After months of messing around I've finally got two Meyle upper control arms winging their way to me from ebay.de. Other than the obvious (22mm sockets, etc) are there any special tools required to fit them? I've read about a "pickle fork", do i need one of these? Anything else?

Hope you got a good pair off the 'bay. I personally would have put new ones in (which I did..), just for the peice of mind that I won't have to do that repair anytime again soon...

After months of messing around I've finally got two Meyle upper control arms winging their way to me from ebay.de. Other than the obvious (22mm sockets, etc) are there any special tools required to fit them? I've read about a "pickle fork", do i need one of these? Anything else?

You will need a tool of some sort to get the ball joint end out of the tie rod arm. Depending on how much torque was applied in the previous installation will determine the effort to get off. I personally do not link pickle forks, there is a special tool that is used that clamps around the tie rod arm to exert force on the bolt (after the not is off) tighten as much as possible and wack the tool with a big hammer, it will pop right off.

Others (including me) have used an impact hammer on the bolt (again after the nut is off) and it will come out as well. You got new arms coming so no worries about messing up the ball joint end of rubber boot.

Before you start this project it is good to measure from the bottom edge of the wheel (rim) vertically to the fender edge, record this and then when you have finished putting the new arms on, DO NOT TIGHTEN the big bolt thru the big rubber bushing, just bring it up and leave a bit loose. Then drive on a set of ramps or if you have access to a 4 post lift even better, check the measured distance again to insure that you are with in 1/4" (6mm) of the previously measured distance. then you can crawl under and tighten the main bolt, Bring it up to at least 100 Nm (77 lb/ft) both sides and your are done.

What you just did was preload the suspension to the normal ride height beofre tightening the big bolt, that way under normal driving and at rest, there will be NO twisting forces exerted on the rubber bushing.

I will try to find pictures of the tool used for the main ball joint end and post, If anyone else has a pic, please post.

HTH

Ball Joint removal tool (there are several different versions)---->

...another version of the same thing---->

...one more

This is one out of my set of 3 ---->

Ball Joint removal tool (there are several different versions)---->

The picture in post number 5 is close to the right one to use for the ball joint end of the thrust arm! looking at it again it isn't exactly what I have but close.

Found a picture of what I have from Baum Tool, model KK129-0

http://www.mwrench.com/pictures/general/Puller.gif

It has to have a long reach to get to the ball joint bolt that comes thru the tie rod arm.

Hope you got a good pair off the 'bay. I personally would have put new ones in (which I did..), just for the peice of mind that I won't have to do that repair anytime again soon...

Tx, i bought new Meyle arms, I thought these were the best ones?

MWrench/Tx, thanks for the pointers. I can't find a supplier of Baum tools in the UK, does this look any good? http://www.justoffbase.co.uk/Expert-Quality-Ball-Joint-Separator-63770-Draper-N150;jsessionid=0a000b441f4368c0c743440e4f4b82c397 33a0e87bf4.e3eSbNmQaheLe34Pa38Ta38Lc350?sc=2&category=99

Tx, i bought new Meyle arms, I thought these were the best ones?

MWrench/Tx, thanks for the pointers. I can't find a supplier of Baum tools in the UK, does this look any good? http://www.justoffbase.co.uk/Expert-Quality-Ball-Joint-Separator-63770-Draper-N150;jsessionid=0a000b441f4368c0c743440e4f4b82c397 33a0e87bf4.e3eSbNmQaheLe34Pa38Ta38Lc350?sc=2&category=99
...misunderstood on the arms (thought you bought used), you shouldn't have any problems using that tool. You want to make sure though, that it is the correct size. I can't recall if it is the larger or smaller, it does however make thajob ALOT easier.
Good luck

Tx, i bought new Meyle arms, I thought these were the best ones?

MWrench/Tx, thanks for the pointers. I can't find a supplier of Baum tools in the UK, does this look any good? http://www.justoffbase.co.uk/Expert-Quality-Ball-Joint-Separator-63770-Draper-N150;jsessionid=0a000b441f4368c0c743440e4f4b82c397 33a0e87bf4.e3eSbNmQaheLe34Pa38Ta38Lc350?sc=2&category=99

The tool that you found will not work, it is for the E36 series and more directly related to ball joints that are at the end of tie rods and not the E31, E32, E34 thrust arms. Look carefully and you will se that the tool you found has a relief to go around the ball joint end and not over the tie rod arm.

Believe it or not, Harbor Freight sell the correct tool in their ball joint kit, but I don't know if you have one of them in the UK or not.

Contact Gerry in the UK, He hangs on the Roadfly board, and is in the UK, might be able to help you out.

I fitted the new arms today without any dramas. I half killed myself torquing the bolts under the car on ramps but other than that it was pretty easy. I bought a ball joint separator but predictably it was wrong. It was the right kind of tool and looked like the baum tool below but the jaws didn't have enough reach, in other words the jaws needed to be longer as the pivot was fouling on the arm. Anyway I took it back and changed it for a pickle fork which removed the ball joints easily. Depressingly the old arms looked in fairly good shape when I got them off. One of the ball joints rubber covers was split but other than that they looked OK. Is it the bushing or the ball joint that normally goes bad? Can you tell just looking at them that they are bad? I noticed that what ever joins the steering rack to the hub looks damaged so I'll change them later too..... Thanks for your help (particularly MWrench), I'm feeling a bit smug as suspension is new territory for me :)

Depressingly the old arms looked in fairly good shape when I got them off. One of the ball joints rubber covers was split but other than that they looked OK. Is it the bushing or the ball joint that normally goes bad? Can you tell just looking at them that they are bad?

It is usually the bushing at the big end that goes bad, they normally are fluid filled (E31, E32 style)for damping and when the fluid goes they will get soft and the notorious 45-55MPH shimmy will appear.

The ball joint ends usually will go well over 100K miles but if the rubber boot is compromised, they go faster.

Glad it went well.