Does anyone have links to a quality DIY instruction for replacing the front control arms? I am interested in doing the entire unit. Also is this feasible without a lift?

 

It's doable without a lift but it's not fun. And I would recommend replacing the large rear bushing along with the control arm.

The biggest issues I see without a lift are:

(1) there is one torque to yield bolt you need to torque to 100Nm and then turn an additional 90 degrees.
(2) You have to torque all the bolts down with the front suspension loaded as if the car were sitting on the ground. Cheap substitute: front wheels on car, sitting on ramps; rear of car jacked up so the car is level.

For (1) I was able to get torqued down pretty good, but not to 100nm. Had to let the shop do that, and even after getting it to 100Nm they couldn't get it to turn another 90 degrees.

You *will* need a tool to get each control arm's pinch bolt out of the steering knuckle. There are a few out there; here's an example; the gotcha is going to be that you've got about a 4mm space to get one of these into, and most of the stuff out there is 5mm. Strong suggestion: use one of the oblong jobbies in this kit (only one will fit, I think). Alternative: the red tool in the kit is the best option... if you can get it into position (that 4mm vs 5mm problem).
Short version of this work is:

(1) Remove underbody panel
(2) detach "rear feet" of front wheel arches from body (but not from the wheel arches) so that you can access the rearmost bushings
(3) unbolt rearmost bushings from body (4 bolts each); unbolt the single bolt holding the control arm to the front axle support/subframe; unbolt the steering knuckle bolt holding the pinch bolt in place (note front to rear orientation of bolt vs nut, according to BMW TIS you have to put it back together with the same orientation)
(4) spread the steering knuckle to get the control arm's pinch bolt out
(5) remove control arm from car
(5a) if you are keeping the old rear bushings, get them off the old control arms (I did not do this, but I could tell it was going to be a pain -- I'd just replace the bushings outright) and put them on the new control arms
(6) put it all back together with factory spec torques; ensure that you replace all bolts and nuts, noting that the bolts are torque to yield and noting this needs to be done with front suspension loaded as it would be with nobody in the car/the car not full of packages and luggage and stuff/car on the ground
(7) wheel alignment (obviously), which may or may not include steering wheel recentering and one or two other things not possible without a scan tool

Also, when dealing with the pinch bolt, BMW TIS is explicit to torque the bolt, not the nut, and to ensure you match the orientation (front to rear) that the bolt was in in the first place. Don't flip it round the other way.

If/when needed I can get you the relevant reference material. It's strangely Lego-set easy (conceptually anyway), except for having to work at weird angles trying to handle serious torque-down -- and that makes it not so easy. With the rear bushings especially, there is solid risk of the torque wrench socket popping off the bolt head and you being injured as a result, due to working at weird angles. This is definitely work best done with a lift, and if you have no lift, you want the car as high in the air as safety allows using other means.

Hope this helps.