Nelly Welly
Active member
I have done the control arms on my E46 and am intending doing the Z next weekend.
I will do pics and a write up if it's wanted.
I will do pics and a write up if it's wanted.
Control Arms Changed
- Thread starter terry&jane
- Start date
terry&jane said:Machine monkey said:Good stuff I have done the lollipop bushes arbs and drop links. I have the control arms and track rod ends on order. I hope they finally fix my handling woes!!!
As Bing says £50 is a good price
It absolutely transformed the handling, I actually thought of selling the Zed it was so bad
can you describe how it changed? or how to check if its needed? I'm not happy with my steering currently changing from RFT's and getting wheel alignment helped, but it still seems a bit "all over the place" i.e its a bit vague, needs constant correction and still tramlines (not as bad after ditching the RFT)
Thats how mine is at the moment. It got better after changing the RFT and the control arm bushes. I am pinning all my hopes on control arms and alignment. Or I will be selling up for something else.
terry&jane
Member
k31ron said:terry&jane said:Machine monkey said:Good stuff I have done the lollipop bushes arbs and drop links. I have the control arms and track rod ends on order. I hope they finally fix my handling woes!!!
As Bing says £50 is a good price
It absolutely transformed the handling, I actually thought of selling the Zed it was so bad
can you describe how it changed? or how to check if its needed? I'm not happy with my steering currently changing from RFT's and getting wheel alignment helped, but it still seems a bit "all over the place" i.e its a bit vague, needs constant correction and still tramlines (not as bad after ditching the RFT)
Exactly it, I had very vague steering and the steering wheel wobbled when braking! I did notice that when I tightened the front wheel nuts the whole wheel moved, my mechanic said it was the worse he's seen LOL. Its worth doing that check, just get a long wrench if you can.
I thought it was best to replace everything rather than save money only doing the bushes and hopefully I won't need to worry again.
The steering is still very very slightly vague but I'm comparing it with a 14 plate S60 R-Design :roll: I think its to do with the electricservo power steering system! I found I was forever making adjustments even in a straight line but now the car goes where pointed and corners lovely, oh and no steering wheel wobble
I’m noticing that the tramlining effect seems to be a common BMW issue. My old E46 did it and many other people who I’ve spoken to have also reported the same issues. There are lots of theories as to what causes this on the E46 but I believe the main offenders are;
• Wheel alignment
• Worn wishbones, drop links, etc
• Tyre choice (I don’t know about the Z4 (yet) but the E46 was incredibly sensitive to tyre brands and models)
Before my E46 ended up in a ditch & tree, I also had the wondering steering. I would be going down a road at a reasonable pace and for no obvious reason the car would pull left or right depending on its mood. This is quite unnerving when travelling at high speed.
I decided to upgrade the entire front assembly as the car was on 149k so I’ve no idea when it was last done. I didn’t bother changing the tyres as they had good tread at the time but would have tried something different when they needed changing (if I’d managed to keep the car that long!!).
I contacted a company called B&B components (think they’re on the bay) and bought Meyle HD wishbones (come with bushes already pressed in), Meyle HD drop links, track rod ends and (not related to tramlining), Meyle disks & pads. I used this company as they had competitive prices compared to others and also got a discount due to the amount I bought (there were other parts for the car but they’re not related to this story). The reason I bought Meyle is that they are guaranteed for 4 years unlike OEM which I believe is only 1. I’d also heard good reviews.
To change these parts is relatively straight forward and if you’re handy with a spanner you should be fine. As mentioned above make sure the car is secure though as a lot of pulling and pushing is needed, especially if those bolts haven’t been touched for a few years. From a visual inspection before replacing these parts there wasn’t a lot of visible play in the front wheels. This may be due to having the stiffer M sport suspension set up however I wanted to change them as I hoped this would fix the tramlining.
Once I’d removed the old wishbones, drop links, etc I was shocked at how much play they had. The ball joints on the drop links were utterly shot and had excessive play in all directions. The rest weren’t in great shape either.
After replacing all of these parts the steering felt direct and more “trustworthy”. I then got it on a hunter system and the car was transformed.
So to sum up…..This is a relatively straight forward job (it will take you a good few hours if it’s your first time) but the difference it can make can transform your car.
My one bit of advice would be to avoid OEM as they can’t guarantee their parts. Meyle wasn’t that much more expensive and seemed so much better. There are other makes available but I can’t comment on those as I’ve not tried them.
• Wheel alignment
• Worn wishbones, drop links, etc
• Tyre choice (I don’t know about the Z4 (yet) but the E46 was incredibly sensitive to tyre brands and models)
Before my E46 ended up in a ditch & tree, I also had the wondering steering. I would be going down a road at a reasonable pace and for no obvious reason the car would pull left or right depending on its mood. This is quite unnerving when travelling at high speed.
I decided to upgrade the entire front assembly as the car was on 149k so I’ve no idea when it was last done. I didn’t bother changing the tyres as they had good tread at the time but would have tried something different when they needed changing (if I’d managed to keep the car that long!!).
I contacted a company called B&B components (think they’re on the bay) and bought Meyle HD wishbones (come with bushes already pressed in), Meyle HD drop links, track rod ends and (not related to tramlining), Meyle disks & pads. I used this company as they had competitive prices compared to others and also got a discount due to the amount I bought (there were other parts for the car but they’re not related to this story). The reason I bought Meyle is that they are guaranteed for 4 years unlike OEM which I believe is only 1. I’d also heard good reviews.
To change these parts is relatively straight forward and if you’re handy with a spanner you should be fine. As mentioned above make sure the car is secure though as a lot of pulling and pushing is needed, especially if those bolts haven’t been touched for a few years. From a visual inspection before replacing these parts there wasn’t a lot of visible play in the front wheels. This may be due to having the stiffer M sport suspension set up however I wanted to change them as I hoped this would fix the tramlining.
Once I’d removed the old wishbones, drop links, etc I was shocked at how much play they had. The ball joints on the drop links were utterly shot and had excessive play in all directions. The rest weren’t in great shape either.
After replacing all of these parts the steering felt direct and more “trustworthy”. I then got it on a hunter system and the car was transformed.
So to sum up…..This is a relatively straight forward job (it will take you a good few hours if it’s your first time) but the difference it can make can transform your car.
My one bit of advice would be to avoid OEM as they can’t guarantee their parts. Meyle wasn’t that much more expensive and seemed so much better. There are other makes available but I can’t comment on those as I’ve not tried them.
The symptoms you all describe all sound so much like what i'm experiencing (its almost like the front wheels are a bit loose) so ordered the set from ebay ... looks straight forward to fit (although undoubtedly will be a PITA with corroded bolts etc), but anyone seen a "how to "? any special tips or gotcha's?
terry&jane
Member
k31ron said:
Try this, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cZ5B3b2ir8
Control arms and bushes in the Mehel HD kit fitted (will confess I couldn't face doing it myself and got the garage to fit all the kit) I've only driven it very briefly after the fitting on the way back from garage (2 miles) , seems to be an improvement but need a proper drive to see if its truly sorted the issue's out.
while they had the car I also got them to swap the brakepads, disks and change the gearbox oil.....swapping the gearbox oil has definitely helped smooth the clunky gear changes and I would recommend
while they had the car I also got them to swap the brakepads, disks and change the gearbox oil.....swapping the gearbox oil has definitely helped smooth the clunky gear changes and I would recommend