Want to borrow!

[Apex 693]

Wanted today

Spring compressors.

The pair I have are not suitable for the E30 strut.

Need the narrow type.

Like these.

Will get you a box of Juice, V-drink or beer as payment if I can borrow them for a day.

Thanks

Graham

021 46 00 15

[*Glenn* 854]

WTF are you trying to do it in the car for ??

[Apex 693]

Because that’s what the manual told me to do… might pop them out.

[pjay 8]

Take them off the car mate. A lot easier and you don't run the risk of popping a shock through your hood/roof/hand/head.

Your call though. (Edit - spelling is a shocker today)

Edited May 28, 2009 by Pjay

[*Glenn* 854]

Because that’s what the manual told me to do… might pop them out.

Are you using a Mercedes manual ??

We can do the whole job in about an hour

[hybrid 1043]

I have some .. hopefully they are what you need ... they worked for the standard e30 m325i suspension.

[Apex 693]

Thanks Guys, I have given up anyways, last straw was tie rod ends, will put it back to gather and send it to a pro.

I must say they were way off when they “designed†the struts in these things, not very friendly at all. Could have swaped all four struts in my Toyota and had a few beers by now.

[Apex 693]

Are you using a Mercedes manual ??

We can do the whole job in about an hour

This one http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techarticl...ront_Suspen.htm

I have all the parts so I will hold you to that hour Glenn

Edited May 28, 2009 by Apex

[Guest FrantiC]

3 top nuts, remove calipers, remove bolt to the control arm and remove bolt to tie rod. remove strut, do it that way.

I can do each side 15 minutes with an impact wrench. Rears about the same if not faster..

[Mike 1]

3 top nuts, remove calipers, remove bolt to the control arm and remove bolt to tie rod. remove strut, do it that way.

I can do each side 15 minutes with an impact wrench. Rears about the same if not faster..

Yip, only issue sometimes is ball joints. I have my persuading hammer for that though.

[Apex 693]

Thanks. I got as far as the Tie-Rod end, it won’t slide out enabling me to remove the strut so that I can remove the top hats and replace them. I doubt I would have been able to remove the large bolt holding the strut to the control arm anyway.

Tried the persuading hammer in the joint and I think I have damaged it.

I have admitted defeat.

Think I’ll stick to my day job.

[Creaver 55]

$20 balljoint remover from supercheap has saved me hours of pain.

[Guest FrantiC]

Supercheap ones suck, I broke 2 of them trynig to get the strut off the control arm for the first time. BFH sorted that.

[Creaver 55]

Yeah, I will admit I broke one, but it turns out my 'method' was wrong. I was winding and winding in the hopes it would pop off.

Supposedly meant to wind it so pressure is on it. Then smack with a hammer (this method proved successful).

[Apex 693]

Might have to invest in one for next time something breaks. Good to know there is a tool for removing them though, I was starting to think I was going crazy…er

[darkwolf 0]

Should only need a cheap socket and a bolt to remove the tie rod end. Place the socket over the tie rod end (this is to protect the thread) push the bolt through the hole in the socket and hit the end of the socket as hard as you like. This ensures that the end of the thread won't get damaged by the hammer (as long as the bolt is hard against the tie rod end.)

[bravo 35]

Do a search, but the"correct" method if you don't use a ball joint separator is undo the nut until it is level with the top of the thread so if you miss with your hammer, you hit the nut, not the thread, then apply downward pressure on the arm you want to remove with a lever (a friend doing this frees your hands up, but possible alone) and then smack the flat area on the strut the ball joint thread passes through.

It's a tapered shaft - all you have to do is shock it free.

[Jamez 2147483647]

haha I hate balljoints, my father and I were having trouble getting this one balljoint undone, so we just used a sledge hammer, welllllll he was hitting the sh*t outta it, then when it finally came undone we found that all the other ball joints either side of the front suspension were also undone just from the sheer amount of vibration going throughout the car

i would not suggest this way, its all in the quick shock not in the strength, but a little strength never hurts

edit, back on topic, i got the springs off once the struts were out of the car, makes it 100x easier

Edited May 28, 2009 by Jamez

[Forrest 35]

For the amount of trouble, I would just buy a ball joint splitter, are only about $15.

[bravo 35]

Just exercise due car with the pickle-fork type splitter as you can tear the rubber boot around the joint.

I prefer the more expensive screw-on type.

[3series 0]

Am swapping shocks this weekend also. Drop me a pm if you still need some spring compressors / a tierod fork. I havent had any success with my supercheap one.

[QuickSilver 0]

Do a search, but the"correct" method if you don't use a ball joint separator is undo the nut until it is level with the top of the thread so if you miss with your hammer, you hit the nut, not the thread, then apply downward pressure on the arm you want to remove with a lever (a friend doing this frees your hands up, but possible alone) and then smack the flat area on the strut the ball joint thread passes through.

It's a tapered shaft - all you have to do is shock it free.

Have destroyed a tie rod end like this - undid the nut until it was level, and started wacking away, it was SO stuck, and after constant wacking I totally damaged the nut and thread of the tie rod, eventually it came out - solution I cut the damaged section off, still had plenty of thread, and got a brand new and shiny nut on there!

I've always found wacking the side of its mount (where it slips into) will eventually wriggle it free.

[Apex 693]

Am swapping shocks this weekend also. Drop me a pm if you still need some spring compressors / a tierod fork. I havent had any success with my supercheap one.

Thanks BMW3. Im being soft and having it done for me. It would have needed a wheel alignment anyways I suppose

Thanks for the tips on removing the tie-rod ends, wish I had of persevered as I had done every other steps and was half way there. Its an E30 so I will most likely have to replace something and get to try out the techniques in a few weeks anyways.

[bravo 35]

Read it again Alex. That is what I said.

[Driftit 2078]

I just changed the springs in my E39 the other day. A little harder than an E30 thats for sure.

Never had any trouble with my E30's removing shocks. Always just used the shock method. Can't believe your manual tells you to leave them in the car.! lol.