Steering You Through Life

The control arm is the mechanical link between the suspension strut and body and therefore is one of the most important functional components for passenger cars. At the same time, control arms also ensure correct wheel alignment. They hold the suspension strut in position and absorb forces in longitudinal and transverse directions during acceleration, deceleration and cornering.

Since the control arm is a safety-relevant wear part that sooner or later has to be replaced on every passenger car, this component is subjected to very exacting tests, especially by the TÜV (German Association for Technical Inspection). In these examinations, the control arm is one of the most frequently faulted parts.

Control arms from febi are characterised by precise workmanship, high-grade materials and use high-quality ball joints and bearings with the correct rubber hardness.

With a common alignment and a range of over 1,650 control arms in OE matching quality, febi offers maximum stability for the road, in the repair shop and in business.

The supporting ball joint connects the control arm to the suspension strut. The main task of the ball joint is to support the steering knuckle and to hold the widely-used McPherson strut in position at the base. As a safety-relevant component, the ball joint must absorb the forces exerted during braking, acceleration and cornering.

A defective component makes its presence felt with clicking or knocking noises from the front axle. The major cause of failure are the protective rubber boots that allow dirt and moisture to enter the joint. This leads to corrosion and ultimately to play in the joint. It can also result in imprecise steering and an unevenly worn tyre tread pattern. When replacing the ball joint, attention must always be paid to ensuring that the surrounding components, such as the axle boot, are not damaged. After replacement, the need may arise for wheel alignment, which must be conducted according to the manufacturer specifications.

febi makes an important contribution to road safety with up to 500 high-quality ball joints ensuring customers can always rely upon our products.

Tie rods connect the steering gear to the crossmembers of the front wheels and ensure that both wheels turn together and maintain a specific angle relative to each other.

Changing the tie rod is necessitated by wear of the tie rod end or inner tie rod end (if these components are not available separately). Another reason could be deformation of the tie rod caused by shocks such as driving over potholes, excessive kerb contact, or an accident.

The functional dimension, i.e. the required length, of high-quality febi tie rods corresponds precisely to the original. If the length differs from that specified by the vehicle manufacturer, problems could arise during wheel alignment.

febi tie rods guarantee a perfect connection in the steering and suspension area. febi also guarantees this perfect connection in its everyday cooperation with you. With over 450 articles in its tie rod range, febi is the leader in the Independent Automotive Aftermarket.

The outer tie rod end transfers the movement from the steering wheel to the wheels and allows the wheels to move relative to the vertical axis. In order to be effective, the steering system has to turn the wheels at the same rate and along the same plane in any condition of both the car and the road. A worn tie rod end can result to abnormal wear patterns on the tyres and erratic steering feel.

The rubber boot is vitally important for a long service life: in order to avoid corrosion and play in the joint, febi only uses the highest quality Chlorophene rubber. The correct material hardness of the mating surface with the crossmember is ensured by our certified quality management system.

febi provides an extensive range of more than 850 OE-matching quality tie rod ends for precise vehicle control – ensuring your customers always arrive safely at their destination.

The tie rod consists of an inner tie rod and a tie rod end. The inner tie rod is connected to the steering. The main function of this part is to convey the steering motion to the wheels. This keeps the vehicle in the right lane.

A typical sign of wear is play in the ball joint. This can occur, for example, if the plastic shell of the ball socket is worn.

One frequent reason for this unequivocal defect is repeated and excessively hard mounting of kerbs. As a pioneer in the Independent Automotive Aftermarket, febi and its inner tie rods ensure that repair shops and the trade always keep on track. With over 550 articles in range and coverage of 97% of popular vehicle types, febi leads the way.

The stabiliser link – also referred to as a sway bar link – is an important component for the driving dynamics of a passenger car. It connects the stabiliser bar to the body and as a part of the suspension, stabilises the vehicle especially when cornering by reducing roll, i.e. the tilting of the body structure towards the outside of the curve.

If knocking noises can be heard on uneven road surfaces from the front axle area, this could be a sign of a defective stabiliser link. It can usually be replaced without much effort and subsequent wheel alignment is normally not required.

As well as improving vehicle dynamics, it also optimises dynamics within the workshop. febi provides the basis for this with more than 1,000 vehicle-specific stabiliser links that are mostly available as complete repair sets and ProKits.