e36 M3 Control Arms Compatible to e30 Control Arms

[Bimmernovice]

I've been told the suspension geometry of the lower control for my e36 M3 and the standard e30 control arms are the same only if I purchase the Lemfoerder brand. This could potentially save a lot of money. I trust the tech but just need to double verify.

[weaksauce]

i belive so for the 95 M3, but the 96+ use a different arm.

there has been extensive research done on this on the 5 lug swap section of r3vlimited with pictures and everything.

[RRSperry]

No. The 95 and the E30 M3 share the same geometry. The E30 M3 lca is alloy, the E36 is steel. E36 LCA from Tischer is $173. The Aluminium arm for the E30 M3 is $317 each...

Before 9-88 the M3 had steel lca's.

But no, a regular E30 arm is not the correct part. It wasn't designed for the much heavier E36, the ball joints will not last. It will fail prematurely.

[Bimmernovice]

No. The 95 and the E30 M3 share the same geometry. The E30 M3 lca is alloy, the E36 is steel. E36 LCA from Tischer is $173. The Aluminium arm for the E30 M3 is $317 each...

Before 9-88 the M3 had steel lca's.

But no, a regular E30 arm is not the correct part. It wasn't designed for the much heavier E36, the ball joints will not last. It will fail prematurely.

Just to clarify, I am buying e30 control arms manufactured by Lemfoerder and installing them in my 1995 M3. The LCA under my M3 seem to be steel. The tech worked at Dinan. He said any e30 not specifically the e30 M3. Not sure why he would say it if it wasn't accurate.

[Vonbimmer]

I went with the lemforder heavy duty e36 arms which have solid ball joints. Great price and basically the same as the 95 M arm.

[RRSperry]

Check the return policy. You're going to need it.

[kevinwilly]

Actually, the standard E30 control arms and the E36 M3 (NOT standard E36) use the same ball joints. No idea if the control arms are the same, but the actual joints themselves are absolutely identical, so they can handle the weight. The E30 M3 and std. E30 used the same joints, but as stated, most the E30 M3 control arms were alloy, which you don't want.

And also- the heavy duty lemforder ball joints are NOT solid metal, as some people would have you believe. There's still some plastic in there.

[328iJunkie]

Actually, the standard E30 control arms and the E36 M3 (NOT standard E36) use the same ball joints. No idea if the control arms are the same, but the actual joints themselves are absolutely identical, so they can handle the weight. The E30 M3 and std. E30 used the same joints, but as stated, most the E30 M3 control arms were alloy, which you don't want.

And also- the heavy duty lemforder ball joints are NOT solid metal, as some people would have you believe. There's still some plastic in there.

Where are you getting this info from about the ball joints? I dont believe that. In addition to that the geometry of the control arm is vastly different between the 95 M 96+M and E30.

[kevinwilly]

Where are you getting this info from about the ball joints? I dont believe that. In addition to that the geometry of the control arm is vastly different between the 95 M 96+M and E30.

The ball joints are identical. I know this because I have seen them compared. Someone pressed out the ball joints from the E36 M3 control arm (despite them supposedly being "non-removable"), and measured every dimension of them, and then compared an E30 ball joint to it. They are 100% identical.

They also noted that the supposedly all-metal lemforder ball joints actually have some plastic in them. I'm not sure if the cup itself is plastic, or if it's just some kind of dust seal. I suspect that they just have a plastic dust seal- but I've never busted one open. Either way, they are better quality than other ball joints.

The control arm itself, like I said- I have NO idea if that fits. I know the ball joints are the same, and that's all I know. I kind of doubt the entire control arm can be interchanged. I don't know why you would even bother trying, though. I guess the E30 arms are about half the price of the E36 ones.... but it's not like either are THAT expensive, and they last for well over 100k miles usually.

