BMW E90 E91 E92 3 Series Front Control Arms Replacement Guide

BMW E90 3 series front control arm replacement.
The following links are affiliate links that the channel recieves commission for
Left Control Arm: amzn.to/3qDmqey
Right Control Arm: amzn.to/3CgQD4Y
Donate Via Paypal HERE: bit.ly/3u2yEMz
Join Patreon HERE: / georgeausters
Tools I Use!
Sealey Cordless Ratchet Kit: amzn.to/3bgAsKn
Small Dewalt Impact Wrench: amzn.to/2T4igdi
Big Dewalt Impact Wrench: amzn.to/39NOrEu
Dewalt 5ah Battery: amzn.to/39tRRhL
Dewalt Battery Charger: amzn.to/3dkwlxb
Sealey Impact Socket Set: amzn.to/3a8zcpQ
Torx Socket Set: amzn.to/32EbnDV
Female Torx Socket Set: amzn.to/2PzAZMQ
Torque Wrench: amzn.to/2VF0YpI
Oil Drain Pan: amzn.to/3dm00pJ
Rhino Ramps: amzn.to/3zKGiy7
ISTA D / BMW Coding Kit: ebay.us/qBKS6s
➢ Subscribe For Regular Videos ➢ goo.gl/x0Juyl
➢ Instagram: / georgeausters
➢ Facebook: / georgeausterspage
➢ Email: [e-mail]
➢Amazon Prime Free 30 Day Trial: amzn.to/2v6kVe5
➢Best Place For Car Parts: bit.ly/2swCcMz

[@nealart]

Thanks for demonstrating the wobble. I wasn’t sure why I was told they need replacement but that’s it.

[@GeorgeAusters]

Glad to help!

[@radioactivepotato2068]

Solved my unbearable braking vibration after a lengthy and soul destroying hunt down of the issue. I've had the carrier off when it's been zero degrees and hammering it down plus all sorts of other madness. With a pry bar, the main bush on the drivers side seemed solid enough, went through two MOT's with it FFS 😂. Removed, you can stick a screwdriver through the bolt sleeve and stir it like soup. I don't know what's gone on there. Car is finally spot on again.

[@AlluApplepie]

Perfect video! Great that you always properly go through the torqueing, very important

[@GeorgeAusters]

Thanks man!

[@Slowmotors123]

Mate you always seem to release videos the day before I’m about to do the same job I love it 😂

[@GeorgeAusters]

Hahaha brilliant!

[@ollijyrkkio2747]

Thanks for the video! Just got these changed on my e92 today with your help💪

[@ashfrost2050]

You've done some great videos on the e90 3 series mate, thanks!

[@NinpoUK]

Gonna check the control arms on our E91 now thanks George :)

[@brianrowland9993]

Excellent informative video! I'm now happy to tackle the job!

[@damiangrabowski2104]

TRW Control arm

[@bouncycastles1214]

Great work George. Tempted to put a pry bar on all my suspension arms to check for any play now.

[@GeorgeAusters]

Worth doing mate!

[@OH8EFI]

Great video! My E84 is getting new one this week. Looks like an easy job

[@OH8EFI]

And the way of fastening looks almost identical. What a terrible driving experience. The chassis side of bushing has at least 5mm of offset when weight on wheel

[@6Martin]

Brilliant vid. Perfectly explained.

[@garycook1517]

yet another good video, keep it up bud. Looks like I am going to have to rebuild my diff on my e91 as I think bearings have gone, oh no

[@GeorgeAusters]

Thanks mate, that sounds fun haha! If you don’t want to do it yourself then well worth getting in touch with Mike at GearLab - if you do let him know I sent you👍🏻

[@flags7712]

One of my favourite KZbinrs

[@GeorgeAusters]

Thanks bro!

[@martf9875]

Another great vid ,,George ,,,can't wait utill ,,you get a f30 m sport ,,so I can follow your procedures and tips ,,,🤣🤣🤣🤣 keep em coming mate and stay safe all 👍

[@fernandoruifaria5417]

I have to do the same to 120d. Well done as usual.

[@GeorgeAusters]

Exactly the same process then!

