Apparatus and methods for repairing control arms of automotive suspension

An apparatus for repairing a control arm of the automotive suspension, wherein the control arm includes a body having a receptacle at one end thereof, and a ball stud having a ball end inserted in the receptacle, the receptacle further including a substantially continuous circular, upward-extending flange welded at an edge of receptacle, the apparatus comprising:

• a base having a saddle rotatably supporting a matrix to which a control arm is removably affixable, wherein the matrix provides longitudinal and lateral movements and rotation of the control arm affixed thereto in a horizontal plane relative to the base of the apparatus;
• a matrix position calibration means for calibrating longitudinal, lateral and rotary positions of the matrix in the horizontal plane relative to the base of the apparatus;
• a bending roller positioning means for calibrating vertical and longitudinal positions of a bending roller to bring the bending roller in a contact with the upward-extending flange;
• and
• a bending roller means for bending the flange inwards by rolling the bending roller along the circumference of the flange while applying a downward force on the flange thereby bending the flange inwards and sealing off the ball end of the ball stud in the receptacle.