Lower control arm

[niemo810]

1994 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight LSS 167k mi.

Ok, so I've gotten 2 different stories, and One of them is biased I'm sure. You guys tell me

I was backing out of the driveway about a week ago, and I heard a thump-ish crunch, so I pulled back into my driveway and looked the car over. Damn. My lower control arm on the drivers side rusted right off the frame. It's actually still attached to a part of the frame, but it's so rusty-- well you get it. It's simply not attached.

My question to you folks is... is it safe to drive?

A mechanic who quoted me at $100 says I shoudl get it welded back on there with an angle bracket, but he didn't tell me why I should get it done. He just told me that i should, and it was $100.

A family friend/mechanic (who I did not ask to fix it) told me not to worry about it as long as I plan on getting a new car fairly soon (within a couple months). He told me that The lower control arm is there to simply give the car a smoother ride, and to keep the body and the wheel fairly "together". Basically he told me that it was there for a more rigid suspension and a more "controlled" ride. Not so sloppy.

So... Who's right? Should I bother getting it repaired if I'm just getting a new car in a few months anyway? Thank you!

-RGN

[maxwedge]

How can the car be driven with a rusted out lower arm, no way, maybe you mean something else?

[Alibi]

Welding really isn't a long-term option either.

[niemo810]

yeah, my "shade tree" mechanic had no idea what he was talking about. it wasn't even the lower control arm. my more qualified technician tells me it's the sub frame.

it's probably being welded on as I type this. I dropped it off last night. And yes, I know welding isn't a long term option, but it's the only option I've got I'm just getting it welded so I have someting to drive so I can look for another car.

The car was still drivable, but the only time I actually drove it was a mile up the back road to the mechanic