[weaksauce]

Where are you getting this info from about the ball joints? I dont believe that. In addition to that the geometry of the control arm is vastly different between the 95 M 96+M and E30.

partially true. the e30 and 95 M3 should be the same geometry and the 96+ M3 are different.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...2&postcount=80

[Bimmernovice]

I went with the lemforder heavy duty e36 arms which have solid ball joints. Great price and basically the same as the 95 M arm.

Thanks. I think that is the way to go.

Speaking of compatibility between the e30 and e36 M3, I brought my e30 into the shop and the tech popped in my e36 M3 LCA bushings from my trunk into the lollipops of my e30 without saying a word about fitment. Of course, I didn't mind because the bushings were inexpensive and made the e30 suspension tighter.

[Karuza]

E30 arms in my 95.. No problems.

[Stück]

Check the return policy. You're going to need it.

The balljoints have the same part number man. Get off your wrong ass soap box.

Non-M e30 and 95 M3 control arms are 100million percent interchangable. I'm running non-m e30 control arms on my 95 M3, and e30 balljoints in 96-99 M3 control arms on another car.

Please please PLEASE stop with your misinformation man. People like you ruin all these forums stand for.

[nucci]

I have been driving on Lemfoerder E30 inner LCA balljoints for 8 months now. I pressed them myself. They fit.

[328iJunkie]

Im asking if the composition of the joint is the same. Yes they may fit as bmw recycles the dimensions of everything but are they built the same?

[nucci]

There is a post on either here or M3F where someone sawed a Lemfoerder E30 joint apart. It was all metal, just as the E36 M3 joints are supposed to be. The (unfounded) concern some people have is that the E30 joints have the rubber isolator inside them like stock E36 joints do. These people are wrong about Lemfoerder E30 balljoints.

[kevinwilly]

There is a post on either here or M3F where someone sawed a Lemfoerder E30 joint apart. It was all metal, just as the E36 M3 joints are supposed to be. The (unfounded) concern some people have is that the E30 joints have the rubber isolator inside them like stock E36 joints do. These people are wrong about Lemfoerder E30 balljoints.

Ok, so the E30 ones don't have the rubber inside them? All i've seen is that the OEM BMW ones (which I have been told are made by lemforder, not sure if that is correct or not), when sawed open, DID have some plastic inside, even though they are supposedly "all metal".


All I know is that when the time comes for me to do my ball joints, I'm just putting E30 ones into my E36 M3 control arms and calling it a day. Bam- $80 worth of parts for both sides, and call it a day.

[Bimmernovice]

The balljoints have the same part number man. Get off your wrong ass soap box.

Non-M e30 and 95 M3 control arms are 100million percent interchangable. I'm running non-m e30 control arms on my 95 M3, and e30 balljoints in 96-99 M3 control arms on another car.

Please please PLEASE stop with your misinformation man. People like you ruin all these forums stand for.

Now this guy must be 100 percent accurate. 16 gazillion posts, he's gotta be right about the e30 LCA being compatible with the 95 M3. I mean, if you really thought about it, the last e30's were the verts in 93 and the first e36's came out in 92. You'd think that BMW would have re-used from its e30 parts bin to build the e36.

[328iJunkie]

Well BMW recycles damn near everything while still changing it minorly quality or functionally so i wouldnt stand behind that fact.

Think about it, an M20 oil pan will theoretically bolt up to an E46 S54... And the main bearings from an m20 are the same ones i just put in my S52 and also work in the S54 and M54!

[kevinwilly]

Well BMW recycles damn near everything while still changing it minorly quality or functionally so i wouldnt stand behind that fact.

Think about it, an M20 oil pan will theoretically bolt up to an E46 S54... And the main bearings from an m20 are the same ones i just put in my S52 and also work in the S54 and M54!

It's true. There are like only 3 BMW rear main seals and only like 2 or 3 oil pan gaskets out there.


I think the consensus is that if you want all metal, get the E30 ones and put them into the E36 control arms. That's what I got from doing a bunch of research a few months ago.