BMW 330i, 325i, e46, Lower Control Arms and Tie Rods How to Change out, Repair
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- čas přidán 13. 09. 2024
- How to remove and replace your steering tie rod(s) and lower control arm(s) in an e46 BMW Sport. See my note below on sourcing your parts. If your BMW's front end is clunking when you hit the brakes or your car wanders on uneven pavement, it's usually your lower control arm ball joints (built into the lower control arm) or your control arm bushing. Under normal driving conditions you should replace the lower control arm bushing every 60k miles and the entire control arm and bushing as a set every 120k miles. I also replace the steering tie rods because you are already in the area and it provides better clearance to remove the lower control arms. Check your tires because if your front suspension has degraded, you probably are experiencing uneven wear in the tires. Always wear safety glasses or goggles and gloves for protection. Always get a proper alignment soon after this procedure. Note that the BMW front suspension is a rather complicated design, if you have higher mileage on your car it's best to rebuild the entire front end instead of piecemealing the replacement parts as another part may be worn or near its life expectancy and you may chase a problem for many miles. This is where ownership costs rise in European vehicles.
After hearing from other BMW owners, the part brand recommended would NOT be Deutche Parts, but Lemforder, Meyle, Febi, and maybe Karlyn. The Lemforder and Meyle are more OEM related and have proven to be superior steering/suspension hardware in the aftermarket world. These parts were eventually changed out (again) due to poor quality and I replaced with OEM dealer parts and they've held up quite well (over 50k miles) and working great. It's always good to change out the control arm bushings (pivot ones towards the back) at least every 50-60k miles to keep things tight. Use this video just for procedure purposes, buy the best parts you can afford.
Thanks for taking the time to video this task!
Great video. Another way to "lock" the ball joints into place before tightening the nuts is to use a bottle jack to push up from below. I liked your method for getting the bushing on to the end of the control arm. Thanks!
Cool thanks. I couldn't get that ball joint out so I thought I was going to have to remove the whole subframe, I'll try again today hitting it with a hammer
1000 out of 191000 views liked this vid but had easy time because they watch it
Thanks!
Well done, will be a good reference on my "vacation" next week. I deferred maintenance on my 1996 Z3 and pretty much everything needs replacement underneath, so I bought a kit on eBay. I also have a busted shock on the right front, not sure if I'll try to do that myself or take it in. Appreciate the time it took you to put this together.
Great Video! TY
Thanks man! Enjoyed the video. Very helpful!
nice vid man. I just made a similar vid on an 02 325i because I put dutcheparts on it and 3 yrs and 20k later I have had to replace every single one again. I think I learned my lesson buying ebay parts
i used top german brand meyle control arms and they only lasted 30000km
Sggestion: for lubricating rubber (for facilitating a tight insertion) do NOT use silicon spray. The silicon remainder bonds to rubber (or plastic) surfaces and facilitates cracking in the future. A squirt of Windex (alcohol and soap!) works excellent, and dries quickly.
(Have you seen cracked dashboards, while others do just fine? Same issue. That is the expected eventual result of using silicon based 'shiner' such as ArmorAll).
What about WD-40
Good video. A word to M3 owners, while the procedure is the the same the arms are different on the M3.
Nice video very helpful 👍🏻
Great video
l Really appreciate your job
Hope it helps, please use it as a guide. Thanks for the kind words.
Hi D8teen, Meyle HD Control Arms with ball joints are excellent, and Karlyn Tie rods are good. The Lemfoerder tie rods tend to be better. The ones I purchased were very well made and are doing fine, now I have only put 7k miles on them so can't really comment on their longevity. If others are looking for OE quality look for names like Lemfoerder, Meyle, or Febi, very nice quality.
Good Luck!
Thank you for this video. you rock
what about the steering angle sensor adjustment after that can you talk about it
Nice work Dan I do have a question as I am new to this replacement Someone said i have to pull my springs is this needed ? or do i just jack it up and do as the video said . all i need to replace is my two lower control arms and bushings thank you again.
