Lower Control Arms - The Alignment Killer

After experiencing an excessive wobble during heavy acceleration, my first thought was that my alignment was out.  Having the alignment checked, the wobble continued...

My next belief was that my wheels were unbalanced.  A few weeks later, I had new tires mounted and confirmed that the wheels were well balanced and bend free.  However, the wobble once again continued...

I finally discovered that my problem was worn control arm bushings.  By the time I had tracked down the culprit, the bushings were so damaged that they allowed a few millimeters of play; definitely enough to make a noticeable difference through the steering wheel.

While there are aftermarket bushing options to upgrade handling, the price of those bushings, plus the need of a shop press, dissuaded me from pursuing that route.  The easiest solution was to simply replace the entire control arm assembly.

Please visit FCP Euro to read my latest article on lower control arm replacement: How to Replace Front Lower Controls Arms on a P1 Volvo

You can also watch my recent slideshow video on lower control arm removal: