Lower control arms - E30, E30 M3, E36, E46?

[Ron Katona <ron3b@xxxxxxxx>]

Speaking of lower control arms... which ones are interchangeable from
the subject line listing? An earlier post stated that the only
difference between the E30 and E36 arms was that the E36's have
replaceable ball joints. Is that right? We've speculated about the
interchangeability of the E30 and E36 pieces on the 318ti digest, but
never reached a definitive answer.

One time at the shop where I work on my car there was an E30 325 on a
nearby rack. I checked it out expecting the rear suspension to look like
the ti's, but was surprised at the similarity of the basic parts of the
E30 and E36 front suspensions. Looking at both lower control arms it's
hard to see any difference at all. In fact, the crossmember looks the
same as well (anyone ever try to fit an x-brace on an E30?).

The reason I ask is that there are aluminum pieces available for E30 M3s
that I might be interested in when it comes time to replace mine in a
year or so (7 drivers' schools so far). Also, if the E46 pieces are the
same, but in aluminum, will they fit? Are the E30 318/325/M3 arms the
same? If these pieces fit but are more expensive, are a few pounds of
unsprung weight worth the bother? I already have the Kevlar helmet, but
I'm looking for other weight saving avenues.
- -- 
Ron Katona

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