BMW M3 Control Arm Upgrade

BMW M3 Control Arm Upgrade - E92 335i

Рет қаралды 19,551

Күн бұрын

At almost 100k miles, it was time to replace the control arm bushings of my 335i, however, as I don't have the tool to remove bushings, it made sense just to buy new arms. If I was going to buy new arms then, I might as well upgrade to the M3 ones.
www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-...
After driving on them after an alignment for around 100 miles, I have to say that they make a noticeable difference even for daily driving. There's less understeer, and there's more steering feel. Can't recommend these more to all of you out there with RWD E9X platforms.
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Пікірлер: 102

@epaminontas6972 3 жыл бұрын

I did this on my 328i, full suspension refresh front and rear. That lower control arm made me lose my mind, I ended up filing down where the subframe meets the ball joint, and it was still a tight fit

@jonathanpham7397 4 жыл бұрын

Did the same thing with the lower control arm. Such a snug fit. Took sander to the side of where control arm meets and sanded the metal on the car as well. Went in so much easier. At first I was using a mallet and it was a little off a wouldn't go in. After sanding a lot easier.

@SamAbraham 4 жыл бұрын

Yeah man, such a pain to begin with though. The first arm took me a few hours to get on... the other side 20 mins haha.

@epaminontas6972 3 жыл бұрын

I did the same exact thing lol, that lower arm was such a bitch

@S54VR6 4 жыл бұрын

About to do this on my 335d!

@SamAbraham 4 жыл бұрын

Best of luck!

@farmanshaikh6405 4 жыл бұрын

Great video. Thanks for sharing!

@nv6672 3 жыл бұрын

Great content my dude. Your uuuhmms was killing me. Sheesh!

@SamAbraham 3 жыл бұрын

Haha I've tried improving upon that in my more recent vids! Thank u!

@awakenmutant Жыл бұрын

Thanks bro 😎

@SamAbraham Жыл бұрын

Of course!

@dho 3 жыл бұрын

thanks for the video! i have to do this soon and i got a shop quote for $150 for the front arm install..you feel like it was worth it to DIY or should i pay for a shop install?

@SamAbraham 3 жыл бұрын

$150 is a great price for the install. If you don’t have the time then yes for sure!

@azdannyboi 3 жыл бұрын

Great tips for this job, thank you! How’s it feel afterwards, have you done any spirited driving, notice any improvement?

@SamAbraham 3 жыл бұрын

This car is pretty much only for spirited driving, so yes! And lots of it, including track use. Bigger improvement than I was expecting to be honest, and paired with a decent set of coilovers you will have transformed how the car handles.

@azdannyboi 3 жыл бұрын

@@SamAbraham awesome! Can’t wait to add this as well. Thanks

@technologify7453 2 жыл бұрын

Did you get the car aligned as a 335i or an m3 at the alignment shop? Thanks for making this awesome video!

@SamAbraham 2 жыл бұрын

Got a custom alignment from a shop that deals with more aggressive setups, I just told them I wanted something for canyon driving

@jonathanpham7397 4 жыл бұрын

Gotta ask did you notice that the m3 lower arm bushings were a lot softer after tightening everything down?? Like I could grab the arm and flex it left and right. I figured the bushings were softer but I may be wrong. They are used low mileage m3 arms

@SamAbraham 4 жыл бұрын

Yes I actually thought there was something wrong with them at first as well, but after talking to some people more knowledgable, they said that that's how the arms are supposed to be. I guess its more of a ball joint than a bushing for the lower M3 arms compared to the stock E90 arms.

@epaminontas6972 3 жыл бұрын

It's a ball joint not a bushing 😂😂

@mobiusII 23 күн бұрын

Ok, I hope this question doesn't sound dumb...How do you get both of your front jack pads on jack stands? I mean if you jack the car up at the jack pad, how do you replace it with the jack stand? I'm pretty probably missing something simple, but I can't figure it out! Great video!

