Turner Motorsport BMW Control Arm Replacements & Upgrades

Here at Turner we understand the importance of an upgrade that will get the results you need on the track and still be tolerable on the drive around town. When it comes to control arms on the track, making them as stiff as you can (usually using solid mounts) is the best way to increase your driving precision by eliminating the deflection of rubber. The next best thing to create a balance would be to stiffen up the control arm with polyurethane, giving you the option of a more stock like feel with 80a or closer to the solid feel with 95a durometers.

When it comes to the E36 chassis you also get the options of choosing a stock centered design or going with the E30 inspired offset bushing to increase castor, further taking advantage of improvd handling. These poly bushings will give your control arms a direct connection between your suspension and the body of the car eliminating the slop felt under take-off and braking so you feel more in control of your vehicle. 

This item fits the following BMWs that use a centered-style bushing: 

1984-1991 E30 BMW 318i, 318is, 325, 325e, 325es, 325i, 325is 
1992-1999 E36 BMW 318i 318is 318ti 318ic 323is 323ic 325i 325is 325ic 328i 328is 328ic
1996-1999 E36 BMW M3 S52
1997-2002 Z3 BMW Z3 1.9 Z3 2.3 Z3 2.5i Z3 2.8 Z3 3.0i MZ3 M Coupe M Roadster 

Here at Turner we understand the importance of an upgrade that will get the results you need on the track and still be tolerable on the drive around town. When it comes to control arms on the track, making them as stiff as you can (usually using solid mounts) is the best way to increase your driving precision by eliminating the deflection of rubber. The next best thing to create a balance would be to stiffen up the control arm with polyurethane, giving you the option of a more stock like feel with 80a or closer to the solid feel with 95a durometers.

When it comes to the E36 chassis you also get the options of choosing a stock centered design or going with the E30 inspired offset bushing to increase castor, further taking advantage of improvd handling. These poly bushings will give your control arms a direct connection between your suspension and the body of the car eliminating the slop felt under take-off and braking so you feel more in control of your vehicle. 

This item fits the following BMWs that use a centered-style bushing: 

1984-1991 E30 BMW 318i, 318is, 325, 325e, 325es, 325i, 325is 
1992-1999 E36 BMW 318i 318is 318ti 318ic 323is 323ic 325i 325is 325ic 328i 328is 328ic
1996-1999 E36 BMW M3 S52
1997-2002 Z3 BMW Z3 1.9 Z3 2.3 Z3 2.5i Z3 2.8 Z3 3.0i MZ3 M Coupe M Roadster 

BMW’s are known to have failure prone front thrust arm bushings.  The flexible rubber bushings, even those found in M performance models, allow significant movement of the front wheels to maximize daily driving comfort, but also allow considerable alignment change.  This results in a disconnected and numb road feel, standing between you and a confidence inspiring driving experience.  Eventually the fluid filled rubber bushings fatigue and crack due to continual deflection and ozone degradation, and eventually the damping fluid leaks out resulting in 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 front 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).  We wanted to offer E31, E32, E34, E38, E39, E53, E60, E63, E64, and E83 owners similar levels of handling precision and control for the track and street. 

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.

We offer these thrust arms with the monoball bushings pre-installed for your convenience. Since BMW recommends the control arms be replaced for every other bushing change, we prefer to sell these as a pre-assembled set. The bushings are also available separately if you wish to source your own control arms.

Features:

Bearing housing

• Precision CNC machined from 6061-T6 blue anodized aluminum
• Knurled OD to provide the perfect fit for the wide range of thrust arm bore diameters among brands.
• CNC machined 304ss ball joint sleeve inserts, providing a precision fit between the ball joint and the subframe. 

Bearing

• OEM BMW sealed and greased ball joint for exceptional durability and service life.

Performance

• Nearly instantaneous, crisp steering and braking response.
• Maintenance free, long lasting performance. 
• Improved road feel without undesirable NVH.

Sold as a pair for RWD models only.
 

This item is an upgrade to the following BMWs: 

2004-2010 E60 BMW 525i 530i 528i 535i 545i 550i M5
2004-2011 E63/E64 BMW 645ci 650i M6

BMW’s are known to have failure prone front thrust arm bushings.  The flexible rubber bushings, even those found in M performance models, allow significant movement of the front wheels to maximize daily driving comfort, but also allow considerable alignment change.  This results in a disconnected and numb road feel, standing between you and a confidence inspiring driving experience. Eventually the fluid filled rubber bushings fatigue and crack due to continual deflection and ozone degradation, and eventually the damping fluid leaks out resulting in 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 front control arm ball joints goes back to those we designed and used in our IMSA E90 328i and E92 M3 race cars (GS class Champions in 2011). We wanted to offer as many BMW owners possible a similar level of handling, precision, and control for the track and street.

Utilizing 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.

We also offer these control arms with the monoball bearings pre-installed for your convenience. Since BMW recommends the control arms be replaced for every other bushing change, we prefer to sell these as a pre-assembled set. The bushings are also available separately if you wish to source your own control arms.

Control Arm Bearing

• CNC machined corrosion resistant 304 Stainless steel shell, bolt sleeves, & snap rings
• Sealed spherical ball joint for long service life & maintained OE fitment
• Suspension pre-load is no longer required when torquing the control arm hardware

Thrust Arm Bearing:

• OEM BMW 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
• Proprietary Turner designed knurled OD to provide the perfect fit for the wide range of thrust arm bore diameters among brands
• CNC machined 304ss, providing a precision fit between the ball joint and the subframe

Benefits of Both:​

• Nearly instantaneous, crisp steering and braking response.
• Maintenance free, long lasting performance.
• Improved road feel without undesirable NVH.

This item is an upgrade to the following BMWs: 
2004-2010 E83 X3 X3 2.5i, X3 3.0i, X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i
2000-2006 E53 X5 X5 3.0I, X5 4.4i, X5 4.6is, X5 4.8is
1997-2003 E39 5 series 540i, 540iT (sedans and touring wagon) 
2000-2003 E39 M5 sedan 
1995-2001 E38 7 series 740i, 740iL 
1995-2001 E38 7 series 750i, 750iL