Hey guys
I replaced one of my Control Arms on my E46 330i some years ago with a Febi Bilstein but it probably lasted less than a year before it was completely worn out again.
I would say it failed prematurely. How would I stop it from happening again? I did some research on the net.
I didn't replace the bush, just the control arm. I learnt that this was a mistake.
People often complain that their Bushes don't last very long after they replace them, but from what I read, there are three important things to consider when you replace them. If you don't take this into consideration, then they (Ball Joints, Bushes) will fail prematurely.
1.) When fitting the bushes onto the Control arms, don't use grease or anything else that remains slippery. Use soap and water, because that dries quickly, after which the bush grips on the Control arm holding it in place. If it can slide, it will fail prematurely, and probably cause your ball joints to fail prematurely too.
2.) Bushes must be positioned at the correct location on the control arm to within 1mm otherwise premature failure can occur as in 1.) above.
3.) If you bushes are shot and you've been driving them in that state for a while, chances are your ball joints are shot too. You have to replace the whole control arm with the bushes. Between Bushes and Control Arms, if one fails, it usually causes the other to fail too.
From what I read, the best replacement parts are the PowerFlex and the Meyle-HD (Heavy Duty) because the standard OEM part only does about 50/60k (miles) before it has to be replaced. How much is that on our roads? :argh:
Some people complained of the PowerFlex giving a hard drive and every little bump coming through the steering wheel, compromising comfort. Handling is raved about, but I have seen people complain of suspension parts breaking because the PowerFlex is worse at absorbing impacts, like from potholes.
I settled for the Meyle because I wanted my car to be as close to stock as possible, and I didn't want to compromise on comfort, or run the risk of breaking anything on the suspension. And the Meyle Ball Joints are better then the OEM ones. Also the Meyle Control Arms are the only ones where you can actually replace the ball joints, and not have to replace the whole arm. You can buy the ball Joints from Meyle and they sell the replacement tools too. BTW, I read somewhere that the Meyle bushes are 30% stiffer than OEM.
I bought a full set (both sides) of Meyle HD Control Arms and Bushes (they come in their brackets so there's no press fitting to be done.)
I bought them directly from the agents Imcomex in Wellington last year.
Parts were less than R3800.
They delivered to my work in Cape Town for free.
I found one packet was open and something didn't look right, and they brought me replacement the next day no problem.
The Meyle HD parts are more robust that the OEM stuff. Bigger and thicker, which allow the ball joints to be refitted, something that is definitely not recommended for the OEM parts.
Replacement is quick and easy too. A pickle fork makes it really easy and I would say a neccessity to do a neat job.
You can save some time by not removing the thick brace/bracket (can't remember what it's called) from the bottom of the car but just loosening it sufficiently to allow you to remove and replace the bushes.
I will say that some patience is require on the driver's side Big Ball joint Nut because the engine mounting is in the way.
Other than that it's quite easy.
I've done plenty of k's on that new suspension now, and I havent detected a hint of play in it. All seems to be going well.
I hope I got it all right, been about a year since I last looked at that stuff.
You can check the links out below if you want to DIY.
Happy hunting.
http://tis.spaghetticoder.org/s/view.pl?1/06/73/30
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=421918&highlight=290
http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/HighwayRepair/2010-10-13_175309_ACE_-_0.pdf
http://www.imcomex.co.za/
