TRW has moved tension strut manufacturing to Malaysia

[derbo]

Originally Posted by x3sm

Since FCP is showing these in stock, are they the ones made in Malaysia?

Ask them and find out?

[x3sm]

Originally Posted by derbo

Ask them and find out?

I could, but maybe someone here knows.

[AWDBooSTIn90]

Originally Posted by drwankel

Sort of.

The regular non M arms aren't really an option unless you are going to have monoballs installed in them, due to them having an oil filled bushing instead of the solid rubber bushing in the TRW //M arms. You absolutely would not just want to swap a stock TRW arm for a non-M arm if you arent touching the bushings.

Last I spoke to GAS, they were considering just moving to the non M arms and selling monoballs pre-installed in that only, due the TRW Malaysian issue.

That video was an interesting watch. Thanks for sharing.

I thought the M3 front control arms have a different angle to them?

And that it causes the extra negative camber you get with the M3 arms when doing the conversion from Non-M Front Control Arms to the M3 spec FCA's..

[drwankel]

Originally Posted by AWDBooSTIn90

I thought the M3 front control arms have a different angle to them?

And that it causes the extra negative camber you get with the M3 arms when doing the conversion from Non-M Front Control Arms to the M3 spec FCA's..

You are getting the control arms and the tension strut (thrust arm) mixed up. The m3 control arm is longer which gives the additional negative camber vs the regular 3 series. It also contains a bearing instead of a rubber bushing.

The tension strut aka thrust arm (what this thread is about) is the exact same length and shape on the m3 and the regular 3 series. The major difference between the two is the m3 arm has a solid rubber bushing, and the regular 3 series has an oil filled bushing. This is the arm a monoball gets installed into.

[x3sm]

Originally Posted by drwankel

You are getting the control arms and the tension strut (thrust arm) mixed up. The m3 control arm is longer which gives the additional negative camber vs the regular 3 series. It also contains a bearing instead of a rubber bushing.

The tension strut aka thrust arm (what this thread is about) is the exact same length and shape on the m3 and the regular 3 series. The major difference between the two is the m3 arm has a solid rubber bushing, and the regular 3 series has an oil filled bushing. This is the arm a monoball gets installed into.

The price of non-M and M tension struts are pretty much the same (on FCP), so if they are changing the bushing to Monoball, does it matter which arm to use? Unless the Malaysian TRW units have lesser quality metal/design. Or they are thinking to use Lemforder non-M struts with their Monoball?

[Gossypiboma]

Originally Posted by x3sm

The price of non-M and M tension struts are pretty much the same (on FCP), so if they are changing the bushing to Monoball, does it matter which arm to use? Unless the Malaysian TRW units have lesser quality metal/design. Or they are thinking to use Lemforder non-M struts with their Monoball?

Theres still the ball joint side to consider.

[wyatth]

If you are just throwing in new arms, go TRW.
If you are adding the monoballs (GAS, Dinan, etc.) then Lemforder seems like the way to start now.