Balljoint life on a 99 328i with sports package

Thanks for the recommendation Fred.

I suppose BMW will not fix this in the form of a redesign.

How do folks feel about the aftermarket control arm with replaceable
balljoint referred to below?

Carver

The Malt Hound wrote:

> "Carver" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>All,
>>
>>What is the life expectancy of ball joints?
>>
>>How much play can be tolerated before they need to be changed? I
>>know the tech writer in roundel says no play. This second set has
>>lasted about 25,000 miles. In my Maxima, the ball joints lasted
>>180,000 miles.
>>
>>Carver
>>
>
>
> AFAIR, your balljoints are not replaceable. You need to replace the
> entire control arm.
>
> BMW 3 series ball joints are a bit unusual in that the base is fitted
> in a nylon surround to help reduce road vibration, etc. There are
> aftermarket control arms available that remove the nylon in favor of a
> solid metal mounting. They are supposed to give a more precise
> alignment and eliminate the possibility of the nylon insert wearing.
>
> There's an example shown in Bavarian Autosport's catalog:
> http://bavauto.com/shop.asp
>
> -Fred W
>
>
>