Control arm/thrust arm/tie rod end

[ahlem]

I am about to change the front ones. The back ones have urethane bushings from the last time I did this ~50K miles ago or more and seem to be in good shape (until I get them off for inspection). I also have new tie rods to install. I recall a very nice write up on the subject but didn't find it. Only a helpful post from 2004. Anyone link me to the write up?

[ahlem]

And while I'm at it, I need to set the front end alignment. The car has H&R springs and Koni adjustables and Kmac plates. Anyone have the alignment specs handy? Maybe set to an e34 M5?
How about the rears?

[632 Regal]

Get a good balljoint splitter and it's pretty straight forward. I also did not find a good write up for you yet...

I do the string method to align the front. 2 times I did that to get it to a shop for a proper alignment and both times it was so close that they didn't touch it.

[ahlem]

I have the Napa scissors type ball joint splitter that works well for this project.
Last time I did the job, someone with lots of seniority linked me to someone's write up on their personal website with photos. I tried searching but came up dry.
I bought two laser pointers on sale and will try making a holding fixture for each side. I figure I can use those to project dots onto surfaces two defined distances forward of the car and measure cross dimensions and diagonals and try to remember sines and cosines to verify the geometry. I used the leaning 10 foot conduit method a couple times before and came out real well. I will have a CAD guy at work draw me a 7.9 degree from plumb line and the +/- tolerance angles and transfer those to a plexiglass sheet to set the caster. I will make another guage to measure the camber. Then I will take it into a shop to have them measure.

[shogun]

http://www.bmwe34.net/
http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/suspe...tml#post343136
Johan & Sean's E32 Page
Gale's Page
the alignment specs are in here
BMWTIS -- Repair Information

tigthening torques, from E34, but same procedure, the alignment specs E32
Vorderachse

[shogun]

BMW E34 5 series Website
http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/suspe...tml#post343136
Johan & Sean's E32 Page
Gale's Page
the alignment specs are in here
BMWTIS -- Repair Information

tigthening torques from E32, but same procedure for E34, the alignment specs E32
Vorderachse

[632 Regal]

String method: use 1/8" allen wrench to space the front string away from the tire, adjust until string just touches back part of front tire. If done properly will be within spec.

[ahlem]

Update...
I took the left side apart. Everything came off fairly painlessly. I ordered Lemforder control arms, the back ones, from Blunttech. I have a set of urethane bushings installed in the current ones that appear OK pending successful removal. I also have a set of stock ones from the switch to urethane. I plan on painting the lower bracket gizmo that everything attaches to to make it look beautiful. In a couple days my shiny new control arms will show up and all will go back together. The right side will be disasssembled next before the new parts come.

[genphreak]

Wheel alignment specs
http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/5-series-bmw/35982-alignment-specs-525i-vs-m5.html

http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/5-ser...cs-answer.html

and some old wheel geometry love thrown in for good measure
http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/5-series-bmw/28824-bmw-wheel-tyre-tire-geometry-sizes-explained.html

[ahlem]

So a little math help for those of us who may have been distracted by that cute girl in Sophomore geometry that day...
1 full circle = 360 degrees
1 degree = 60 minutes
so .5 degrees = 30 minutes
The little double lines that look like quotation marks indicate minutes.
If any of this is incorrect, I'm blaming it on Nyquil and don't tell my wife I can't do math.
A train leaves Cleveland travelling west at 50 mph...