Fixing a Bent Jeep Renegade Trailhawk Rear Control Arm

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
The last time we took our Jeep Renegade Trailhawk out wheeling, I hit one of the passenger side rear control arms on rock and hard enough to bend it. Being that it really wasn't that big of a deal, I just left well enough alone until I could find time to address it and, that time finally came. While working on replacing the new Daystar rear control arm mounts they sent me, I took some time to pull the bent arm so that I could straighten it out in a shop press. Here are a few pics of what the control arm looked like, how I fixed it and what it looks like now. :cool:

Here's a shot of our Renegade's on the rack so that you can see what the bent control arm looks like.
WTUG5827.jpg

This is what it looks like sitting on a work bench. Not exactly what I would call straight :crazyeyes:
XPPK8933.jpg

Being that this arm is about the same thickness as a JK tie rod, I knew it'd be nothing a shop press couldn't fix.
NATU7622.jpg

Ta-Da! All straight again!
WCID4490.jpg

Reinstalled and all good to go again.
QPWZ8279.jpg

If this is something you're in need of doing, I will need to remind you to mark the position of your cam bolts prior to removing them. Their setting determines your alignment and if you reinstall it incorrectly, your alignment will be off.

Anyway, just thought I would post this up for those of you who might be interested :cool:
 

WJCO

Meme King
Very cool fix. You'd think your warranty would have covered something like that. :crazyeyes:
 

swampdog

New member
Bash em a few more times and you will have custom "high clearance" arms. You will also get custom tread wear [emoji12]
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
I can't believe how long the arms are. When's Daystar coming out with more beef?

I think they're one of the reasons that the ride is so nice.
Don't think anyone will be coming out with more beef anytime soon. We'd need to see a lot more units on the road before it'd be a worthy investment.

Very cool fix. You'd think your warranty would have covered something like that. :crazyeyes:

:cheesy:
 

Tumbleweed

Member
Good repair job.

I wonder if the arm is more susceptible to bending up in that direction now? Could you have placed the scraped-bent part up so next time the arm would bend the opposite way? Or would it even have made any difference?

Keep on Toastin'!!!
 

naysjp

Member
You don't play do you Eddie. ALL of those jeeps see the trail no matter how small. LOL.Good job.:thumb:
 

Coop

Caught the Bug
I'm curious to see what the frequency of bent control arms might be. From the pics it looks to be vulnerable. Maybe a thicker chrome moly piece will be in order some time in the near future for those who play on the trails.
 
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