bmw balljoint arms

cantdecide

i've been trying to find out about balljoints for my e36 saloon. my mechanic hasn't got the balljoint tool, so i think the best thing to do is replace the whole arm, balljoints included, on both sides. i'm having problems with a low quality spurious balljoint on the driver side which has to get the bin.
is there such thing as a high quality spurious suspension arm for my car? i imagine i don't want to go the road of genuine parts, especially since the car is nearly 15 years old and far from perfection already.
anonre know what they cost or where to get them?

cantdecide

like these ones

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-E36-3-SERIES-FRONT-SUSPENSION-WISHBONE-LOWER-ARM-NW_W0QQitemZ280058365301QQihZ018QQcategoryZ10374QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

SouperComputer

otto? www.otto.ie

Nom-IzZ

GSF car parts?

or

Go to accarsales.com, Alan has done all the work on my Bmw 318, many would vouch for em.


Simon

Seth Brundle

AC are good and get my vote!

Mr.Diagnostic

These joints can be changed in a press with the arm removed without the need for a special tool. The tool only alloys the joint to be changed without removing the arm. Unless the bushes are worn there is no need to change the arm.

Lex Luthor

I bought control arms for a BMW from OTTO before. They are the original Lemforder arms that BMW use without the BMW stamp and 70% of the cost.

When it comes to parts like these, I think you are better off getting the original ones as they are not that expensive anyway

Alan, don't you think that if you have to remove the arm to remove the bush, that you are better off replacing the arm. The labour costs for replacing the arm will probably be the same as replacing the bush and eventually the arm will have to be replaced anyway?

Mr.Diagnostic

Lex Luthor wrote:

Alan, don't you think that if you have to remove the arm to remove the bush, that you are better off replacing the arm. The labour costs for replacing the arm will probably be the same as replacing the bush and eventually the arm will have to be replaced anyway?

Not really Tom. It's not the bush but the bottom joint that is in question here, unless I picked it up wrong. At a guess I would say the wear ratio of joint to bush (or middle joint) on the front of the E36 is about 3 to 1. It would be a waste of money to change the arm every time. Labour time should be about the same as it is simple to press them.
I suppose if the car has not had arms done for 20 or 30K then I would agree with you that it would make sense to change them complete.

MercMad

Not a help here to the OP but another question, what goes on the rear of the E36's ?

A friend has one with an annoying rattle from the rear suspension, he changed the CV/half shaft as he figured that was the cause, it highlighted another noise which he cant trace !

Seth Brundle

Your description is still rather vague but my first guess would have been strut top mounts.

MercMad

Your description is still rather vague but my first guess would have been strut top mounts.

.........was that answer directed at me or the OP ??

Anyway if it was at me then yes thats what i suggested and he's ordered those but I wondered what the more experience BMW guys thought !

Mr.Diagnostic

MercMad wrote:

Anyway if it was at me then yes thats what i suggested and he's ordered those but I wondered what the more experience BMW guys thought !

Trailing arm bushes, very common as well as strut mounts

Nom-IzZ

Mercmad, i dhave to agree with Mr. D, sounds like the trail arm bushes, doe the back ot the car feel a bit "wobbly" when driving?

MercMad

I havent driven it yet !

Probably will over the next day or two..............thanks for the pointers lads !

cantdecide

i have a broken spring as well. it made a little noise when it broke but there isn't much now.

apparently it's a common enough thing