Is the control arm of a Ford Focus not adjustable? I took my Focus to the shop because of a noise, thinking it might be a front wheel bearing. Repair person said couldn’t tell as needed alignment, tried to do that, said not successful because the control arm is not adjustable. Suggested after market control arms which are adjustable, then alignment before getting new tires because the ones now are cupping out. Is this reasonable, why would Ford put on non-adjustable control arms?
The control arm is not adjustable - per se.
KMAC makes a camber plate for the upper part of the strut. It will allow for precise and easy adjustment of the camber/caster. KMAC camber plates are from australia - and are like 300 dollars though. But you will notice your car turns smoother - because the top of the strut bearing is much nicer.
I heard SPC camber plates are bad for bearings for some reason. Not sure if this was wheel bearing or strut bearing.
Also - there are replacement MOOG ball joints for Ford Focus.
You have to grind and then press out the old ball joints rivets. Real pain in the tookas. But after they are out: MOOG brand ball joints bolt on - and in theory, you could weld and grind some extra plate on the ends of the control arms - to make them adjustable. I saw a ford focus web forum where someone did exactly this.
I also think I saw
an aftermarket control arm somewhere.
Lastly - you could have someone cut or grind the top of the strut a little to make the top of the strut go where you need it to.
If you do any of this - GET AN ALIGNMENT IMMEDIATELY - WASTE NO TIME. messing with camber, will mess with your toe. Toe is what eats tires and makes a car generally dangerous to drive. Eyeball it - but get to the closest shop that does alignments right away.
Were you in an accident? camber/ caster should be pretty close to good - unless you hit a curb or another car.
Cupping is often misinterpreted. Cupping is a sign of a bad shock or strut in most cases. Some tires develop a bad featheredging that is often referred to as cupping and that is usually caused by a worn or bent suspension component.
If the camber and/or caster is way out then I would suspect something is seriously worn or seriously bent.
(Bent can be caused by a large pothole, curb strike, etc.)