BMW control arm refers to the support component of the main suspension component. Typically, control arms are secondary suspension components that support the strut of a wheel. As the name suggests, control arm helps control the strut to make it stable. The control arm compensate for the sway of the strut. Typically, each strut has a pair of control arms, namely, the upper and lower control arms. The most common type of control arms used in automobiles is the A-shaped control arm. The base of the A-shaped control arm is connected to the chassis while the apex of the control arm is connected to the ball joint.
The base of the BMW control arm takes care of the vertical motion of the strut while the apex of the control arm compensates for the twisting motion of the strut. Without the control arm, the strut will be very unstable. Consequently, the strut would be more of a liability than an asset to the automobile if it is very unstable. The control arm greatly improves the stability of the strut. The control arm has two fundamental actions, namely, twist action and vertical action. The strut is suspended at the center of the control arm. The control arms allow the chassis some vertical freedom while also compensating for the twisting motion of the strut.
A BMW control arm may also refer to other types of control arms other than the A-shaped control arm. Nonetheless, the A-shapes control arm is the most commonly used control arm. A less common type of control arm is the rod control arm which is more commonly used in vehicles that utilize leaf springs. Discount BMW control arm is conveniently available online.