We keep a straight track - we replace the transverse lever - instructions!

The wishbone is the part of the steering geometry that connects the front wheel to the vehicle's chassis. The wishbone is highly movable with a certain side play provided by its bearings. These bearings, or bushings, consist of a one-piece rubber sleeve rigidly pressed onto a control arm. When the rubber becomes brittle due to external influences or excessive aging, the wishbone loses its stability.

Wishbone Defect

The wishbone is a very massive component made of welded metal . As long as it is not subjected to excessive stress or corrosion, virtually no damage can occur. Its weak point is the pressed bushings.. 

Although they are made of solid rubber, they can wear out, crack or lose elasticity over time. As a result, the control lever is no longer properly connected to the front wheel, and its mobility deteriorates. Instead, a worn wishbone causes unwanted wheel play. The following symptoms may occur:

- the car no longer keeps its course (collapse).
Every bump in the road causes noise.
— Steering is very "spongy".
- the car has an increasing tendency to skid.
- Tire squeal.
– increased one-sided wear of the front tires

All in all, a worn control lever is more than just a nuisance. This results in costly damage and seriously reduces driving safety. Therefore, this component should be replaced without delay.

What you need?

To successfully replace the transverse arm, you will need the following:

1 car lift 1 gearbox jack 1 torque wrench 1 set of wrenches 1 set ring spanners, cranked 1 electric jigsaw (for bushing) 1 new wishbone and 1 new wishbone bushing

Detection of a faulty transverse arm

A defective lever or a defective bushing is easy to identify: a thick rubber ring is porous and cracked . If the defect clearly affects the quality of driving, it is possible that the rubber bushing is completely torn. Moving the lever up and down with the lever will clearly show the cracks.

The bushing and control arm are rigidly connected and therefore cannot be replaced individually. For safety reasons, the sleeve is attached to the welded metal part. In the event of a defect, the entire component must be replaced. Since the control levers are very cheap, this is not a problem. In addition, replacing the entire lever is much easier than pressing in and out bushings.

Safety first!

Replacing the transverse arm requires work under the vehicle. The car lift is perfect. If there is none, car repairs are allowed in the raised position subject to additional security measures:

– Never secure the vehicle with only a simple vehicle jack.
– Always place suitable axle supports under the vehicle!
– Apply the handbrake, shift into gear and place safety wedges under the rear wheels.
- Never work alone.
– Do not use temporary solutions such as stones, tires, wooden blocks.

Needlework step by step guide

This is a general description of how to replace wishbones, not a repair manual. We emphasize that replacing the transverse arm is a task for a certified car mechanic. We accept no responsibility for errors resulting from the imitation of the described steps.

1. Removing the wheel After securing the car on the lift, the wheel is removed from the affected side.

2. Unscrewing the bolts The connection between the suspension arm and the vehicle depends on the type. A screw connection with a vertical tie rod, three bolts on the wheel and two bolts on the chassis is common. One chassis bolt is vertical, the other is horizontal. Lock the nut with a ring wrench to unscrew the vertical bolt. Now the bolt can be unscrewed from below.

3. Wishbone disengagement First, disconnect the transverse arm from the side of the wheel. Then pull out the horizontal chassis bolt. Now the transverse arm is free.

4. Installing a new wishbone The new lever is installed in place of the old component. First I connected it to the steering wheel. The three bolts on the hub are initially tightened with just a few turns, as the component needs a certain amount of clearance for further assembly. The horizontal chassis bolt is now inserted and screwed onto 2-3 turns . Inserting the vertical chassis bolt can be a little tricky. However, be careful not to damage the pressed-in bushings of the new control arm. CAUTION: Reduced service life of a new transverse link due to incorrect assembly!Never tighten the control arm chassis bolts while the front wheel is still in the air. The arm is generally not firmly locked until the front wheel damper is deflected and under normal pressure. If the lever is tightened too soon, strong excessive torsional forces will destroy the bushings, shortening their service life. not less than 50% .

5. Unloading the front wheel Now the front wheel is jacked up with a gearbox jack until the shock absorber deflects by 50%. This is his usual driving position. The control arm bushing is under normal tension and is not under tension. All bolts can now be tightened to the prescribed torque.

6. Installing the wheel and checking the alignment Ultimately, the front wheel is installed and fixed with a given torque. Replacing a transverse arm always involves interfering with the steering geometry, so the car must subsequently be taken to the garage to check the alignment.

7. Replacing the transverse arm bushing The bushing does not always need to be replaced. Although this single part is quite cheap, it is very difficult to replace it, as it is only possible with the help of special tools. If you don't have a tool ready, the control arm should only be replaced as a whole with the bushing pre-installed.The control arm bush connects the control arm horizontally to the chassis. As a separate component, it is not always supplied with the control arm. The transverse arm should be disassembled as described. It is then pressed out of the sleeve using a pressure tool. Then a new bearing is pressed in. When installing a refurbished wishbone, the front wheel must be unloaded again to prevent unwanted torsion in the hub. TIP: A defective control arm bushing can be removed with a jigsaw. In most cases, one cut across the rubber right up to the control arm pin is sufficient. The bushing should now be loose enough of tension to pull it out of the control arm. Installing a new bushing on the pin is another problem. A popular DIY method is to hammer it in with a large wrench and a couple of hammer blows. We do not recommend this procedure. Gently sliding in with a vise is much better for both components and significantly extends the life of this component, which is very difficult to replace.

Costs

One new wishbone starts approx. €15 (± £13). Buying a complete set is much cheaper. The front axle comes with

• - lever arm
• - connecting rod
• - spherical bearing
• - steering rods
• - transverse arm bushings
• - support hinge

for both sides costs only 80 - 100 euros (± 71 - 90 pounds) . The effort to replace all of these parts is only slightly more than to replace a single wishbone. After replacing any of these parts, the car should in any case be checked for camber, and therefore it is worth considering replacing the entire axle in one go. Ultimately, these components age at the same time. If a wishbone starts to fail, all the other parts in that area will most likely follow suit soon. Through a complete replacement, a certain new starting point is created, avoiding problems in this area for many years.