Rear lower arm safety warning.
With my car having recently been stripped, it was possible to check the various suspension components for signs of excessive stress.
Something that was noted was the way the powder coat had flaked away in the region of the rear lower arm balljoint. Looking closer it was apparent the plate that the lower ball joint bolts to, was bent on both arms.
Whilst it's hard to predict what may eventually have happened had I continued to use my car before sending it away for surgery, I do wonder if a failure similar to that suffered by Patrick's Sportster could have occured.
I think it would be prudent for other owners to check the state of their cars, and even if nothing is obvious at the moment, unbolt the ball joint from the arm, and weld on some gussets.
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