Anyone DIY a control arm replacement for a 325xi?

All,

I just did my front rotors and pads this weekend (which went well) and when moving the rotor side to side, I noticed that I had some play in the ball joint bolt on each side. This makes me think I need new control arms.

Of course, with the AWD 325xi, the arms are different (read more expensive!). Also, because I am seeing some play in the ball joint, I'm thinking the bushings are probably either gone, or on their way out too. So I want to do a full control arm and bushing replacement.

I found a couple of 325xi "kits" which include everything I need; some will even press the bushings into the carrier for you. It looks like the price is around $800 for a kit with the pre-pressed bushings.

My questions are:

1. Is $800 about right? Are there any other vendors online that sell a control arm kit for the 325xi that is cheaper?
2. What would I expect to pay at an Indy shop for a full control arm replacement?
3. If I decide to go DIY, is it really just a matter of un-bolting the old ones and bolting on the new ones? It seems every control arm DIY I've read is not XI specific.

TIA,

-BL

#1. $800 sounds overboard. check bavauto dot com
Cannot say anything specific about 325xi, I was quoted $500(arm) + $112(labor) from each side (2000, 328i) at Firestone.

Originally Posted by BrianLeveille

3. If I decide to go DIY, is it really just a matter of un-bolting the old ones and bolting on the new ones? It seems every control arm DIY I've read is not XI specific.

That's basically it in a nutshell... However the actual process of unbolting the old and bolting on the new isn't so easy. If you have to recycle the housings and press the bushings yourself it'll be quite a bit more difficult, however I'd still recommend DIY as it will save you a good deal of money.