Re: Lower control arms - E30, E30 M3, E36, E46? BA

["Brett Anderson" <bretta@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>Date: Thu, 22 Oct 1998 22:39:00 -0400
>From: Ron Katona <ron3b@domain.elided>
>Subject: Lower control arms - E30, E30 M3, E36, E46?
>
>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.

E30 and E36, including both M3 models, can interchange their control arms.
E30 M3 control arms are aluminum, this makes them lighter, but also ridiculously expensive.
Most E30 M3 owners I know have gone, or will go to, the steel arms.
The outer balljoints on both E30 and E36 steel arms are replaceable but it is often more cost effective (on E30 only) to replace the
entire arm.

Can't comment on the E46, I haven't paid enough attention to the front ends yet (nothing going bad on them yet )

>- --
>Ron Katona

See you Saturday Ron ?

Brett Anderson
BMW and ASE master technician
http://frontpage.bestweb.net/~bretta

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