is it possible to straighten a bent rear control arm,

[volny]

JUst noticed I bent a rear lower control arm, most likely backing up into a sidewalk at work...not paying attention.

Nothing else seem damaged.

Looks like an easy job.

Can I take the arm off and try to bend it back to straighten it? I'd say it's bent about 0.5 inch but the curve is pretty round not looking too bad.

I had noticed my car wanted to drift from the rear doing heavy right turns, I guess it must have put the toe out of whack...

It is the thinner arm of the three the closest to the rear end of the car. looks a lot like this:

http://www.slidegood.com/02-subaru-impr ... l-arm.html

[Deride]

Yes you can bend the rear lateral links back if you bent them. You will want to get it as straight as possible and check the alignment after you are done.

[rallyak]

might be easer to get a different one. but is possable to strighten it.

[kimokalihi]

I would just replace it.

[vrg3]

On one of my old cars I had somehow bent that arm a little bit like this one: http://www.flickr.com/photos/poqua/3877513248/

It was probably a bad idea, but I heated it up with a MAPP torch and put a jack under it and was able to bend it back. It worked for about ten thousand miles before I got around to actually replacing it.

[volny]

Thanks guys!

Yea flat broke and family coming over visit from Europe next week, gotta get shayte done fast and avoid killing us all touring Ca

Taking it out tomorrow. I wish I could put it back flipped upside down so it would keep working against the bend...

Do alignment jobs touch that part of the suspension btw? I marked the relationship between bolts and stuffs and will get an alignment next week anyway, was just curious.

[volny]

I should have called this tread :"is it possible to remove a control arm?" instead...

Man these nuts are on tight!!! tried to take them off with a wrench yesterday with absolutely no result.

trying impact gun tomorrow...

Anybody ever been successful in removing an arm of the suspension here ?

[Apex3]

You can't adjust the toe back there, just take it off and put it back, whether or not you bent it back right will have everything to do with the alignment.

I didn't have too much trouble removing mine...

[vrg3]

If your car has ever seen a salted road, that nut will be very, very hard to get off. And, once you do get it off, it'll still be very, very hard to remove the bolt. It seizes to the metal sleeves inside the lateral link bushings. You'll have to use lots of impact, leverage, heat, penetrating oil, and cursing.