Another E36 M3 project begins....

[BMWManiac]

I've owned my E36 M3 since 2002. I first loved the e36 when my parents were stationed in Germany. In 1996, they bought a brand new 328is. We are a Ford family since my Grandfather worked over 30 years for Ford...so, needless to say, this was different and awesome! Only issue I had...automatic and cloth interior. After graduating West Point in 2001, they gave me the car and I quickly traded it in on the M3 I still have today.

Now, married, my Wife has never been a car person. In 2015, while we were in Raeford, NC, there was a Mom and Pop car lot/vape shop that had a 99 Techno Violet convertible/dove with 130k miles. It was pretty clean, but he wanted $7500 and I didn't really want it...so, passed on it and my Wife has never let me hear the end of it because she wanted a "purple BMW." So, I have been regretting it ever since today. After years of searching, this popped up just a couple of days ago and I was fortunate. 99 TechnoViolet/Dove, Auto, with 129k miles on it....meant to be!

1) It was only an hour away
2) It was listed for $5k, which can say some things, but still worthy to check it out
3) It was fully loaded and everything seems to work for the most part.


So, now my, I'm ready to dive into my next project! I'm going to start with the front suspension and get her driving it until the winter and then the interior and rear suspension will be address....
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[Auto Parts Guy]

Nice find and nice looking vert! Don't put the cooling system on the back burner for too long.

[bluptgm3]

1996+ M3 FLCAs are on National Backorder till mid August, at least that was the latest communication from Tischer BMW.
Supposedly, Meyle HD FLCA’s plus Offset FLCABs are one solution.


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[BMWManiac]

1996+ M3 FLCAs are on National Backorder till mid August, at least that was the latest communication from Tischer BMW.
Supposedly, Meyle HD FLCA’s plus Offset FLCABs are one solution.

Yeah, I sent FCP a message about these because I've purchased them before....want that lifetime warranty!

Nice find and nice looking vert! Don't put the cooling system on the back burner for too long.

All too familiar and luckily, this was addressed by the previous owner. Will doubt check receipts though.

[Auto Parts Guy]

Just buy the Lemfoerder ball joints from FCP and press them in. Way cheaper.

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PNs:
31121126253 & 254

$69 for all 4 Lemfoerder ball joints from FCP

[BMWManiac]

Did you use a 20 ton press?

[jszy25]

Congrats on the purchase. I would love to pick up a techno car at some point. Such a great color.

[Auto Parts Guy]

Yes, just the HF 20ton for $150. great deal IMO. I use it quite often.

[TostitoBandito]

Yeah, the 20 ton press will do it no problem and is probably still cheaper than buying new arms if you combine the cost of the press and the lemforder joints. Unless you've bent your arms or they're really badly rusted there's no reason to replace them. I cleaned mine and threw a fresh coat of paint on when I did the joints and they look brand new.

[BMWManiac]

Yeah, I guess I just love the convenience and if I buy through FCP with everything else, I'm still getting the lifetime warranty....cannot wait to put my order in but have to wait after vacation!

Oh and Chemical Guys Back to Black is the best product I have ever bought with regards to restoring trim.....OH MY GOODNESS am I impressed. All my mouldings and the rear diffuser, not to mention my engine bay after a cleaning looks brand new!

[blckstrm]

Yeah, I guess I just love the convenience and if I buy through FCP with everything else, I'm still getting the lifetime warranty....cannot wait to put my order in but have to wait after vacation!

Oh and Chemical Guys Back to Black is the best product I have ever bought with regards to restoring trim.....OH MY GOODNESS am I impressed. All my mouldings and the rear diffuser, not to mention my engine bay after a cleaning looks brand new!

If I had to do it again (I just did it) I would find factory arms at some place like FCP with a lifetime warranty. I don't really have room for a press so I found a shop that said they could do it. They ruined two ball joints trying to press them in and I had to wait an extra week to get the car back on the road.

I know they're not in stock right now, but next time I'll just buy new arms with a lifetime warranty.

[bluptgm3]

If I had to do it again (I just did it) I would find factory arms at some place like FCP with a lifetime warranty.

It will be interesting to see who gets supplied and who does not.....and ...LOL!!! what is the price going to be?

Talked with Tischer and they indicated supply should show up mid-August now.


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[TostitoBandito]

The only thing you can really warranty in the arms are the joints, which are functionally the same Lemforder joints you'd buy separately to DIY it. Personally this isn't something that I'd really get hung up on having a warranty for. It's a hunk of metal with two relatively inexpensive replicable joints in it. The hunk of metal isn't going to break or fail unless you do something the warranty isn't going to cover anyways, like crash into a wall. Also, given that these arms are bordering on NLA status at this point I wouldn't bet on OEM replacements being available years down the road, even for warranty purposes.