[@johnyp2967]

Good job George.

[@GeorgeAusters]

Thanks mate!

[@Gitlive92]

Def gonna save me hella money they wanted a lil more than 800 for the parts and install at a service spot in town. I got the parts for like a hundred and thirty. I just needed the front.

[@steveng5503]

Prefer the m3 ones. May as well do both on each side. Nice clear instructions. ✌️👍🇬🇧

[@Himoutdoors]

TRW makes the control arms. It’s the same parent company (ZF, lemforder)

[@dimitric3607]

Fantastic video as always mate super helpful! What website do you use to find the torque specs?

[@Hff19927]

Looks like an easy job. Cheers

[@GeorgeAusters]

Yeah isn’t too bad!

[@tonyross7376]

Good stuff bro

[@GeorgeAusters]

Appreciate it

[@DavidRAlc]

Good work mate! need to check mines, in idle I feel some vibration on board and having 105k miles being a 335d perhaps it will improve. Thanks for sharing it.

[@GeorgeAusters]

Thanks mate!

[@JUNK4UCREW]

Generally never knew the torque specs where on ista. Might make another good vid.

[@caldwell1981ac]

Hi George can you do a quick demo video of how you used ista for the torque settings and workshop information. I know this has replaced bmw tis for newer models but havnt yet learned how to do so. I think a lot of your followers would be interested as there doesn't seem to be much info on this around the net biddy

[@GeorgeAusters]

Yeah will have to do it sometime mate👍🏻

[@automajstorijediy]

hi, on my 2006 e87 i have problem that front wheel has big play forward backward when i stay in front of the wheel and kick it with a leg. is this related to control arm only or can be something else ?

[@chunjiin8883]

Thankyou 👍👍👍

[@GeorgeAusters]

Welcome 👍

[@rybackracing8075]

Great video. I recently had new front discs/pads on my E91, which lately developed a vibration. The garage I took it to say the discs have warped & destroyed the control arms as a result. I find this hard to believe! Is it more likely the arms had play when the discs & pads were replaced? I’m not sure what to do now & don’t trust the garage to sort it so tempted to replace the arms myself.

[@GeorgeAusters]

Did you bed the new brakes in?

[@dogbite5509]

You'll not have any bother with Febi Bilstein parts. Probably better quality than OEM and that goes for all their parts and products.

[@GeorgeAusters]

Yep I’ve never had an issue with any of their parts personally👍🏻

[@HorseMeal]

Great value for money as well considering they’re good quality

[@clutchinv1803]

Can you provide a link for the bolts?

[@tamaskiss1937]

yep, I am about to do it on my e60 along with the tie rod ends.... lower arms are done already.

[@GeorgeAusters]

Good stuff!

[@bastaboom163]

Good job mate ! I've used MOOG aftermarket control arms. Same price as Febi but in my opinion better quality.

[@GeorgeAusters]

Fair enough, never tried them!

[@brodiehaward]

I tend to go for lemforder or TRW. TRW is OEM for e9x M cars, I believe lemforder is OEM for non M cars.

[@bastaboom163]

@@brodiehaward Yes, you can get Lemforder for the double price of Moog or Febi if you are planning to keep the car for more than 10 years.

[@dannyb1979]

Moog are very good; very good warranties too. Meyle, Moog, TRW and Lemforder I my usual go-to's, but Moog feature a lot now for me 👌🏻

[@lieberfreialsgleich]

@@brodiehaward Both are ZF parts. Lemförder is part of ZF.

[@FrenchVries]

Could this solve a judder i get when suddenly braking hard? Not vibrating like warped discs, but a shock from the front end.

[@GeorgeAusters]

Yes definitely!

[@simonh870]

Good video, I need to do this job on my E92 (original arms at 124K) but I was also going to do the short straight control arms as well.

[@GeorgeAusters]

Yeah maybe worth doing both while you’re in there mate

[@simonh870]

@@GeorgeAusters I think so, they don't seem to wear quite as much but if they do go afterwards you have to get the wheel alignment done all over again.

