Aluminum M3 E30 control arms and Cab's

[ejnight]

Would there be any interest in these if I would make them and sell them for under 500$ for a complete set. Not sure if I can but at over 700 from Bav for just the arms and 60$ for polyurethane Cab's I think I can do it. Please let me know what you think.

[z31maniac]

I want Carbon Fiber control arms.

[Hick]

Personally i would be reluctant not knowing what grade alloy was used/process to which its made. Do you plan to test their breaking strength? have anyway to detect manufacturing flaws in the part?

i would not buy, no matter how many were sold. But thats just my opinion.

[z31maniac]

i would not buy, no matter how many were sold. But thats just my opinion.

This is actually the correct answer. I'll pay the extra money for a known quantity.

[alpinaclone]

How exactly would they be made?

I don't really need aluminum control arms. But if you have the capability to make those, could you make something to correct roll center/camber curve in the front? I would be more interested in longer front ball joints or something like that.

[e30serg]

I wouldn't buy anything that wasn't forged, like the originals. These things see a lot of high loads from god knows how many directions. I hope you have the engineering background to investigate as many of the failure modes as you can. Even if you sell them as "For race-only", you have to test the shit out of them, and know what you're looking at.

[CorvallisBMW]

CNC them from billet. Then there's no worries about manufacturing defects :)

[Hick]

CNC them from billet. Then there's no worries about manufacturing defects :)

yeah there are. they cannot be made the exact same way. fillits, rounds, etc. cannot be made [easily] with a cnc.

and to write the program for an automated cnc is foolish and a waste of time.

[Massive Lee]

Honestly there are parts that I would only buy from a brand name, and from a reputable known source. There are so many countereit parts that I am extremely wary of what I buy over the net. Sometimes, the sellers didn't even know that their distributors sold them counterfeit stuff... Ouch.

When it comes to control arms, it is even more serious. CNC from billet will not be enough. Parts will need serious forging. Very expensive process.

For racing though, a few very well known suppliers have offered Helm-jointed race parts. But I put the emphasis on "VERY WELL KNOWN".

It is easy to make a part that looks like it could work. It is another thing to make a quality part that will sustain abuse in all conditions.

[ejnight]

I use FEA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finite_element_method to test all the parts we make now. These would be made to OEM specs.

[DCColegrove]

Stated here already but...

There is a reason they cost that much... And to match the qualities necessary in that application on a small scale will cost a lot more.

My cohort Mason does a lot of stuff like this for several aplications including March and Lola carts... BIG BIG Bucks..

[e30serg]

FEA is not enough in my book. Messing with the way the mesh is created will affect the results in many ways. Do you know what safety factor was used with the OEM parts? Have you tested the actual parts for shear stresses, etc? Seriously, testing (real life, on track) is your friend. You can make them for the track, but not for the street. The liability incurred would be astronomical.

[killa325i]

Honestly there are parts that I would only buy from a brand name, and from a reputable known source. There are so many countereit parts that I am extremely wary of what I buy over the net. Sometimes, the sellers didn't even know that their distributors sold them counterfeit stuff... Ouch.

When it comes to control arms, it is even more serious. CNC from billet will not be enough. Parts will need serious forging. Very expensive process.

For racing though, a few very well known suppliers have offered Helm-jointed race parts. But I put the emphasis on "VERY WELL KNOWN".

It is easy to make a part that looks like it could work. It is another thing to make a quality part that will sustain abuse in all conditions.

did you mean heim joints? i'm not busting your balls, just never heard of helm joints. just curious. and i agree 100% on making a part that "looks" like it'll work, i tried to make a drop drag link (reduces bump steer on lifted vehicles) for one of my old FJ40's and every single one broke within minutes of being on the trail. lol and i used heim joints on the ends

[ejnight]

This is an ad from Turner Motor Sports. They make theres? I dont think so. They are made for them, and marked way up.
E30, E36 Aluminum Control Arm
318i/323i/325i/328i/M3 (E30 E36) 1984-1999 These aluminum control arms, used on later E30M3s, are much lighter and stronger than the original part and are a direct replacement for the stock control arms. Reducing weight will help suspension response and improve steering feel. These are also legal for BMW CCA Club racing. All track cars should replace control arms a minimum of every two years. Neglecting to replace them often may lead to the failure of the part and loss of vehicle control. These will fit all E30 (not ix) models as well as E36! Original BMW part. Price is per arm.
Left or Right? Both Please (Add $298.40)Left OnlyRight Only
$298.40

[Brian D]

This is an ad from Turner Motor Sports. They make theres? I dont think so. They are made for them, and marked way up.

Original BMW part.

Missing your point here.

Add me to the list that will stick with factory arms.