Front Control Arms?

[Freyspath]

Do our pathys have front control arms?? If so, what have you guys started to notice as they go bad??

One thing someone told me was, when i go over a speed bump crooked and let the steering wheel go, it spins by itself so that the tires go over it evenly.. Does this happen to any one else?

It only happens at low speeds, and you could hold the wheel as you crookedly go over the speed bump but I dont want to put stress on any of the parts.

Is this normal?

I have a lifetime alignment policy on the car, and just had it done like 2 weeks ago but it still does this. The alignment is perfect.
Modified by Freyspath at 4:08 PM 2/17/2010

[miamiheat3332]

this should be normal, when i offroad my other car sometimes, and i let go of the steering wheel it will spin by itself to get into the old tire tracks in the dirt. or over an uneven bump. so the speedbump isnt straight on its crooked so yes it will spin your steering wheel if you let go.

[fueler]

in my theory, i would think its better to let the steering wheel spin on a speed bump (less stress on the power steering pump) but thats just a theory. if you didnt have power steering, (which my previous cars did not) it becomes nearly impossible to hold the wheel straight when going over a speed bump crooked. Its only easy to hold it straight in a car with power steering, cause the power steering pump absorbs the impact instead of your arms on the steering wheel.

the front control arms on R50's are beefy as hell - i'd be really surprised if you damaged one.

[Pwnin O'Brien]

Yeah, like fueler said, I HIGHLY doubt you have a bent/damaged front control arm. The first thing to go on them would be the bushings and it would make a loud knock at the effected wheel whenever you hit a bump. The lower control arms are pretty strong; you could only really bend one if you came down on it hard.

[Freyspath]

Oh thank god! I thought I was bad control arms.. Good to know this is normal.. I too let go of the steering wheel when I go over anything that causes the steering system to have stress.

Although... when I drive and I am on a road that has seen its better days, I feel & hear something that seems loose in the front suspension... any ideas?

[Fisherdude]

My car is noisy as hell with pot holes and uneven roads. Everyone that rides with me is like "what the hell is thattt?!"

As far as the control arms, I have slid on them down a rocky cliff and they only suffered scratches.