Lower control arm cracked?

[CactusJack]

Hi all

Sorry for bothering again. But I have a weird problem / Question :wacko:

Yesterday I had the car jacked up and on axle stands. The usual point where I put the axle stands is at the control arm rubber bushing (at the point that is being unscrewed from within the footwell) and found out that the damn control arm is cracked just above the bushing

In the picture the metal part, just above the two nuts.
http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0606/4677/products/RP2079R_30257f0b-7a4f-455d-8cde-ce3dc3e17600_1024x1024.jpeg?v=1429666163

My question is, could it be possible to have the crack from the axle stands sitting at the rubber bushing ? Seems a bit unlilkely to me though, but wanted to hear other oppinions.

thanks for answers

[Phaeton]

I would have thought that it's more likely to cause a crack by driving rather than when stood on stands.

[CactusJack]

True. Although it has not been driven for quite a time. But this is the first time I looked at the lower control arm since I've got the car.

Thank You for the answer.

[chinkostu]

Seems odd for such a lump of metal to crack. They usually bend from abuse first.

How deep is the crack by the way?

[axsaxoman]

no --there is a story in its past somewhere

[CactusJack]

Seems odd for such a lump of metal to crack. They usually bend from abuse first.
How deep is the crack by the way?
I am pretty puzzled too by that finding. I also thought it would bend, or the bushings would go, not get cracked.

Hm I'd say the crack is 0.5 - 1mm . I just felt it with the finger. I wanted to replace the balljoint, since the rubber arround is quite torn and the grease is out. Then I took a look / feel arround the control arm to see what all needs to be unscrewed to get the control arm out, and found out about the crack. I'll try to post some pictures if i'll be replacing the damn thing soon, but tbh the car has given me too much trouble with all the parts failing... might sell it and get me a VTR or VTS to play arround with.

Btw. just before the last MOT, the rubber bushings (except from the balljoints) have been changed. The guy who worked on the car has been banging on the wishbone quite a lot. I guess the crack might have appeared then...

Anyway thanks guys for all your comments / ideas :y:

[CactusJack]

Hm now I remembered that the guy who worked on the wishbone also used a grinder to cut out the rubber bushing on the footwell side, and I guess there is a high possibility that he caught a part of the metal on the wishbone. Looking at it now it would have been better and in the end cheaper if I had bought a new wishbone... well that's a lesson learned...

[axsaxoman]

no matter what he did -- if the forging has cracked I am certain it is not an orginal wishbone --probaly acheap chineese one --where heat treament and metal consistancy will be dubiuos to say the least other possiblilti he heated it up then quenched it with water making it brittle

that is why you will fail an MOT if any steering component has been obviously heated-- all thse parts must bend not break
these arms are meant to bend in an accident to absorb the impact --not shatter or crack
cheap crap

[CactusJack]

Thank You very much for your answer. Well the car has a long story, and as much as I've been told by a mechanic that worked on him, later when I bought the car, is that he believed that it has been crashed before I bought it in 2011. Most probably the original wishbones got it bad and have been replaced by this cheap crap.

Thanks again :)