Mike, I make the comparison to ball joints specifically because it entails the same"type" of "unsafe" condition. As mentioned, the manufacturers, the gov veh insp people and the industry have all decided that when a suspension component is no longer able to hold the geometry, whether or not there is any risk of separation and catastrophic failure, an unsafe situation exists. I didn't make those rules. I may not even agree with them, but those are the standards set. When a rear upper control arm allows camber change it is no different from an upper ball joint, or a better comparison, an inner control arm bushing with the rubber missing.

The discussion of separated joints was not a comparison to the current item. It was simply an illustration of how oblivious drivers can be to obvious driveability symptoms even when components are worn to the point of catastrophic failure. An illustration of how redundant the answer to your question about noticing any driveability issues is. You don't do safety inspections by way of a road test.

How unsafe is it? It won't pass a safety inspection and a good analogy would be to treat it like you would a worn out bushing in an upper frt control arm. How long would you leave it?

Steve g

 

Mike and Steve.... You guys are both from Canada , right? I fiqured both to be close friends.

Ken

 

If the rear is out of alignment, it will want to swap ends with you and feel twitchy.

Wait until the suspension is back on the ground and settled, then take another look.

 

Same country, very different viewpoints.

Steve g

 

Yes, and contrary to what our neighbours to the south might have heard we don't necessarily all know each other or your cousin's friend that lives in Winnipeg.

 

And, we don't all live in igloos, we don't get 10 months of winter and 2 months of thin ice (or poor sledding), most of us have never eaten bannock, there's no truth to the rumour that mosquitos have been sighted with stewardesses and you can not watch your dog run away for 3 days from your porch in Winnipeg (my home town).

Just a few more little known facts.

Steve g