Re: E30 Control Arms

[MUDSCOW@xxxxxxx]

Gregg,
Just did the control arms on my 89 is. Unless you are one of those guys who
has a press in his garage, this job requires a machine shop. If you go the
route of complete arm replacement, you need a shop to press on the big bushing
on the rear of the arm (don't forget to buy these). 

If I had it to do again, I would have the machine shop R&R the ball joints in
the old arms instead (or maybe along with) the big end bushings. It seems
silly to have to replace this massive piece just because of a ball joint. 

Actually now that I know, I would try to find a set of the light alloy M3 arms
(preferably needing ball joints), to install and maintain. Those arms are
really frigging heavy, especially for an unsprung component.

As for doing only one, (like me), I would do both, mine failed within a couple
of months of one another (coincidence?), so why get dirty twice, have to
mothball the car twice when you can do both in 3/5ths the cummulative time it
would take to do both? (the way i see it)...

Besides washing the dog's back after every how's your father on the old
undercarriage gets really tedious...Ever seen a tan Dachshund with a four inch
wide black stripe of Exxon Valdez grade ten-years-of-bottom-grunge from nose
to tail on his back?

Steve H
89 325is
97 Dachshund
81 MORC boat with no deck...oh christ what have we got ourselves into...
Remembering:
It could be that your sole reason for existance is to serve as a warning to
others...

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