Control Arms & Track Bars

Control arms and track bars: what a lift breaks

These are the parts a lift kit quietly makes necessary. Raise a truck and the factory control arms hold the axle at an angle they were never drawn for — caster goes out, the tire moves in the wheel well, and the ride develops a wander that no alignment will fix.

Upper control arms restore caster and buy back droop travel. A longer or adjustable track bar re-centers the axle under the truck, which is why a lifted solid-axle vehicle that pulls to one side usually needs one. Adjustable arms let you dial it in; fixed arms are set for a specific lift height and simpler to get right.