2007 VOLVO S80 CONTROL ARMS

The 2007 Volvo S80 has two control arms in the front suspension. The control arms are attached to the steering knuckle on one end and the sub-frame on the other. The control arm is a bar that attaches the frame of the car to the outer wheel which allows the wheel to travel and move yet be firmly attached to the frame. The Volvo S80 has 2 front, lower control arms (one on each side) and each control arm has 2 bushings and 1 ball joint. The ball joint acts as the pivot and the bushings give the control arm the ability to be securely mounted yet have some flexibility. 

Why replace a control arm? 

The Volvo S80 control arm is a wear item and will need to be replaced when the bushings wear out due to movement or if the ball joint is loose or broken. Any time you have a joint that is designed to give and take and move with the car and road you will have wear over time. Volvo S80 control arms usually last 100,000 miles or more.

SAFETY

Safety is a concern when a control arm begins to fail because a worn or loose ball joint could fail and separate from the wheel creating a safety issue.

INSPECTION

The Volvo S80 control arm should be inspected every 30,000 miles for bushing wear and ball joint looseness 

REPLACEMENT

Replacing the Volvo S80 control arm usually requires special tools because the ball joint must be pressed loose from the steering knuckle. Once the ball joint is separated you can remove the control arm by removing the bolts that mount the arm to the sun-frame. A front end or 4 wheel alignment is sometimes needed after replacement.