@SamAbraham 22 күн бұрын

I raise the car from the front central jacking point, you'll see it on a cross brace below the oil pan. If your car is too low for that (mine is now), I use one of my jacks to raise a car from the side, then slide my larger jack under the central point to raise it higher before adding the stands. If you only have one jack, then parking the car with both front wheels on a couple 2x4s should do the trick

@mobiusII 14 күн бұрын

@@SamAbraham Thanks!

@brettkrehling8738 4 жыл бұрын

When you got your car aligned did you ask for m3 alignment or 335i?

@SamAbraham 4 жыл бұрын

I went to an alignment place that does lots of performance cars, so I just said more aggressive than a stock 335, but still a daily driver. The result is perfect for me.

@ArisFilms 4 жыл бұрын

@@SamAbraham do your tires wear faster with the front camber

@SamAbraham 4 жыл бұрын

allo Nothing noticeable

@Alex-or7hu 3 жыл бұрын

For those who dont know, the upper control arm is the same on all models, the m3 just has a stiffer bushing on the subframe side. The rest of the arm is identical. Also at 5:10 you can see the bushing on the arm he received is incorrectly indexed, needs to move 30 degrees as per bmw: www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e92-m3-cou/repair-manuals/31-front-axle-front-suspension/31-12-wishbones-struts-including-rubber-mounts/478RTXX

@SamAbraham 3 жыл бұрын

Alex Sahyoun Incorrectly indexed? You think I should be concerned abt that? Been driving on them for abt 10k miles now without a problem. Also have the FCP lifetime warranty if it wears out prematurely

@Alex-or7hu 3 жыл бұрын

@@SamAbraham It may just be one of those overly engineered bmw things. But it should be clocked the way its shown in the link. If a trw kit has been sold like that its probably fine. I've never looked at the sets ive installed until I changed the actual bushing and found out about the clocking. Im sure most of these kits are also indexed incorrectly so its likely fine.

@SamAbraham 3 жыл бұрын

Alex Sahyoun Thanks for the information regardless, good to know for the future

@bgubs07 3 жыл бұрын

RIP you have to pay to see the info now

@SamAbraham 3 жыл бұрын

@@bgubs07 Damn that’s annoying.. BMW acting like Mercedes out here

@Max_Morgen 4 жыл бұрын

I have an E91 328xi that im doing a track set up at the moment, i have been reading on forums and cannot find the answer, i was hoping you might be able to help. Since i have an awd model will these m3 control arms fit on my car? just trying to get more ideas from others with different platforms.

@SamAbraham 4 жыл бұрын

Hey there, so it looks like all the X drive models have their own set of control arms, which are differently shaped than the RWD versions. Based off of that I’d say the M3 arms won’t fit, but you may be able to get upgraded bushings or ball joints for ur existing control arms. Bushings themselves aren’t that pricey but you just gotta find a shop that’ll press em into place! Hopefully that helps

@Max_Morgen 4 жыл бұрын

Samuel Abraham I figured that, I was just trying to get multiple opinions on it. Thanks for your help good sir!

@SamAbraham 4 жыл бұрын

Max Morgen Of course! Best of luck, always wanted to build an E91 and swap an N54 into it!

@Max_Morgen 4 жыл бұрын

@@SamAbrahamI am not a big n54 guy, i will be swapping a FBO M57 into it in the later future. At the moment i am just working on handling,suspension, and weight reduction. I am gearing up for the swap to handle the power that I will be putting down.

@SamAbraham 4 жыл бұрын

Max Morgen Sounds like a cool swap you have planned. Best of luck with it!

@bigdong101 4 жыл бұрын

I went with a Superpro control arm kit that came with poly bushes. They give a very direct feel with the road but probably cause increase speed of wear on other parts. The next time the ball joints go on these I will go with the M3 stuff. Are there M3 upgrades for any rear suspension parts?

