Control Arm & Toe Arm Kits

Control arm and toe arm kits give the alignment shop the range to set rear geometry properly on a vehicle whose ride height has changed.

On an independent rear suspension, camber and toe are set by the length of the arms holding the hub. Change the ride height and both move, and on most vehicles the factory left very little adjustment to bring them back.

Why Camber and Toe Arms Are Bought Together

These two are sold as a pair for a practical reason rather than a commercial one.

The camber arm sets how far the top of the wheel leans in or out. The toe arm sets whether the wheel points slightly inward or outward. On an independent rear end, the two arms attach to the same hub carrier, so moving one changes the reading on the other.

Adjust the camber and the toe reading shifts with it, then correct the toe and camber has moved again. Without adjustment available on both, the aligner ends up chasing one angle with the other and landing on a compromise rather than a setting.

Having both adjustable means each angle can be set independently and then confirmed, which is what produces a rear alignment that actually holds the numbers it was given.

That is also why a kit covering both is better value than buying one and returning for the other, since the labour and the alignment are shared.

What Changing Ride Height Does to Your Rear Arms

Lowering a vehicle introduces negative camber at the rear, which tilts the top of the wheel inward. The contact patch shrinks as a result, since the tyre is now riding on its inner edge rather than sitting flat.

That costs traction and it destroys the inner edge of a set of rear tyres surprisingly quickly. Plenty of owners discover it at the first tyre change after lowering, well before the tread anywhere else on the tyre is finished.

Toe moves at the same time, and rear toe has an outsized effect on how a vehicle feels. Small amounts of unwanted toe make the rear feel unsettled, cause the vehicle to wander, and wear tyres in a feathered pattern across the tread.

Raising a vehicle produces the opposite camber change and the same problem, which is why lifted wagons and SUVs with independent rear ends need correction just as lowered cars do.

The common thread is that neither the camber nor the toe angle stays where it was, and on most platforms there is not enough factory adjustment to bring either back.

Which Arms Your Rear Suspension Actually Uses

Layouts vary considerably at the rear, and the arms available depend entirely on what is fitted.

A multi-link rear end typically uses an upper arm setting camber, a separate toe arm at the rear of the hub carrier, and one or two lower arms handling lateral location. That arrangement gives the most scope for correction, since each angle has its own arm.

A double wishbone rear uses upper and lower arms together, with camber set by the relationship between them and toe often adjusted at a separate link.

Some designs provide factory adjustment at one position and none at the other, which is a common reason people need only a toe arm or only a camber arm rather than both.

A trailing arm rear suspension behaves differently again, since the arm running lengthwise influences toe as the suspension travels, and correction there may involve the trailing arm rather than a separate link.

Checking what your vehicle actually has before ordering saves buying an arm for a position that does not exist on your platform.

How Much Adjustment Adjustable Arms Give You

Adjustment range varies considerably depending on the design and the application.

Arms intended for street correction typically provide enough range to bring a modest ride height change back into specification, which is what most vehicles need. Those are direct replacements for the factory arm, using the original mounting points.

Arms built for competition use extend the range well beyond that, allowing camber settings a street vehicle would never want. More range is not automatically better, since a wider adjustment range usually comes with joints and construction chosen for the track rather than for a daily driver.

Check the range against what your alignment actually needs. If the machine is reading half a degree out, an arm offering seven degrees of adjustment is solving a problem you do not have and bringing compromises you will notice on the road.

Adjustment is normally made by changing the effective length of the arm, either through a threaded section or a turnbuckle, which lets the aligner set it precisely on the rack.

Bush and Joint Options on Adjustable Arms

How the arm pivots at each end decides how it behaves and how long it lasts.

Rubber bushed arms are the closest to factory. They isolate road noise, they are quiet, and they deflect under load in the same way the originals did, which is acceptable on a road vehicle.

Polyurethane holds its shape better under load, so the geometry stays where it was set rather than moving as the suspension works. That is the sensible middle ground for a street vehicle that is being corrected properly.

Spherical or rod end joints remove deflection almost entirely, giving the most precise geometry control available. They also transmit considerably more noise and vibration into the cabin and need more maintenance, which is why they belong on track and competition vehicles rather than daily drivers.

For a vehicle used on the road, the quieter options are usually the right call, and the precision difference between polyurethane and a rod end matters far more on a circuit than it does on a highway.

Symptoms That Point to Worn or Fixed Rear Arms

• Inner edge wear on the rear tyres that returns after each alignment
• Feathered or scalloped wear across the rear tread
• The rear feeling unsettled or loose over bumps taken mid corner
• The vehicle wandering and needing correction at highway speed
• An alignment printout showing rear camber or toe outside specification
• An aligner reporting that the rear cannot be brought into range
• Rear tyres wearing noticeably faster than the fronts
• A vehicle that has been lowered or raised and has never felt right since

Rear geometry problems are frequently blamed on the front, since that is where the steering is. If the fronts have been corrected and the vehicle still tracks poorly, the rear is worth measuring.

Suspension Arm Compliance and Engineering Certificates

Worth understanding before fitting anything, since suspension modifications sit within a regulated framework in Australia.

Components approved against VSB 14, the national code of practice for light vehicle modifications, are engineered to meet those requirements. Some aftermarket arms are supplied with engineering certificates specifically so they can be presented if a vehicle is inspected.

Requirements vary between states and territories, particularly around what needs certification and what does not. A setup that passes without comment in one state can require engineering approval in another.

If the vehicle is registered and driven on the road, checking the current requirements for your state before committing is worth the few minutes. Our Service Centres deal with this regularly and can tell you where a particular combination leaves you.

Setting Adjustable Arms on the Rack Rather Than Guessing

Fit both arms on a corner together rather than one at a time, since adjusting one without range on the other leaves the aligner in the same position as before.

Set the arms to roughly the original length before fitting, then let the aligner make the final adjustment with the machine reading the numbers. Guessing at a length and hoping it lands close wastes rack time.

Torque the fasteners with the vehicle on its wheels at ride height rather than hanging, because whatever position a bush is clamped in becomes its neutral position and one tightened at droop will bind at normal ride height.

Do both sides of the vehicle rather than one. Rear camber and toe need to match left and right, and an adjustable arm on one side working against a fixed one on the other makes that impossible.

A rear wheel alignment afterwards is the entire point rather than an afterthought. These arms exist to give the aligner range, so the job is not finished until the numbers have been set.

Book the job through Click and Fit and the parts go to your nearest workshop with the installation arranged, covering fitting by a qualified technician, the wheel alignment itself, a suspension check, a visual brake inspection and a written report.

Fulcrum has been working on suspension since 1976, across 16 Service Centres and 200+ authorised workshops nationwide.

Find Control Arm and Toe Arm Kits for Your Vehicle

Need a single arm instead of a matched kit? Our suspension arms range includes control arms sold individually.

Select your vehicle to see the adjustable camber and toe arms available for it, and check the adjustment range and joint type each one offers. Talk to your nearest Service Centre if you are unsure how much correction your alignment actually needs. Everything we sell is covered by our warranty and a fitment guarantee, with a nationwide workshop network behind it.