E328i change ball joints

Unless you have access to a good hydraulic press and appropriate tooling to remove/replace the ball joints in the control arms, it is *much* easier to replace both arms complete. They are not too expensive (specify only Lemforder) at around £45.00 each here in the UK. Jack up car and *thoroughly* clean exposed threads on both inner and outer pairs of balljoints. (if you don't do this, debris and rust will cause the nuts to become seized onto the threads when removing). Disconnect anit-roll bar drop links from control arms. Remove nyloc nuts from balljoints and using balljoint splitter/'pickle-fork', separate lower balljoints from hub carriers. Next remove the 2 pairs of bolts holding the rear bush carriers to the body shell. Finally again using 'pickle fork', separate the inner balljoints from chassis and remove old arms. Use new nyloc nuts on balljoints when replacing new arms. I did this job on my wife's '99 323i (including fitting the new rubber bushes) in about 3 hours on my drive last weekend.

JB

A few years ago BMW did mine for =A375 for both sides including fitting. It's probably the only good dealer servicing story I have.

A few years ago BMW did mine for £75 for both sides including fitting. It's probably the only good dealer servicing story I have.

That *is* a good price! I would have expected at least that _per_ side. (and after losing an inordinate amount of skin from my hands at the weekend doing the job, I'd have been glad to pay it too!) JB

Not only that but it needed to be done asap as it failed the mot and I was driving back to germany a couple of days later. They fitted it in amongst there other stuff. Now, it may be coincidental but the service manager was from New Zealand. This was in Canterbury in Kent (not new zealand.)

I was in Specialist Cars in Stevenage the other day and they're still a bunch of muppets.

That's a '98 E36 328i. The "e" number designates the chassis type. the 3 Series cars come in several E numbers, the E36 is yours, the next is the E46, and now they are using E90 for the latest version of 3 Series.

CENTER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT Raise the car and remove the wheel Remove stabalizer link Remove control arm ball joint nut Remove control arm Replace entire control arm

OUTER BALL JOINT (except M3) Disconnect stabalizer link Loosten nut for ball joint Use suitable tool to separate ball joint from steering arm

Be sure to mark the position of the ball joint guide on the control arm, install the new joint with the guide aligned with the mark.

HINT You really need to go out and buy a Bentley manual so you can do this sort of stuff, and get all of the directions instead of the Reader's Digest version that I give you. The manual advises that you need special tools, I'm guessing you 'll need a ball joint fork.

If you had to change the ball joint, or the full arm, also change the control arm bushing (round rubber end of the arm), it will go next, and you already have most of the stuff out. It's not easy to do unless you have acces to a hydraulic press, see this link (same basic chassis E36):