[@brodiehaward]

@@simonh870 id do the m3 arms, they are easy to get on AUTODOC, normally around £50 a piece. Might aswell upgrade if you are replacing them.

[@simonh870]

@@brodiehaward I want to keep it standard really, I know that M3 arms improve the handling but they can also cause more tyre wear and a harsher ride. I don't buy from Autodoc, I have experienced their poor customer service.

[@brodiehaward]

@@simonh870 fair enough. Ive never had a bad experience with AUTODOC, so for as long as my luck lasts i intend to stick with them. They are rarely beaten on price for most items and usually I receive the bits within 8 days.

[@burnout535]

Hi George! Great videos. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. Just one question, where do you get all torque specs from? Thanks.

[@GeorgeAusters]

ISTA

[@davidviner4932]

Need to buy a torque spanner thingy, not to use but just to look at and make it click

[@GeorgeAusters]

😂

[@Dannitk]

🙌🏼

[@AlmeraGTiR]

Hi, can I ask what made you change the control arms? Did you get steering wheel wobble when braking by any chance? Cheers

[@GeorgeAusters]

I never noticed anything to be honest, but it was an advisory on the previous MOT

[@joseluisMartin]

George, once you tighten lower arms at 68Nm , the +90º , are you using the same torque? I mean 68Nm, or something different? Thank you

[@GeorgeAusters]

Really doesn’t matter, as long as you do another 90 degrees turn

[@joseluisMartin]

@@GeorgeAusters I'm on it, Thanks man

[@hnicstr3ma899]

Quick question is the torque spec the same for the other control arm the more straight one ? I want to change both.

[@GeorgeAusters]

Likely not!

[@djqube01]

Cracking video but what's the part number for the bolts mate, I'm UK based, I've tried eurocar parts, LVW, GSF 🤷‍♂️ ?

[@GeorgeAusters]

The bolts come with the arms, have I linked them in the description?

[@elliotcrosby379]

What impact would this have on driving if my control arms were worn? Mine doesn’t ride very nicely at all. Quite crashy! Would this fix that?

[@GeorgeAusters]

Possibly but hard to tell

[@garydelr5757]

Are the long bolt and nut one time use and must be replaced every time they are removed?

[@GeorgeAusters]

Correct👍🏻

[@hectorespinoza7641]

Could you do a video on the whole control arms kit

[@GeorgeAusters]

Do you want to send me the kit out then?

[@hectorespinoza7641]

@@GeorgeAusters 😂 no thxs but when replacing the control arms can we reuse the same bolts or do we need to buy a new one and the nut too?

[@GeorgeAusters]

@@hectorespinoza7641 All TTY bolts need to be replaced

[@samcourt6228]

Timely…. I’m replacing them on my 130 with M3 items in the spring (it’s too sodding cold at the mo 😂). Just out if interest, how to you know which grade bolt you have?

[@GeorgeAusters]

Good stuff! The grade of bolt should be printed on the head of the bolt👍🏻

[@simond5208]

Nice video. Do the arms come with fresh nuts/bolt or do you order them separartely?

[@GeorgeAusters]

The arms that I’ve listed do come complete with new nuts and bolts yes👍🏻

[@russiandrivers9986]

I have a bit of play in the steering. Could this be the cause of that?

[@GeorgeAusters]

Very possibly!

[@ACE-jx3wc]

I got the ball joint part out but the other part is stripped and won’t come out how would you go about that

[@GeorgeAusters]

What is stripped?

[@ThePetersTravelshow]

👍

[@chrisgermann6658]

BMW and cheap are an impossible combination my f10 xenons cost over 700quid new per cluster, thus no choice but to attempt a rebuild lol.

[@BMW_nation]

Get some aftermarket ones that are fully built with awesome halo lights and they are about £750 for a bit very nice and decent quality ones

[@lautarautentic]

👍🏻

[@brodiehaward]

Why not use the M3 arms? They’re about £50 a piece on AUTODOC, very similar in price to the standard arms

[@TrikitrikiMan]

Yes, I was about to ask the same thing. Anyone using M3 arms? It´s suposed to be an easy upgrade as the rubber part on M3 arms is more solid than normal E9x/E8x

[@GeorgeAusters]

Because they give you more negeetive camber which = more wear on the tyres as there is no front camber adjustement for BMWs

[@disturbator]

Hi mate. My car pulls to the right. Alignment done 3 times. New tires, tyres aligned... Would this help?

