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Automobile&Truck Casting Steel Parts
Vehicle Control Arm
A car's control arm is a crucial component of the suspension system. Made of materials such as steel or aluminum alloy, it primarily connects the wheel knuckle to the vehicle frame. Through ball joints or rubber bushings, it elastically connects the wheel to the body, transmitting various forces and ensuring the wheel's fixed trajectory.
Material Characteristics
Steel: Highly impact-resistant (e.g., maintaining stability even when negotiating a pothole at 70 km/h), but also relatively heavy.
Aluminum: Reduces weight (over 25% reduction) and boasts a tensile strength of 293 MPa, but under extreme operating conditions, its impact resistance is only 60% of that of steel.
Carbon fiber: Further reduces weight by 37.1% and increases stiffness by 18%, but at a higher cost.
Impacts of Failure
Damage to the control arm rubber bushing or ball joint can lead to chassis looseness, unusual noise, vibration, deviation, and abnormal tire wear, directly impacting driving stability and handling.
Testing Recommendations
The ball joint condition can be determined by observing unusual chassis noise, shaking the tire to check for looseness, or using a crowbar to shake the tire.