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- Control Arm Replacements & Upgrades
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One common weak point in the E36 3-series model range is in the mounting and ball joints of the suspension. The front suspension ball joints in particular are prone to wearing out quite quickly thanks to a soft material in the ball joint itself, leaving you in a potentially dangerous situation. At best, worn ball joints and bushings will give you poor steering feedback and clunking noises. However, loose or worn ball joints will have excessive play which will drastically reduce the effectiveness of the steering and suspension. In extreme cases, the ball joint has been known to pop free of the control arm, resulting in total steering loss.
Meyle has addressed this problem with a higher-grade metal in their HD ball joints, similar to those used on the E36 M3. The metal will not wear or fatigue nearly as fast as the standard ball joints. The lifespan is greatly extended. A side benefit of the stiffer joint is better steering response. The metal will not flex or deflect like plastic, rubber, or any other material. The lack of play will mean sharper steering, restoring much of the car's precision and fun-to-drive character. Meyle is a German brand in business since 1958 and all of their products are TUV approved and meet or exceed ISO standards.
We supply the Meyle HD control arms as a set with new M3 rubber control arm bushings. You can choose bushings with either a centered hole (same as stock original) or with an offset hole (adds caster and camber). The stock rubber bushings (manufactured by Boge) will be perfect for most people but if you're looking for an upgrade, the offset bushings will give the car quicker steering response. The solid rubber mounts last longer and give better feedback than the original web design.
All Meyle HD parts come with a 4-year, unlimited mileage warranty.
Features:
4 Year Warranty
All metal ball joints are more reliable and longer lasting than stock
Bushings are solid rubber rather than fluid filled, providing longevity and handling feel improvements
Package Options:
Bushings without control arm brackets.
Bushings pre-installed into new control arm brackets
Applications:
1992-1999 E36 318i, 318is, 323i, 323is, 325i, 325is, 328i, 328is, including all sedan, coupe, and convertible models.
1995-1999 E36 318ti Compact and hatchback models
1996-2001 Z3 1.9, 2.3, 2.5, 2.8, 3.0
The front control arm bushings is the Achilles heel on the E39 models. The original factory bushings are fluid filled and rely on the fluid to absorb vibration and resist deflection. When the fluid is gone the rubber left over cannot match the original bushing's strength. The left over rubber is not stiff enough to resist the movements from the suspension. The result is a lot of vibration and reduced feedback and response from the steering.
Meyle has addressed this issue with bushings that are not fluid-filled. The bushing is made of solid rubber that will last longer than the original bushing and is a bit stiffer than new originals for better response and feel. The lack of play from the solid rubber design will mean sharper steering, restoring much of the car's precision and 'connected' feel.
This control arm comes with the Meyle HD bushings already pressed in. This makes for an easy swap out-swap in install. These arms replace the existing stock upper control arms - otherwise known as a tension strut or strut support arm. It's the arm with the twist.
Meyle is a German brand in business since 1958 and all of their products are TUV approved and meet or exceed ISO standards. All Meyle HD parts come with a 4-year, unlimited mileage warranty.
Features:
4 Year Warranty
All metal ball joints are more reliable and longer lasting than stock
Bushings are solid rubber rather than fluid filled, providing longevity and handling feel improvements
This item fits the following BMWs:
1997-2003 E39 5 Series BMW 525i 525i Wagon 528i 528i Wagon 530i 530i Wagon
2000-2003 E52 Z8 Convertible BMW Z8 Z8 Alpina