BMW Control Arm Replacements & Upgrades

BMW's are notorious for their failure-prone control arm bushings. The pliable rubber bushings, present even in M performance models, allow substantial movement of the front wheels to enhance everyday driving comfort. However, they also permit significant alignment changes, leading to a disconnected and numb road feel that detracts from a confidence-inspiring driving encounter. Over time, the fluid-filled rubber bushings succumb to fatigue and cracking due to continual deflection and ozone degradation, ultimately resulting in the leakage of damping fluid and complete failure.

For the enthusiast looking for superior performance and longevity with a crisp, confidence-inspiring driving experience, our sealed ball joint monoballs are the best solution available! Our experience with spherical control arm ball joints go back to those we designed and used in our IMSA E90 328i and E92 M3 racecars (GS class Champions in 2011).

The bearing housing is precision CNC machined from 6061-T6 anodized aluminum and features a knurled OD to ensure a perfect press fit, and utilize a sealed OEM BMW ball joint for exceptional quality and durability, making them completely at home on both the street and track with no compromise. We have done extensive street, autocross, and track testing to ensure the ball joint used in this bushing design excels in each setting. The advantage of a sealed ball joint is that it eliminates all unwanted deflection while still allowing complete bind-free movement throughout suspension travel, resulting in exceptional control of wheel alignment. What you get is superior steering precision, turn-in response, direct braking feedback, and better handling.

In short, if you're seeking the ultimate in precise, predictable handling and control, with crisp braking response and a long service life that’s equally at home on the street or track - look no further. We have you covered.

Since BMW recommends the control arms be replaced for every other bushing change, we prefer to sell these as a pre-assembled set, and are available (T599476) if you would prefer that option.

Watch to learn more about Turner Monoball Bushings

Design:

OEM sealed, greased ball joint for exceptional durability and service life, even in the most severe operating conditions
6061-T6 anodized housing for excellent corrosion resistance
Turner designed knurled OD to provide the perfect fit for the wide range of thrust arm bore
CNC machined 304ss bearing inserts, providing a precision fit between the ball joint and the subframe
Performance Advantages:

Immediate, precise steering and breaking feedback
Long-lasting performance with minimal maintenance requirements
Enhanced road feedback minus any unnecessary noise, vibration, harshness

These bushings have the hole off-center to give your car a little more track, caster, and camber. This style came as standard equipment on E30 M3s (8/89-later) and 1995 E36 M3 but will work with any E30, E36, Z3.

Rubber control arm bushings are designed to flex and absorb energy. That's fine on a streetcar but on an all-out racing machine you want your alignment to stay constant. We have picked Delrin for this application due to its high rigidity and low coefficient of friction allowing for minimal suspension bushing deflection (geometry change) but decreasing bushing windup or drag (friction). They are not recommended for street-use but highly-recommended for track cars.

To save time, pick up a pair of new bushing carrier brackets and hardware. This will save you the time and hassle of pressing out the old bushings. This will especially save you time if you're buying new control arms at the same time (no time wasted removing the old brackets from the arms). Stainless steel set screws included.

Over time, road conditions can significantly impact your vehicle's suspension system. Factors like potholes, speed bumps, and other road hazards contribute to wear and tear, resulting in a less responsive and weaker suspension. Enhance your driving experience by regularly replacing worn components to improve safety and ride comfort.

When replacing parts in your front or rear suspension, it's advisable to change them in pairs (both left and right sides) or focus on inspecting components prone to failure. This approach maximizes the longevity of replacement parts and ensures optimal performance across the suspension system.

Looking for upgraded lower control arms that don't limit adjustment capabilities like the OE control arms? These Turner Performance Lower Control Arms may be exactly what you need! These CNC'd billet aluminum control arms allow you to adjust roll center, camber, and track width easily and lock in your adjustments securely.

The construction of these control arms allows for significant weight savings, reducing unsprung weight, while maintaining high levels of strength that is up to track use and abuse. Instead of using traditional jam nuts, these Turner Control Arms utilize a pinch bolt and rotating clamp design that allows high clamping forces to lock in track width and camper specifications without making it difficult to keep bearings properly aligned. Stainless steel spacers are included to enable roll center correction for lowered vehicles. To further improve control arm operation over the OE design, these control arms use FK rod ends and high misalignment solid spherical bushings to get rid of binding and flex.

Features:

Lightweight Aluminum, Titanium, Chromoly and Stainless Steel construction
Correct ball joint angle for full articulation
Clamp design allows for easy access to lock down your alignment settings
Low friction 3-piece Teflon lined FK spherical bushings and Heim joints/rod ends
Multiple size stainless steel roll center spacers for precise adjustment