That said though, yeah it's a pain to find a shop that knows how to DIY them correctly. I was never able to, and instead hit up a local forum member to borrow him and his press for a couple hours. If not for Joe I would've just bought the thing from HF. It's literally a 60 minute or less job with the press to do both arms, and most of that is prep like sawing off the studs on the old joints and getting everything aligned correctly on the new ones. The press makes short work of the joints. The old ones come out like gunshots, and the new ones go in nice and smooth.

[BMWManiac]

I live near an Army base where they charge $3 to use their press.....it is where I do the control arm bushings anyways. I do like the idea of owning the press though, but I feel I'll be lucky to get 100k more miles out of these cars (my M3 too) just because they are driven 2500 miles a year if that anyways. I am worried I would ruin the joints and it would set me back. If what you say is true, I'll refurbish the current ones at my leisure. They actually looked pretty good....no rips in the boots. The tie rods/end links though are shot and just about everything else can be done.

And the FCP warranty applies to everything, even if it is your fault! I mean, they even accept your old oil for warranty....crazy

[Hova]

I have a few sets of LCAs that have brand new Lemforder ball joints pressed in as spares. PM me if you're interested. 95 M3 and also a few sets of 96+.

[BMWManiac]

I have a few sets of LCAs that have brand new Lemforder ball joints pressed in as spares. PM me if you're interested. 95 M3 and also a few sets of 96+.

Will do, about to leave on vacation and if there isn't anything readily available in the next couple of weeks, I'll let you know.

[RRSperry]

It would cost you more in gas to drive to my house and use my press for free...lol $3? jump on that...

[BMWManiac]

If it means hanging out with an enthusiast while wrenching, it would be worth it! I love the drive! I need to PM you about using that rear control arm bushing tool....

Still on vacation, but initial wave of parts ordered from FCPEuro! Better top swap with the BMW parts guy Greg, and Bavauto speakers all "ordered.". Should get me to winter and then seat reupholstry from LSeat.com and rear suspension....love how this is starting!

[RRSperry]

No problem at all... Anytime.

[GG///M3]

Hi 5 nice project

- - - Updated - - -

I have a few sets of LCAs that have brand new Lemforder ball joints pressed in as spares. PM me if you're interested. 95 M3 and also a few sets of 96+.

Nice.

[BMWManiac]

Just buy the Lemfoerder ball joints from FCP and press them in. Way cheaper.

0609191959.jpg

PNs:
31121126253 & 254

$69 for all 4 Lemfoerder ball joints from FCP

So I'm thinking of attempting this....while the control arm ball joints don't see bad and the rubber boots are completely in tact, I feel bad replacing everything else....

So, how do you press out/in the ball joints? Is there a retaining clip and do you press from the bottom or top to remove the bearing? I assume top?

[Auto Parts Guy]

The ball joints just press right out from the top (starting where the nut threads on and pushing down). Important is you have them level and have the right size cups/sockets/metal to get them out, something just smaller than the ball joint. Sometimes the ball part can push through the bottom of the joint if it's really stuck in the arm. Careful too that you don't have aftermarket arms, because the ball joint could be a different size. I was going to prepare my spare control arms with new joints and realized that one side was a Chinese aftermarket... You can see the difference below, one with the funny looking metal thing on it.. Otherwise a simple job. Took me longer to get the control arm set in the press than it did to actually get them out.

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[BMWManiac]

Awesome, thanks....as far as I know, and looking at all the parts, this car's suspension is all original. I am the 9th owner, and probably first to touch the suspension. I have access to a press so when I do the control arm bushings, I can do the ball joints too. I plan to rent the ball joint tool from autozone to get them out/in

[Auto Parts Guy]

You can rent the ball joint press just to have the cups that come with the kit. But I'd use that press to get them out. So much easier than the ball joint tool kit. Honestly I used some old metal pieces from a lawn mower, a 20-something mm socket and some harbor freight aluminum seal drivers when i did mine. It worked like a charm. I have a ball joint tool kit but none of the cups were the right size.

[blckstrm]

You can rent the ball joint press just to have the cups that come with the kit. But I'd use that press to get them out. So much easier than the ball joint tool kit. Honestly I used some old metal pieces from a lawn mower, a 20-something mm socket and some harbor freight aluminum seal drivers when i did mine. It worked like a charm. I have a ball joint tool kit but none of the cups were the right size.

I did all of this and it didn't go smoothly for me at all.

I don't have room for a press, so I got recommendations for a shop and had them pressed in.

They messed up one of the long inner ball joints, so I had to get a replacement.

When I went to finally install it a week later after they finally got that last one pressed in, I realized they'd pressed on the bolt and bulged the metal plate on the bottom of one of the outside ball joints.

At that point I'd been without the car for two weeks and I used a pair of hammers to flatten it back out and hoped for the best.

Net of all of this is that that side still clicks/clunks a bit sometimes, kind of like it did before I replaced it. So at the end of the day I wish I'd bought new ones. Or I guess I wish new ones were available.

If Hova has a couple done right, I'd get them from him and send him your old ones back.

I'm far past the point where I trust myself and you guys more than any shop out there.

If I'd known Hova had those I'd have bought some and shipped my old ones back to him.