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Thread: Bent trailing arm

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
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    Scotts Valley CA
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    1998 M Roadster

    Bent trailing arm

    I have a 1998 M Roadster, and when I put two new tires on the rear, which I do frequently because of the negative camber, I had the tire place try to align it. They said no can do because it looked like I had a bent right rear training arm. In searching for a replacement I was told by BMW that there wasn't one in the country, but they would have one sent from somewhere outside. That was four months ago, and they finally told my mechanic that they don't have any of them in their inventories around the world. I tried the online junkyard search engine, and got a lot of calls or emails from people who said they had one, only to find out that they were for Z3 regular models, not M Roadsters. Different animal.
    Does anyone know the source of a replacement trailing arm for a '98 M Roadster?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
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    Rock Hill, SC
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    2000 BMW M Roadster
    Have you taken it to another alignment shop or the dealer? I would want a second opinion on that one.
    Last edited by pine1000; 02-15-2019 at 11:00 PM. Reason: deleted misinformation

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
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    SoCal
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    2002 BMW Z3 M Coupe
    On this issue when getting new trailing arms installed make sure to install the ireland toe and camber correction kit so that you can adjust it (posi-lock style). These cars have weak rear control arms with the posi lock kit you might even be able to weld them into your current arms and get the necessary adjustmsnt you need. But I would do both arms and the posi lock toe/camber correction if i had this issue.

    to ease the pain of your current issue keep your tires inflated at 40+ psi.. benefits also include better mpg.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
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    Arida Zona
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    z3
    Quote Originally Posted by pine1000 View Post
    According to RealOEM the trailing arms are the same for the M and Z3: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=33_0998

    Have you taken it to another alignment shop or the dealer? I would want a second opinion on that one.
    Thats categorically wrong. M trailing arms are M specific. Look at the diagram you posted #7

    Depending on how bad it is OP sometimes alignment kits can fix it
    I have a good drivers side

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  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2015
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    Maryland
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    1998 M Roadster

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
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    Rock Hill, SC
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    2000 BMW M Roadster
    Quote Originally Posted by BimmerBreaker View Post
    Thats categorically wrong. M trailing arms are M specific. Look at the diagram you posted #7

    Depending on how bad it is OP sometimes alignment kits can fix it
    I have a good drivers side
    My bad, deleted that part of my post to avoid confusion.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
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    Kent, Ohio
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    Your tech's statement that they couldn't align your rears because a trailing arm is bent is a bit misleading--our ///M's are not 4 wheel alienable--there is no adjustment for the rears whether the trailing arm is bent or not. Be sure to get a print out from the shop showing the specs for all 4 wheels and have them point out (circle) which one they say is out, and what the readings are that show it is out and by how much. There are adjustment kits that can be added, but these require removing the trailing arms and welding them on. I agree with taking it to a different shop for a second opinion--just ask them to check the alignment all around--and don't tell them about the other shop or their opinion. Get a print out from the second shop as well, and see if it says the same thing. Now, if the second shop identifies the same wheel as being out in the same way, then perhaps replacement is called for--depending on how far out the reading is and how your tires are wearing. On a good set of sticky summer-only tires you should get about 10-13,000 miles out of the rears (assuming you maintain tire pressure properly and depending on how you drive) before the inner edges wear down. If you get significantly less than this, and especially only on one side, then there is a problem worth talking about, otherwise I wouldn't go buying a trailing arm on just based what an alignment tech says.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
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    Joppa, Md
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    2,553
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    99 M Coupe,04 K1200rs

    4 wheel alignment

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Bingley View Post
    Your tech's statement that they couldn't align your rears because a trailing arm is bent is a bit misleading--our ///M's are not 4 wheel alienable--there is no adjustment for the rears whether the trailing arm is bent or not. Be sure to get a print out from the shop showing the specs for all 4 wheels and have them point out (circle) which one they say is out, and what the readings are that show it is out and by how much. There are adjustment kits that can be added, but these require removing the trailing arms and welding them on. I agree with taking it to a different shop for a second opinion--just ask them to check the alignment all around--and don't tell them about the other shop or their opinion. Get a print out from the second shop as well, and see if it says the same thing. Now, if the second shop identifies the same wheel as being out in the same way, then perhaps replacement is called for--depending on how far out the reading is and how your tires are wearing. On a good set of sticky summer-only tires you should get about 10-13,000 miles out of the rears (assuming you maintain tire pressure properly and depending on how you drive) before the inner edges wear down. If you get significantly less than this, and especially only on one side, then there is a problem worth talking about, otherwise I wouldn't go buying a trailing arm on just based what an alignment tech says.
    LOL, I had to pay for a "required" 4 wheel alignment to get my Md. inspection sticker/ title, had to bite my tongue,as a knew it wasn't possible to do.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
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    Scotts Valley CA
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    1998 M Roadster

    Two Opinions

    I had the tire shop try to align it and my repair shop try to align. Same results.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2002
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    SW Florida
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    99-01 M Cpe & Rdts, X5M
    I hate to be the bearer of bad (or worse) news, but if you suspect that you have a bent trailing arm, it is just as likely that the suspension carrier itself is bent too.

    Unfortunately, without taking drastic measures, or relying on luck, you don't know which component piece(s) are the culprit when the alignment tech says that it's out of spec.

    While it's true that weld-in adjustable toe/camber can compensate for minor misalignment, you can even bias their installation (as long as you don't go too far that a new/straight trailing arm can't be aligned).

    I fabricated test fixtures from brand new trailing arms and a suspension carrier, so as not to waste any labor by installing adjustable t/c kits on cars that were too far gone and needed new replacement parts.

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