Re: E30 M3 non aluminium arms on E36

["Mike Theuri" <mikesoft@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks JK. I continued to do some shopping around on the control arms until I
found
that the E30 arms were going for $74 and the E36 for $79. I had found one
source
that had E30 arms for $70. I initially was working with price quotes of $97
and $101
per arm and so understandably this was going to the cheaper option. I thought
I had
the steal of a lifetime when I found E36 arms for $64 but these turned out to
be
after market arms which I have heard are a 'no-no'. At the end of the day I
opted to
get Lemforder E36 arms given the $5 difference. I got mine from BMA
888-262-3911.
Hadn't heard about them and only found about about them from a post on
Roadfly,
very nice fellows, and they have great prices too.

However it was not a lesson in vain, I think many owners are unaware of the
upgrade option
with E30 aluminium M3 arms which are lighter or a less expensive option if one
is looking
to replace the stocks on the M3 using the E30 arms or  to improve their stock
E36 suspension.
As a point of interest, steel arms were superceded by aluminum in the E30 M3s
from 10/89
onwards. Thanks again for your help in answering this.

Mike



----- Original Message -----
From: "jkerouac" <jkerouac@domain.elided>
To: "bmw digest" <bmw-digest@domain.elided>
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2003 12:14 AM
Subject: Re: E30 M3 non aluminium arms on E36


Re:   E30 M3 non aluminium arms on E36:

     Go ahead and use and E30 or E36 arm you want.  They are
geometrically the same, and the casting is likely identical, just holes
and ball joint attaching method vary.  Having figured this out, I'll
never buy another overpriced //M3 arm for my //M3.  I don't track the
car, and if I do manage to kill the ball joint in street driving, I've
still paid less than half the cost of what an //M arm would be.
     Not sure where you are getting your price quotes, I recall
something ~$89. (I think) from Bimmerworld for a regular E36 style arm
last time I needed one.  On the regular E36 arm the outer ball joint can
be replaced.  No sense really in doing that because if the outer is
gone, the inner is just as worn, and the inner can not be replaced in
the same way.
Hope this helps,

'jk
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