E46 touring front suspension wishbone arm replacement

[grifter911]

Hi
Does anyone know what I should expect to pay to have these replaced on both sides? I've seen a "value" kit from BMW with all the bushes and fittings for about 320, but I haven't got the skills to fit it myself.
Cheers

[E30M3SE]

If the bush is already attached to the wishbone on the value arm then 1-1.5 hrs max using ramps and air tools, I would have though.

[Fox-]

Whats in the value pack? I've seen these around - is there a reason why they only seem to do one Value pack for one pair of arms when there are both upper and lower arms?

[martin mrt]

Because the E46 doesnt have upper arms.

[Fox-]

martin mrt said:

Because the E46 doesnt have upper arms.

The E39 does and there is a value pack for that too, again only with the lower arms in.

[roofer]

Macpherson strut doesn't have upper arms

[Fox-]

roofer said:

Macpherson strut doesn't have upper arms

I am desperately trying to understand more about the front suspension.. why are there constant references to both upper and lower control arms then?

[E30M3SE]

Fox- said:

martin mrt said:

Because the E46 doesnt have upper arms.

The E39 does and there is a value pack for that too, again only with the lower arms in.

E39 doesn't have upper arms, it has wishbone and tension/thrust arms, both mounted on the same plane.



part#4 is tension arm
part#11 is wishbone.

X5's have upper and lower wishbones as well as tension arms,

[Fox-]

E30M3SE said:

E39 doesn't have upper arms, it has wishbone and tension/thrust arms, both mounted on the same plane.



part#4 is tension arm
part#11 is wishbone.

Excellent - why does everyone go on and on about E39 upper control arms then, it had me convinced it had them!

So, why Value wishbones but not tension arms?

[E30M3SE]

Because they are on about the rear suspension not the front, the rear has upper and lower wishbones (well the lower arm is actually the entire swing arm rather than a wishbone).

to have a educated guess, thrust are sold without the bush, the bush being available separately, so the arm is serviceable, the wishbone however is only sold as a complete unit sans bush, so when the bush wears, which it will, rather than being able to replace just the bush the whole arm must be replaced therefore they do a value line arm.

Edited by E30M3SE on Sunday 18th March 20:50

[Fox-]

So there is no need to ever replace the thurst arms - just the bushes?

[E30M3SE]

When the ball joint in the thrust arm has excessive play it will need replacing, but the bush will probably wear before the ball joint does, and that can be replaced on its own.

[Fox-]

I've well and truely taken this thread off-topic but hey it'll all be useful to somebody

Would you advise replacement of everything at once or is it sensible to just replace the wishbones and leave the thrust arms until... I dunno, whatever it is happens that requires thurst arm bush replacement?

ie is it a case of whilst it's all out its a trivial task to do X Y and Z at the same time?

[E30M3SE]

That all depends on how big your wallet is.

Change when they need changing, but do both left and right side of which ever arm and/or bush is being changed.