@SamAbraham 4 жыл бұрын

Oh that’s cool. If I were building a track car I’d probably go with those. Yes there’s actually a fully M3 rear control arm kit on FCP Euro I believe it’s around $400. I still need to do that

@TSPhotoAtlanta 2 жыл бұрын

@@SamAbraham if you did both fronts + rears, let's say, would the alignment specs be M3 specs? Or are they the same as the original e90?

@seveer7 4 жыл бұрын

Is there less play in the steering wheel after putting these arms on?

@SamAbraham 4 жыл бұрын

Absolutely, more responsive for sure. While you’re down there, also replace the sway bar links. m

@SteveWeltman 4 жыл бұрын

Hi great video! TY for sharing. JUST bought a set of TRW/M3 control arms (top/bottom, front and rear) for my 09 E90 N54 and I'm at about 120K. I am looking forward to following your DIY and making my own! What part of CA are you in? There's a place you can get parts faster than FCPEuro (but I love them too) called Pelican Parts in Harbor City (close to Torrance, CA).

@SamAbraham 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tip! I'm in Orange County. I've been using FCP only because you really can't beat that lifetime warranty. Once these arms/bushings are worn out, I'll just get my next set free! Hope the install goes well

@SteveWeltman 4 жыл бұрын

@@SamAbraham Great to meet you virtually speaking! FCPEuro is great for service, presales help, warranty and their TShirts are the best in the business! I buy my maintenance parts from them, but need to plan 2 weeks out. I probably short-changed myself if I need to replace a failed control arm (or the installed bushings), but there is a 2 year warranty on the TRW parts that most distributors will honor. The full set wasn't much cheaper than FCP, and came in about 1 week, so, all in all? I probably could have waited. I'll need to get it aligned so will have it done by WestEnd Alignment (very famous LA race alignment shop).

@SamAbraham 4 жыл бұрын

Ah I see, I hope one day that FCP sets up a distribution center closer to the west coast, but for now, I'm ok with paying more for faster shipping if I need parts in a hurry haha. Luckily I haven't been in that situation yet

@SteveWeltman 4 жыл бұрын

Samuel Abraham when I spoke with them last, they have some relationships a little closer to LA but not everything (read, most things) are still coming from the CT location . I just got accustomed to Prime 2 day speed.

@TSPhotoAtlanta 2 жыл бұрын

@@SteveWeltman hey, it's a year after, but for retail, which is being redefined, prime is changing consumer expectations a lot, and in many places. We just transfer our expectations in every area, wittingly or otherwise! Pelican has been very helpful on my journey, and I've dealt with them. I've used ahausaz, but now it's more w/ FCP - check their yt channel too! That's where I first saw the suspension △ to M3!

@cletocortez8108 Жыл бұрын

How are they holding up? Did mine about 2yrs ago and right tire seems to have some play, inspecting them now.

@SamAbraham Жыл бұрын

Mine have been fine all this time, they should theoretically last at LEAST 50k miles, all depends on usage of course.

@return2med241 3 жыл бұрын

Hey Man, is the difference night and day with these?

@SamAbraham 3 жыл бұрын

I found a pretty dramatic difference, you'll need a good alignment to really appreciate it though

@cletocortez8108 2 жыл бұрын

Hey bro, how much did it lower you car, just installed them on my car which was lower in the rear now sits lower in the front, wondering if I torxed the bolts in the right position?

@SamAbraham 2 жыл бұрын

Didn't really drastically change my ride height, you should definitely get an alignment

@cletocortez8108 2 жыл бұрын

@@SamAbraham thanks for the reply

@Bertistuff 3 жыл бұрын

so basically after upgrading my turbos on 335i , cruising at high speeds like 80 -90 when I hit the brakes my steering wheel and front tires will shake. I thought it was my rotors at first so I upgraded to drilled slotted , it got better but it still shakes scary when going high speed and stopping hard do you think that has something to do with control arms?

@SamAbraham 3 жыл бұрын

Ethelbert Okoro Most likely worn control arm bushings yes. And if you don’t fix that soon your new rotors will get warped! If not, could be a wheel that’s out of balance but seems more likely that it’s control arms

@Bertistuff 3 жыл бұрын

Samuel Abraham ok , did you get better handling with upgraded control arms?

