Posted: 06/21/2023
From carving through sharp turns to rolling over bumpy roads, having a stable, balanced ride is key. And while a lot of parts work together to keep things smooth, two components pull serious weight: sway bars and control arms.
These parts are central to how your vehicle handles, especially when the road gets tricky.
Sway bars—also called stabilizer bars or sometimes anti-roll bars—basically connect the suspension from one side of your vehicle to the other. Their whole job is to help with body roll—like, the twisting that happens when you turn and all the weight shifts. They kinda even things out so your ride stays more level.
Then you’ve got control arms, which some folks call A-arms or wishbones. These connect the suspension to the frame and help control how the wheels move up and down. It’s what keeps things like handling and ride quality from falling apart. If the wheels are all over the place, the rest of the car’s not gonna stay on the road properly—and that’s kinda important.
Sway bars do a lot of behind-the-scenes work when it comes to keeping your ride from feeling like it’s gonna tip over every time you take a sharp turn. They connect the suspension from one side of your car to the other and twist when you corner, helping to even out the weight shift so your vehicle stays a bit flatter. Without one, you’d definitely feel a lot more body roll than you want.
Now, depending on your setup, struts might be in the mix too. On some cars, struts take the place of the upper control arm and the ball joint, so you’ve got fewer moving parts—but also a different kind of suspension geometry to deal with.
Sway bars are made of metal, usually solid or sometimes tubular, and they resist that side-to-side roll by twisting—a thing called torsional force. That twisting helps balance the pressure between the wheels. So yeah, next time you’re carving through a tight corner and the car stays composed, thank the sway bar for doing its job.
While sway bars handle body roll, control arms are what really keep things steady underneath you. They help make sure your wheels are lined up right and that the car reacts the way it should—especially when the road throws something weird your way.
Control arms link the wheels to the vehicle’s frame and come in a bunch of setups—MacPherson struts, double wishbones, multi-link, you name it. Doesn’t really matter which you’ve got; they all work together with the rest of the suspension to keep your tires planted. Oh—and they’re super vehicle-specific, so swapping them isn’t as simple as just grabbing a random part off the shelf.
One of their biggest jobs is managing how the wheels move up and down, while keeping everything aligned. That helps with traction—especially during hard turns, braking, or acceleration. Plus, they play into stuff like camber, caster, and toe, which all affect how your tires wear and how your car feels through the wheel.
They also use bushings—usually rubber or poly—to absorb vibrations and calm down road noise. So yeah, they do a lot more than folks give them credit for.
Sway bars and control arms—they kind of work together to help your car handle better. They don’t do the same job, but honestly, the way they work side by side is what gives you that stable, in-control kind of ride.
Sway bars are mostly about body roll. Like when you take a hard corner and the car leans? The sway bar’s there to push back on that. Control arms, though, they’re more about keeping the wheels where they’re supposed to be—lined up right, moving the way they should without throwing everything off. So yeah, both parts matter, just in different ways.
Together, they handle different forces hitting your suspension—side-to-side with the sway bar, up-and-down with the control arms. And when they’re doing what they’re supposed to, the car just feels... tighter. More confident on the road. It’s not some magic trick—it’s just solid parts doing their thing, together.
Your suspension setup isn’t something to mess around with lightly. Because of how it works—and how much is riding on it, literally—you want someone who knows what they’re doing. This really isn’t the time for trial and error in your driveway. Go with a trusted technician, and unless you’ve got real training under your belt, maybe skip the DIY on this one.
Regular checks are key. A good tech will look for stuff like worn or loose bushings, cracks or damage in the sway bars or control arms, and any strange noises while the suspension’s moving. Those little signs can tell you a lot about what’s going on under there.
Lubrication matters too. Using the right grease on the bushings—both sway bar and control arm—helps things move like they should and keeps the wear down. Just follow whatever the manufacturer recommends.
Also, keeping those parts clean isn’t just about looks. Dirt and road grime can build up and lead to corrosion or other issues. That’s why regular maintenance should include a good once-over and a clean-up.
Arnold Motor Supply has been a leading supplier of auto parts since 1927. Founded and based in Iowa, we have auto parts stores all over the midwest. Order your parts today and you'll be notified via email once your purchase is ready for pickup at your local Arnold Motor Supply or Auto Value parts store.
