I need help identifying a rear suspension part. I have a 96 Contour SE. Looking from the rear, underneath are two arms about 3 ft long. One end of each arm is bolted in the center of the car. The other end is bolted closer to the wheel hub. These arms are made from ~1/8-in steel and formed into a "w shape on its side".
For someone who doesn't know any better, this might be a tempting place to jack when changing a tire. Jacking here will bend this arm causing a very noticeable pull and loose, squirrely feel when driving because the wheel is now obviously bent clear out of alignment! This is exactly what a local shop did to me when simply repairing a tire.
Question 1: What is this arm called?
Question 2: Can this part be heated and bent back into shape satisfactorily or does it need to be replaced with new to fix it right?
Question 3: Will I need an alignment done after repair or replacement? I appreciate any suggestions from someone with experience here. Thank you.
