Are "Trailing Arms" and "Control Arms" the same thing?
03-28-2005, 10:19 AM
#3
On the rear, your control arms are "trailing arms".
On the front your control arms are an "A arm" style and not a trailing arm.
The trailing arms "trail" behind their mounting point and are typically straight (like our lower control arms on the rear).
So, the answer to your question is "it depends on which end of the car we're talking about. If it's the rear, it's yes."
On the front your control arms are an "A arm" style and not a trailing arm.
The trailing arms "trail" behind their mounting point and are typically straight (like our lower control arms on the rear).
So, the answer to your question is "it depends on which end of the car we're talking about. If it's the rear, it's yes."
03-28-2005, 12:00 PM
#5
Technically no, but realistically some people use the terms interchangably.
My '72 Vette had TRAILING ARMS. My 4th Gen F-bods have LCAs. The trailing arms had a lot more stuffed in the them/bolted on them. In fact the halfshafts connected right to the inner side of them via a u-joint from the differential. The LCAs, as you know, as simple pieces of metal with two bushing ends.
These days you can use the terms interchangeably and prolly no one will give you a hard time besides maybe some purists.
My '72 Vette had TRAILING ARMS. My 4th Gen F-bods have LCAs. The trailing arms had a lot more stuffed in the them/bolted on them. In fact the halfshafts connected right to the inner side of them via a u-joint from the differential. The LCAs, as you know, as simple pieces of metal with two bushing ends.
These days you can use the terms interchangeably and prolly no one will give you a hard time besides maybe some purists.