That's correct, you won't need to pull your springs if all you need to change are your lower control arms. Hope this video will help, good luck. I have since sold my e46 and purchased a F10 (5 series) so I'll begin some work there, should be interesting.
Thanks man!
el bmw 320 mod 2000 serie 3 para cambiar la rotula va a presión o a rosca
Do you remember tool measurement that removes tie rod attached on rack side?
Your gonna laugh but I think I used a crescent wrench. It's not torqued on there very much so relatively easy to remove. It is metric.
Dan Tsuchiya Greater than 24 mm maybe? Thanks for the info!
Hi Dan, great vid, thank you! Question: I am also replacing my struts/springs at the same time. Which would you do first? Seems like the control arm then the struts?
THanks,
John Foster If you are replacing the struts and springs to a new set up, they are all kind of linked together so do this procedure at the same time. For removal, everything comes down. On installation, assemble the control arm loosely and then line things up. The toughest part is assembling the rear pivot of the control arm, so if you can do so before install, everything will come together pretty easily. Good Luck!
So how is that kit holding up? I was hesitant to buy china made, so went with meyle hd arms and just ordered a Karlyn tie rods.
Dan Tsuchiya I replace the control arms for my 2003 bmw 325i. After replacing them the suspension seems to be a bit higher now. Is this common after replacing the control arms?
thanks a lot!!
Glad it worked out
Hi Dan, I can’t seem to find a kit like this for my 06 325i, where should I look?
Kyler, reach out to Autohaus AZ (800) 240-4620, their sales department will identify exactly what's needed. www.fcpeuro.com/ is another alternative, they are developing kits as well.
I've had these lower control arm bushings fail... so I replaced them again with the entire control arm, I did this in July 2019, last week I found one of those control arm bushing washers on the ground.. I went under it today, all were off, two slid up the control arm, the fourth was gone.... the only thing that makes any sense to me is that I haven't been installing the reinforcement skid plate, I didn't think it was important.... maybe I'm wrong, i reinstalled the three washers on the bushings and put this plate back on.... your thoughts about his plate? It must be the reason. Thanks Steve
Hi Steve, the lower control arm is held in place at three points. The farthest rear is the bushing which is a slip-fit, just make sure the bushing mounts are torqued. The other two points are interference fits, but those have a special nut on top that takes a cotter pin (each one) after the nut is torqued. This prevents the nut from backing out. Note that there should be no washers under control arm, only maybe one on top before you put on the castellated nut. The skid plate only keeps debris and excess water from getting on the hardware, it does nothing to hold your lower control arm in place. Let me know if I am not understanding the issue you are seeing.
Are you an engineer Dan? Excellent work
+Bennett Heymann Thanks, Mechanical Eng, but that was a while back ;)
You're welcome. It's always nice to see a job done before going in there. That being said, 95% of the videos showing work are not very useful based on their authors (lack of) abilities to document.
You ever deal with a rear diff leak? I'm going to do my lower control arms, oil filter housing gasket, vanos line in the next couple of weeks.
+Bennett Heymann Never did come across a rear diff leak, but good luck. On the lower control arms make sure you use high quality German units and on the oil filter housing a little sealant never hurts.
I have the sport model and was wondering what the item number was at Deutche Parts?
Hi Jake, I no longer have the car, but I would not recmmend DP Parts, say with the OE Equivalent stuff from Meyle, or Lemfoerder.
Do you have to change the whole assembly, or can you just change the ball joint with the rubber part
The ball joint isn't serviceable (at least not the factory ones) so had to change the whole assembly.
Hi Dan, I have a 2006 BMW 325ci convertible with 61K miles. The car is starting to wander on uneven pavement & it won't hold an alignment. You stated that you need to know if you have a sports model or not. How do I know if I have a sports model? Sorry for "dumb" question. Repair shops have not been honest with me on what needs to be done & the cost. I'm just trying to get as much information as possible as I continue my such for a honest repair shop. Thank you in advance.