[@GeorgeAusters]

Any play in your bushes?

[@disturbator]

@@GeorgeAusters well a mechanic lifted it and shaked the wheels. Front ok only right rear a very small barely play.

[@seanpaul3050]

Can fit m3 arms to give more front camber

[@GeorgeAusters]

Yeah that’s an option but then you go through front tyres quicker

[@brodiehaward]

@@GeorgeAusters depending on driving style, it can actually prolong tyre life. If your constantly shredding outside shoulders its well worth it.

[@verdej2057]

Recommended this on a 2007 X5 with 110k?

[@GeorgeAusters]

Yes

[@joaomachado4056]

Hi, thanks for the videos. That car with 100K miles , hummm, I think it needs to change the gearbox oil, the power steering oil and the differential gear oil. we want to see.

[@GeorgeAusters]

Yep have a full service video coming soon👍🏻

[@exorNTV]

Why don't you upgrade the BMW M3 Control Arm Upgrade?

[@GeorgeAusters]

Because they give you more negative camber which = more wear on the tyres as there is no front camber adjustement for BMWs

[@2b2bs]

Mine has like little pins around the nut how do i get it off

[@GeorgeAusters]

Tap it off with a screwdriver and hammer

[@2b2bs]

@@GeorgeAusters thenk you so much bro

[@AmanBloushi]

Do you plan on doing the timing chain on this, based on the mileage?

[@GeorgeAusters]

Nope. Pretty confident it’s already been replaced👍🏻

[@leenevin8451]

these dont get flagged on MOT, car feels like it jiggles

[@GeorgeAusters]

These were an advisory on the previous MOT mate

[@jonathanowen6147]

I’ve posted comments twice but they disappear. This is a sort of a test…

[@GeorgeAusters]

Do you know what the comments were?

[@jonathanowen6147]

@@GeorgeAusters On your previous video I commented that I’d coded out the stop-start feature on my F30. Comment disappeared so I reposted it. Disappeared again. I wonder if KZbin deleted it because I mentioned the software i used…

[@GeorgeAusters]

@@jonathanowen6147 Interesting! Yes I never even got to see those comments, I'm pretty sure I did block all links though because I had an issue with scammers spamming their links before

[@jonathanowen6147]

@@GeorgeAusters Just tried…it won’t let me post the word Bi**erCode

[@davidb-d4vid342]

bro i have a question, i got a F30 2.0 Diesel but i had a accident and i had to renew the whole left fender + light, all those control arms... but i didnt know u need to torque them when they'r on weight... i can tell u i got a little vibration on the left side and cant solve it. i bought allready 2 sets of wheels 1 was bad other one is balanced and is good. even if i drive in corners the car feels weird like its gonne brake out it only got 163hp :( since i have the car i never gone higher then 180km/h = 111mph cuz the car is healthy enough service is a must but it drives like sht. if i see in your videos how it needs to be driving then damn i bought the rong car.... ps: Love your videos, simple and easy love it. sorry for my bad english.

[@GeorgeAusters]

Check those control arms for play

[@davidb-d4vid342]

@@GeorgeAusters ok hope it will do it. Thnx mate :)

[@piovo5222]

@@davidb-d4vid342 what was your problem?

[@pietropietros216]

i think control arms should be torqued under load ( car on the ground)... ?

[@AlexGnok]

You are correct - that's why it says "tighten down in normal position" in TIS instructions. "Normal" position is when wheels are loaded, i.e. on the ground

[@GeorgeAusters]

Did you not watch the video? The car was down on the ramps when I torqued the bolts😅

[@liamordones7790]

What brand are the lower control arms i need all 4 front for my 328i 2008

[@01123581321341]

George - Do you rate Febi Bilstein as a brand ? Are their parts good quality or rebranded Chinese made rubbish?

[@GeorgeAusters]

Yeah they’re decent👍🏻