Hi everyone. Last night I was driving back home from work and at a right turn going about 20 miles per hour my rear passenger side made a loud snap and my car began swerving for a second til I got control.

I made it home and looked under the car to find that my rear lateral control link snapped in half.

How much would it be to get one of these by it self does anyone know? I refuse to see the dealership as I don't want to pay 5x the normal price.

If anyone has any extra laying around I'd be interested in getting one. : (



Second.
Would I be able to do this with a basic set of hand tools?

 

Mazmart in vendor forums maybe?

Any previous damage that you know of?
Corrosion?

Probably need impact tools

 

Pics please

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...1025124042.jpg

 

The arm looks thinned where it broke. Can you get some clearer pictures taken when you have it off the car?

 

Is it possible it was previously bent and then straightened?

 

Wow, good thing you were at such a low speed. That would be a serious event at a higher speed. It's fairly easy to swap out with hand tools and mechanical knowledge.

 

The skinny lower and forward lower control arm is usually the one that BENDS. Breaking is interesting. I really can't think of how or why this would break.

These parts are relatively cheap and like Team says above, very easy to replace. I would be more interested in why it broke. We have replaced a half dozen front lower forward control arms (the skinny ones) as they are the weak leak in the system when having some wheel contact when racing. Never have I seen this larger link bend or break.

Even if you hit a rock/curb/other, it would bend before breaking. Even if someone unknowingly jacked up the car on this control arm it would show signs of being bent.

For safety purposes I would get this car up on jack stands and do some more inspection. The aluminum upright is very beefy and we've never seen it bend, break, twist, other. Over torqueing the attachment bolts would not do this either.

This is very weird.

 

I have just taken off the the hub to change the bearing and I am struggling to attach said bar back to the car as I do not have the Alan key/wrench the fits. I have tried a 6mm (too big) 5.5mm ( too small) I also tried the imperial equivalent which is 1/4" and not sure the next size maybe 3/16"

Sorry to highjack the thread but it is the closest thread I could find to post in.

The manual only tells me the torque setting which would be great it I could only find the right tool to fit it.

Please help

I have also started a new thread on this as my question is not very relevant to this one
https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-wheels-tires-brakes-suspension-55/size-alan-wrench-tighten-rear-lateral-link-225952/

 

use an impact gun (electric or air) and it will remove the nut without needing anything else