+leonette burgett-peters This is the last year before the body change to the e9X, the sedans had the benefit of the better front suspension in 2006. However, your car is the e46 front end and this video applies. The wandering is likely due to the lower control arm bushings, the rubber bushings at the rear of the lower control arms. At the beginning of the video those are the parts in the background, barrel shaped aluminum pieces with rummer in the center. At 61k, it's unlikely that you will need a complete control arm change out but your mechanic will be able to tell if one or both of the joints are bad....it can happen if the car was involved in a accident previously or if your roads are bad. For sure you will need the lower control arm bushings to be replaced and only use OEM replacement pieces from Lemfoerder, Meyle, or Febi. If you are only changing out the lower control arm bushings, you don't have to worry if it's a sport model or not. If you are changing out the control arms (big triangular aluminum pieces with the ball joints) the way you tell if it's a sport model are by the seats (the lower cushion will have a section under your thighs that extends) will have larger side bolsters and by the steering wheel which will have raised sections at the 10 and 2 o'clock areas as you grip the wheel. Your steering wheel and shift boot will likely be Alcantara leather since it's a 2006 and BMW assigned these as ZHP sport models.
It's unfortunate that some mechanics try to take advantage of people who may not be experts in their car (like 97% of the population.) The first place I would look is your local BMW Club chapter, if you live near a big city there is usually access to the local BMW club's recommended mechanics online or can get a list. The next place is YELP and search for the better and more established mechanics which specialize in BMWs. YELP is great because if a mechanic does you wrong, at least you have a forum to say something....they know this and want to make sure they keep things honest. That being said, the labor to do this type of work (suspension or brakes) can be quite high....which is why I make these videos. At least you can search sites like eBay to determine if they are overcharging for the parts. Good Luck!
+Dan Tsuchiya Dan, Thank you so very much!!!
these are a common fault.. dont expect new ones to last either.. doesnt matter what brand used they all wear out bushes ,ball joints..etc..
That's correct it is a common fault, but just advising viewers to try and purchase the best quality parts possible. It can mean the difference of lasting an additional 50%-100% longer.
@@SirFixAlotAutos i purchased german meyle control arms.. and they only lasted 30.000km. only 3 years before i replaced them.. was only last week as a lower ball joint had failed.. and i drive like an old grandma.. these cars are high maintenance
Have you found any good deals on a solid front spring/strut sets also the rear springs and shocks. Not looking to lower the car just yet but something cheap reliable that'll last maybe 20k.most of the ones I'm finding are upgrading and each part is 120 range without all the bump stops and new bolts. looking for a complete package instead of rebuilding it to a tuner right off the back. 2001 330i
+Jasan E Sorry haven't looked into this, just have the stock sport suspension on the car, which I like. If you only need it to last 20k miles, search on the forums or eBay to see if you can find a set of stock suspension off someone converting to coilovers. Sorry can't be of more assistance.
+Dan Tsuchiya it's all good thanks. I order the myle HD for the front control arms and tie rods overhaul kit but just looking for a good overall spring kit. but think I might just last it out a bit because the car is not terrible just a little soft in the front
+Jasan E I am assuming the car has some miles on it since it's a 2001, provided the springs aren't sagging, the softness in the front may be due to weak dampening. A new set of stock Boge OEM replacement shocks can do wonders and they are less expensive than going with the Bilsteins. Stay with the name brands though. Good Luck
+Dan Tsuchiya yeah just at 197k and yeah I try to keep with the name brands. another video on here showed a 230k Xi with the rear stuff replaced but from the video you can clearly tell those guys make more than I do so trying to find some deals. but thanks good video by the way.
I've recently had both track rod ends and links done plus tracking and although better the steering is still a bit vague as in it feels like the wheels are not quite 100% responsive to the steering wheel not dangerously as I'd not drive it but just slight it's annoying me some say suspension bushes....I had trail arm bushes done about a year ago not sure what else it could be drop links ?