@SamAbraham 3 жыл бұрын

Ethelbert Okoro Absolutely, M3 control arms made a big difference imo

@Bertistuff 3 жыл бұрын

Samuel Abraham so After installing the control arms and getting it aligned when driving at 80 mph I feel a slight shaking in the steering wheel (which never happened) and when I turn the steering wheel while speeding that scary shake I talked about previously on the oem is not there but I still feel it .. went from a 10/10 shake to 3/10 shake ( like a snapping type of feel ) but I previously just took the car on a road trip this past weekend and it was handling real nice but that shaking at 80 is not normal. What do you think it could be?

@Nate-ek8qk 3 жыл бұрын

@@Bertistuff could be your tire weights, try to get em balanced again

@PR0bro 4 жыл бұрын

Im wondering if I should do this for my car. But aren’t there better performance control arms than just the oem E92 M3 ones?

@SamAbraham 4 жыл бұрын

PR0bro I’m sure there are but for a daily driver these are a relatively cheap option that make a significant difference imo.

@PR0bro 4 жыл бұрын

@@SamAbraham Thanks, have you heard of any? I've been having trouble finding maximum performance-orientated suspension components. I've heard of Megan Racing, but as far as I know they only have camber and toe arms.

@SamAbraham 4 жыл бұрын

@@PR0bro I believe bimmerworld sells some other types of control arms with more adjustability. I know for sure they sell them for the rear, although I am not sure about the front. Other than that I'm sure you could get M3 arms and then upgrade to poly bushings. Megan Racing quality is solid, I have their front strut bar, although I think you're right on them only having the camber and toe arms.

@PR0bro 4 жыл бұрын

@@SamAbraham Thank you. Just what I was looking for.

@SamAbraham 4 жыл бұрын

PR0bro Yeah! Good luck

@techstuff786 3 жыл бұрын

Do the m3 control arms also fit the e92 330d? thanks

@SamAbraham 3 жыл бұрын

Hussnain H Yeah as long as it’s RWD and not xDrivr

@mjsauto6432 3 жыл бұрын

Why do the m3 control arms? What's the better from the m3

@MuffinBreh 3 жыл бұрын

Tighter more responsive suspension. Makes it feel less like a boat

@TonyBMW 3 жыл бұрын

Hold a magnet to the bolts if it sticks it’s not aluminum.

@SamAbraham 3 жыл бұрын

Yessir, good tip. Pretty much all the control arm bolts are aluminum on this chassis it seems

@TonyBMW 3 жыл бұрын

@@SamAbraham BMW did update a lot of the bolts to steel . A couple of transmission bolts for instance.

@TSPhotoAtlanta 2 жыл бұрын

@@TonyBMW I think the originals used aluminum for weight savings, better spec for the car. The steel if that was the newer, upgraded bolt, would be for strength and better wear.

@Roy_335is Жыл бұрын

Does anyone else have a problem always stripping the upper control arm bolt? It’s ridiculous I’ve had to order twice and it just happened to me right now again

@SamAbraham Жыл бұрын

I didn't have an issue stripping the bolt itself, but the nut it threads into s pretty easy to strip

@stgmaofficial Жыл бұрын

Did you get this aligned to m3 specs? Or 335i?

@SamAbraham Жыл бұрын

Neither, I went in for a custom alignment at a performance alignment shop. I said I wanted something suitable for canyon driving, so basically more negative camber than usual. That being said if you were to go to a normal alignment place they might just look at you funny if you explained your situation, but I think you could say M3 front specs and 335 rear specs if you wanted it to feel like stock

@stgmaofficial Жыл бұрын

@@SamAbraham beautiful answer lol! Yeah exactly my thoughts! I definitely don’t want it I feel stock.. pushing 700 and looking for something suitable for canyon driving as well. Appreciate the response brother