►Replacing the front control arms on your BMW F30, F31, and F34 xDrive models is one of the most important jobs you can do to restore the handling that degrades over time.
Control arms are a crucial link in a vehicle’s suspension, connecting the suspension to a vehicle’s subframe. These pieces are usually hinged to allow for the suspension to travel and articulate as the vehicle rides over obstructions in the road and while the vehicle turns. Many vehicles, such as those with independent suspensions, have multiple links and feature several connection points and arms to offer better ride quality and comfort.
As bushings and joints in a control arm begin to wear, you may notice a looseness feel in your suspension. While many arms have replaceable and serviceable individual components, many still require the replacement of the entire arm. If you’re feeling any play in the suspension, notice any uneven tire wear, or can hear a buckling noise coming from the suspension – it’s time to take a look at those control arms.
In this video, Gareth Foley, our BMW Catalog Manager, walks you through removing and installing the new control arms for your BMW F30 from Lemforder. This job is fairly straightforward and does not require the use of any specialty tools.
Read more BMW DIYs, guides, and news on our blog: https://blog.fcpeuro.com/tag/bmw
Read this DIY on our blog: https://blog.fcpeuro.com/how-to-replace-bmw-f30-front-control-arms
Shop the parts used in this video:
Lemforder Control Arm Kit: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-4-piece-control-arm-kit-lemforder#description?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=mps%20f30&utm_content=front%20control%20arms%20diy
Index:
00:00 – 00:42 Intro
00:42 – 01:51 Tools Needed
01:51 – 02:44 Tire & Axle Nut Removal
02:44 – 04:11 Ball Joint Nut Removal
04:11 – 04:43 Lower Control Arm Bolt Removal
04:43 – 05:04 Lower Control Arm Removal
05:04 – 06:18 Lower Control Arm Reinstall
06:18 – 07:50 Wishbone Removal
07:50 – 08:35 Wishbone Reinstall
08:35 – 09:09 Axle Reconnecting
09:09 – 12:14 F30 Front Control Arm Torque Specs
12:14 – 13:33 Thanks for watching!
This video applies to the following vehicles:
BMW 328i xDrive
2013 BMW 328i xDrive
2014 BMW 328i xDrive
2015 BMW 328i xDrive
2016 BMW 328i xDrive
BMW 335i xDrive
2013 BMW 335i xDrive
2014 BMW 335i xDrive
2015 BMW 335i xDrive
BMW 320i xDrive
2013 BMW 320i xDrive
2014 BMW 320i xDrive
2015 BMW 320i xDrive
2016 BMW 320i xDrive
BMW 428i xDrive
2014 BMW 428i xDrive
2015 BMW 428i xDrive
2016 BMW 428i xDrive
BMW 435i xDrive
2014 BMW 435i xDrive
2015 BMW 435i xDrive
2016 BMW 435i xDrive
BMW 328i GT xDrive
2014 BMW 328i GT xDrive
2015 BMW 328i GT xDrive
2016 BMW 328i GT xDrive
BMW 335i GT xDrive
2014 BMW 335i GT xDrive
2015 BMW 335i GT xDrive
2016 BMW 335i GT xDrive
BMW 328d xDrive
2014 BMW 328d xDrive
2015 BMW 328d xDrive
2016 BMW 328d xDrive
BMW 435i xDrive Gran Coupe
2015 BMW 435i xDrive Gran Coupe
2016 BMW 435i xDrive Gran Coupe
BMW 428i xDrive Gran Coupe
2015 BMW 428i xDrive Gran Coupe
2016 BMW 428i xDrive Gran Coupe
BMW 228i xDrive
2015 BMW 228i xDrive
2016 BMW 228i xDrive
BMW M235i xDrive
2015 BMW M235i xDrive
2016 BMW M235i xDrive
BMW 340i xDrive
2016 BMW 340i xDrive
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 3 Series – F30 Front Control Arm Replacement (BMW F30, F31, & F34 xDrive)')){kind=link}
Thanks again, this one is very helpful on the Meyle HD thrust arms!
What issue brought everyone here? I’m curious to see if it’s the same reason if mine
Does this apply to normal non xdrive f30 ?
I don't see the bolt and nut included in the kit. Can you link those? Tried searching on your website but didn't find them.
What’s a fair labour time for this job?
would it all be the same on a rear wheel drive car except the drive shaft bolt?
I bought my arms and bolts from FCP Euro because of this video. Clear/concise narration, easy to follow along, good lighting and proper video for all tasks. Thanks for making this.
So i had BMW replace the track arms on both sides. The car rides funny now and almost feels overly stiff. Like difficult to handle when hitting a bump. They mentioned that they did NOT lift the hub to ride height when torquing down the inner nut. Would that cause this? Also should i be concerned they did not do this properly?
You know I just watch your videos because they are so well made and I just love them. I don’t even have that car.
my thrust arm has a giant piece of steelk in the way. There is no way to get at the nut because on one side it is blocked by a giant piece of steel and on the other side, the wiring harness covers it. Fuck sakes. You should have done this on a car with the original arms that didn't have the vibration dampener removed.
"corrosion" lol that aint nothin, ez job
Just FYI your always suppose to torque the nut. The nut is used to stretch the bolt to the required tension.
Hi, I followed your video to replace the both control arms, but both thurst arm bushings have failed within 5000 miles, what could the reason be for this ?
Lemforder Oem replacement arms were used
How about the f31?
Yeah definitely not attempting this at home on car jacks lol