It could be the lower control arm bushings (those tubular pieces towards the rear of the control arms) which need replacing. Check for deformity or other signs of wear. Good Luck
Thank you I will inspect asap
@SirFixAlotAutos I ended up replacing both comtrol arms plus 1 inner tie rod ..oddly I had some creaking amd from what I can gather is the bolt that clamps the ball joint of the comtrol arm.was a bit tight. Given the wheel moves side to side..I'd assume it needs to move freely on the ball ..if its to tight it would create more friction amd make noises ..I back it up but onvs still tight . Seems to be OK now ..I have work in the morning so I'll get to test it better . But response wise it's very good
How long did it take to do the entire job?
If it's the first time around, it might take 4-5 hrs with some rest breaks, it all depends on how quickly you can detach the ball joints, that's the most difficult part. Second most difficult is installing the control arms into the bushings. If you can fly through those parts, you will likely finish in less time. Good Luck!
Sorry it took me less than 2 hrs use a pitman arm removal tool to take off bushing on lower control arm took me 5 min for both and dish soap to install with a hammer then a socket to get it flush also use a propane torch on spindle to heat up 3-4 min. then ball joint removal tool soooooooo easy 4-5 hits 3lbs hammer.
Is Karlyn any good?
Yes, reputable aftermarket brand.
@@SirFixAlotAutos everything I've found relating to tie rods are that they're garbage.
@@lukas______ I see, ok, I've never used them (for BMW) but I have seen them at Automechnika (European Aftermarket Parts Trade Show) and they seemed like a decent company. They have supplied replacement parts for Porsche cars and other European makes. www.karlynsti.com/Folders/Karlyn.htm. For my BMW I went the Meyle route when I did steering parts changes but you can make your own choice. A lot of people point to the tie rods as being the issue when there are so many different parts related to the front suspension and don't properly inspect those other parts for wear. Good Luck
What tools are needed?
I show the in the introduction. No special tools are needed, but combo wrenches, metric sockets, and screwdrivers. Ball joint separators also help.
Dan Tsuchiya thank you!
How much of this is applicable to the e46 M3?
The part numbers are different but the set up is similar.
Dan Tsuchiya thanks!
Are you from los angeles?
Hi Dan.
How I can to measure the new tie rod if the old is broken?
+Dabuten Zhp Do you mean for initial set up? If you order the correct one, set it up with zero toe, measure the distance of the same tread between forward and rearward edges of the tires (going across the car) and make sure the distance is the same (zero toe) while the car is on the ground. This will be good enough to take it to the alignment shop.
haha mine lasted about 10k brand new. BMW has the worst(lastly wise) suspension I have ever delt with. No I didn't buy BMW oem but I heard those only last 25-30k. It is shame really. Just a bad design but I think they did the design for ride comfort.
It's not spam, but probably someone wanting to profit from a similar video, mine are commercial free.
Many words, many pictures, but no actual work is shown how the rods and control arms are removed.
Thanks Mike. @ Robert, I tried to show the procedure. The actual unbolting and bolting of the parts can be done, just remember how tight things are when you remove them and then do a reverse procedure when assembling the new parts back onto the car. I just make these videos for fun (no advertising) and it's not my real job. Just trying to show it can be done yourself to save some money.
I'm sorry, when i heard you say Duetsch Parts from ebay, i had to cringe. You know Hamburg Technic or however you spell it, is the worst chinese junk you will ever buy? I'm a sincerely happy your experience was good, but the parts I recieved were junk, more than a millimeter off in size, and when it came to actually putting tension on a hydraulic belt tensioner from DP on ebay made by Hamburg Technic the bolt spun all the way around in the substandard metal, and stipped it. It was total junk so i sent the entire kit back for refund. I boycott that seller at all costs now, it's not worth my safety to use substandard metals.
Greg, I hear ya. My parts are working fine in my car after 30k miles, but I have heard from too many others that these parts are not so good. I will try and mod my description to recommend Lemforder or Meyle parts. Thanks for the input.
Shawn P I have since sold the vehicle and bought a two door e46 with lower miles. Though I didn't have issues after the install, I have heard from others that they have had issues with this brand. If my e46 needs these parts in the future, I will choose Lemforder or Meyle parts vs the ones I purchased for this video. This is a critical part of the BMW suspension, I would suggest spending a little more.