Installing new control arms into my 289,000-mile project M3 was a pain, but worth it.
The E46 only has one control arm attached to each front hub, so there aren’t actually a lot of fasteners to worry about. All you have to do is drop the center pan under the engine and gearbox, remove two bolts from the chassis, one nut from the subframe, and another nut from the hub. With liberal use ofeven the hub connection is easy to remove. The only bolts that gave me any difficulty were the nuts that attached the arms to the subframe.
The nuts hold onto the arms from the top of the subframe, facing upwards into the engine bay. As such, they’re in incredibly awkward locations for removal, making getting a socket or wrench on them nearly impossible. The passenger-side nut took about an hour to unscrew, as I had to use a wrench to turn it 1/12th of a turn each time, as that’s all the room I had. I tried doing the same thing for the driver’s side arm, but it wouldn’t break free with a wrench, so I had to get creative.
With its new arms, the car feels way better to drive—not surprising considering the ball joints coming off the car were ripped open and totally worn out. Now it no longer feels like the front of the car is moving around, even while going straight. It just feels like a normal car that’s fun to drive. Mission accomplished!
What’s left? There’s a light on the dash for washer fluid, not because it’s low on fluid but because there’s a hole somewhere in the system that allows it to drain out. I’m exactly sure where the problem is but I’ve never had to use the washer jets once under my ownership, so that’s low on the list. Other than that, none of the “big 3” have been addressed. If I can get enough funds together, I’ll tackle that stuff. Stay tuned.
Road & Track staff writer with a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing.
Norge Siste Nytt, Norge Overskrifter
Similar News:Du kan også lese nyheter som ligner på denne som vi har samlet inn fra andre nyhetskilder.
Installing New Control Arms Into My 289,000-Mile Project M3 Was a Pain, But Worth ItInstalling new control arms into my 289,000-mile project M3 was a pain, but worth it.
Les mer »
Plus de 400 000 km déjà pour une Honda Civic 2022 | Actualités automobile | Auto123Une Honda Civic 2022 ayant parcouru plus de 400 000 km déjà, comment est-ce possible ? Auto123 se demande…
Les mer »
Tesla rappelle 40 000 Model S et Model Y | Actualités automobile | Auto123Tesla lance une campagne de rappel concernant ses Model S et Model X en raison d’un problème avec la direction assistée. Auto123 a les détails.
Les mer »
The Morning After: Tesla recalls 40,000 cars with broken power steering | EngadgetPlus, Netflix's new Trivia game, Crypto market woes and Garmin's new rugged hybrid watch..
Les mer »
Twitter adds — then removes — 'official' label to big verified accountsThe move is part of new owner Elon Musk's overhaul of the social media platform's verification system. Twitter announced it will offer subscriptions that include the existing “blue check” for $7.99 a month.
Les mer »
Razer’s latest Naga mouse has a new scroll wheel and a magnetic side panelRazer’s new Naga gets a cool new scroll wheel.
Les mer »