s wheels to move up and down. Not all cars have upper and lower control arms, but yours presumably does.

Because, you know, you’re reading an article on upper control arms, I’m guessing it’s not just for kicks. Control arms are very strong, and made of steel or aluminum. Thanks to their strength and structure, they can limit the movement of the steering knuckles, to reduce how much movement is transmitted to your car. Control arms are very durable.

They have bushings and ball joints attached to them, which will need to be replaced every now and again, but the front upper control arms are unlikely to ever break, unless you’ve been in a car crash. That said, on some cars, the control arms will need to be replaced when the bushings or ball joints are replaced, even if the control arm is in fine shape.