What's the physical differences between E46 control arms?

[protomor]

I had a bud do a 5 lug swap on an E30. he wound up using 318ti parts and the wheel sat really far back in the wheel well. He tried 95 M3 knuckles but those did nothing. I'm assuming the 96+ M3 knuckles have more caster in them but he modded the control arm bushing receptacle for more caster.

Anywho, he was using E46 control arms from a 2000 328. My assumption is that all non M E46s have the same aluminum control arms (no one sells the early ones that look like E30/E36 ones no more). The M3 ones simply look like they have a different design though. I read (on forums) that they are a tiny bit wider but that's it. So no more caster? Just wider? How much wider? why does no one seem to care in the E46 community?!

[bennyfizzle]

maybe they were just tweaked?

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I have Meyle HD's and lemforder E36 arms I'd be glad to measure up and make some triangles to see the hanglination of the chooch

[papiichulo]

You need 96+ spindles and offset control. Arm bushings possibly Ben camber/ caster plates to center the wheel

[protomor]

maybe they were just tweaked?

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I have Meyle HD's and lemforder E36 arms I'd be glad to measure up and make some triangles to see the hanglination of the chooch

pretty please?

You need 96+ spindles and offset control. Arm bushings possibly Ben camber/ caster plates to center the wheel

I know. they modded the control arm bushings for more caster instead of buying M3 stuff. But that lead me to wondering about the different types of E46 control arms. Maybe if the M3 ones or zhp or whatever had more caster, it would be a better option.

[bennyfizzle]

I'll post it up tonight as long as it stays in my head that long.

[bennyfizzle]

I forgot the scrap I wrote the actual mesaurements on, I did it quick and rough...but here's what I got from memory (which I'm 90% sure of until I get to my shop again)

[protomor]

What's the diff between Meyle HD and regular E46 and M3 E46?

[bennyfizzle]

Idk. But I'm gonna have to re-do that drawing tomorrow. The e36 arms are 13" inner to outer, which makes more sense. The E36 arms didn't look acute to me at all.

[SLR]

secret info removed!

[protomor]

I understand. So the M3 E46 arm DOES have more angle in it. But not by much. At least not by enough to matter.

[SLR]

Yes they push the wheels a tiny bit forward, but they have much less wheel clearance at lock than standard E46 arms.

[protomor]

That's kinda what you need on an E30 though. The wheel is always too far back.

[SLR]

Right, but 96+ M3 have the extra caster built in, and then if you add the offset bushing you have the right position for running E36 spindles.

[protomor]

you have point making sir. touche.