E46 Front Control Arms
Discussion
Looks like the ball joints on my E46 are shot and need replacement. That means I need to buy new front control arms, but do I need new bushings as well?
Also anyone replaced these themselves? I am happy to give it a go, but only have my drive and a couple of jacks. Does this have the potential to be a nightmare?
Also anyone replaced these themselves? I am happy to give it a go, but only have my drive and a couple of jacks. Does this have the potential to be a nightmare?
Its a simple enough job in theory but can throw up problems, the nuts inside the engine compartment are tricky to access, no harder than any other though car really.
I would recommend using Meyle arms as my cars ate other makes but these have been on for forty thousand miles, I think they came with a four year guarantee and cost no more than inferior types.
Swap the lollipop bushes as well, I used genuine M3 items, these are tougher, the geometry will need resetting but of course this would need doing anyway.
Make sure the alignment place uses the correct settings as there are quite a few variations, if set wrongly your car will drive badly.
I would recommend using Meyle arms as my cars ate other makes but these have been on for forty thousand miles, I think they came with a four year guarantee and cost no more than inferior types.
Swap the lollipop bushes as well, I used genuine M3 items, these are tougher, the geometry will need resetting but of course this would need doing anyway.
Make sure the alignment place uses the correct settings as there are quite a few variations, if set wrongly your car will drive badly.
kev b said:
Its a simple enough job in theory but can throw up problems, the nuts inside the engine compartment are tricky to access, no harder than any other though car really.
I would recommend using Meyle arms as my cars ate other makes but these have been on for forty thousand miles, I think they came with a four year guarantee and cost no more than inferior types.
Swap the lollipop bushes as well, I used genuine M3 items, these are tougher, the geometry will need resetting but of course this would need doing anyway.
Make sure the alignment place uses the correct settings as there are quite a few variations, if set wrongly your car will drive badly.
Thanks both. whats the lollipop bushes? They the bushes that the control arms fit into? I would recommend using Meyle arms as my cars ate other makes but these have been on for forty thousand miles, I think they came with a four year guarantee and cost no more than inferior types.
Swap the lollipop bushes as well, I used genuine M3 items, these are tougher, the geometry will need resetting but of course this would need doing anyway.
Make sure the alignment place uses the correct settings as there are quite a few variations, if set wrongly your car will drive badly.
I found the control arms on Eurocarparts but struggling on the bushes?
These the Meyle ones?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Car-Control-Arms-Parts/...
Edited by Challo on Friday 28th July 11:20
I did my saloon on my driveway with axle stands.
It is easier to change the entire arm which comes with ball joints already in, and in most cases also with a new lollipop bush attached.
IMO the job is a b
d. On the passenger side there is very little space to undo one of the nuts - if I recall correctly it can only be moved <1cm at a time so takes ages, on your back, twisted to see what you are doing.
I would suggest getting a ratchet spanner to make it a little easier.
With regard to the arms, there is a difference between Sport and SE - make sure you get the correct one. Sport are significantly more expensive - Meyle as already recommended are what I bought.
It is easier to change the entire arm which comes with ball joints already in, and in most cases also with a new lollipop bush attached.
IMO the job is a b
d. On the passenger side there is very little space to undo one of the nuts - if I recall correctly it can only be moved <1cm at a time so takes ages, on your back, twisted to see what you are doing.I would suggest getting a ratchet spanner to make it a little easier.
With regard to the arms, there is a difference between Sport and SE - make sure you get the correct one. Sport are significantly more expensive - Meyle as already recommended are what I bought.
I got these for my Z4c as part of my suspension refresh (put the b12kit on) - which uses similar bits, no problems at all.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191247361555
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191247361555
kev b said:
Challo, the amazon link you posted looks alright, they come with the lollipop bushes already fitted so thats one job saved.
I used a couple of long socket extensions and a universal joint to access the awkward nuts.
I dont think you can buy each balljoint seperately.
I check the VIN and didn't say I had Sport or SE suspension so not sure if I need to check. I used a couple of long socket extensions and a universal joint to access the awkward nuts.
I dont think you can buy each balljoint seperately.
You live and learn, I had no luck with lemforder, despite them being the oem fitment, they would last less than 10,000 miles. I fitted Meyle four years ago and have had no trouble since despite the potholed rural roads around me.
I wonder if they have outsourced production in the mean time.
I wonder if they have outsourced production in the mean time.
Quite a straightforward job with the correct tools and patience.
I replaced my OE front arms after 120k with Melye HD, I already had polybushed lollipops so didn't have the issue of getting the old bush out.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FOR-BMW-E46-HEAVY-DUTY-C...
You'll need a decent ball-joint splitter to get the inner and outers free. Depending on how crusty your hub is, I needed a grinder at some stage.
The NSF nut can be actually accessed from above through the engine bay with long enough ratchet extensions. The OSF is a pain to access and very tight even for a spanner but not impossible - from what I remember one couldn't even use a ratchet spanner due height restrictions as the nut comes off the thread, rendering it impossible for spanner to be removed...
Therefore you must use an open ended spanner and lie there under the car moving it 0.1mm per time - fun.
I also replaced the 22mm inner nuts as mine were shot and slightly rounded - only a few quid from BMW and generally in stock.
As others have said, worth swapping the lollipops out for polys or upgraded OEM stuff and then have it fully aligned.
I replaced my OE front arms after 120k with Melye HD, I already had polybushed lollipops so didn't have the issue of getting the old bush out.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FOR-BMW-E46-HEAVY-DUTY-C...
You'll need a decent ball-joint splitter to get the inner and outers free. Depending on how crusty your hub is, I needed a grinder at some stage.
The NSF nut can be actually accessed from above through the engine bay with long enough ratchet extensions. The OSF is a pain to access and very tight even for a spanner but not impossible - from what I remember one couldn't even use a ratchet spanner due height restrictions as the nut comes off the thread, rendering it impossible for spanner to be removed...
Therefore you must use an open ended spanner and lie there under the car moving it 0.1mm per time - fun.
I also replaced the 22mm inner nuts as mine were shot and slightly rounded - only a few quid from BMW and generally in stock.
As others have said, worth swapping the lollipops out for polys or upgraded OEM stuff and then have it fully aligned.
im replacing the osf on my b3s which has the same bones as the 330ci sport. i already replaced the bushes so will source the bone from bmw and its about 170 inc vat. i know i can get cheaper and i know that lemorder are an oe manufacturer of the bones but i prefer to buy the oe parts.
you may need a puller to remove the old bushes from the bone depending on their condition
you may need a puller to remove the old bushes from the bone depending on their condition
helix402 said:
You've got two pullers to get the bushes off, your hands! Good call on the gen arms though as aftermarket quality seems a little variable.
I tend to go genuine for suspension these days. In the past it has stood me in good stead and some dealers do knock a little off 
.As for the hands some of the bushes can be tight to get off. What I used was a bearing puller and a rattle gun. The bushes were changed on a mate's E46 in around an hour tops including jacking the car up and it was a pretty easy thing to do.
A little update. Picked up the Meyler control arms and ordered drop links as well for £200.
Attempted it today and it turned out to be a nightmare. Passenger side first and the bolts all came out pretty easily, the inner ball joint was tricky but had an extended rachet so removed the bolt pretty quickly. Issue came with the ball joints and both took over an hour to remove, as they where seized on. Finally came apart with a sledge hammer but the access wasn't great.
Started on the drivers side and fell at the first hurdle as the nut on the outer ball joint was rusted, and most of the edges had worn away so the spanner just spun
It was getting late so I think it's going to have to go into the garage to see if they can grind off the bolt or use some heat??
Annoyingly ALS Tyre Place said they would replace the control arms and do the tracking all for £250 but I suspect that price would have risen with labour and no doubt they would have used suspect parts.
Hopefully my local mechanic can change the arm for little money.
Attempted it today and it turned out to be a nightmare. Passenger side first and the bolts all came out pretty easily, the inner ball joint was tricky but had an extended rachet so removed the bolt pretty quickly. Issue came with the ball joints and both took over an hour to remove, as they where seized on. Finally came apart with a sledge hammer but the access wasn't great.
Started on the drivers side and fell at the first hurdle as the nut on the outer ball joint was rusted, and most of the edges had worn away so the spanner just spun
It was getting late so I think it's going to have to go into the garage to see if they can grind off the bolt or use some heat??
Annoyingly ALS Tyre Place said they would replace the control arms and do the tracking all for £250 but I suspect that price would have risen with labour and no doubt they would have used suspect parts.
Hopefully my local mechanic can change the arm for little money.
Sorry to hear you had a struggle, it only takes one stubborn item to turn a job into an ordeal.
This is the problem with diy, if the job goes bad in a garage they will have the tools and experience to get around the problem.
Theres no way a garage would have fitted Meyle heavy duty parts for £250 so you would have ended up with cheapy arms.
I once fitted generic lollipop bushes to my E36 and they lasted a week, taught me a valuable lesson, learned it again three months later when the cheap arms wore out and I had to replace them and have it aligned for the third time, buy cheap buy twice.
This is the problem with diy, if the job goes bad in a garage they will have the tools and experience to get around the problem.
Theres no way a garage would have fitted Meyle heavy duty parts for £250 so you would have ended up with cheapy arms.
I once fitted generic lollipop bushes to my E36 and they lasted a week, taught me a valuable lesson, learned it again three months later when the cheap arms wore out and I had to replace them and have it aligned for the third time, buy cheap buy twice.
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