E30 Zone

Took my car in yesterday to get a few jobs done, including fitting new front shocks. I got a call from the garage telling me that the shocks couldn't be removed from the struts (why exactly got lost in translation but the word, rust, was used) and I had to have new struts. This has to be bollox, right? I know things can sieze pretty tight over 20 years but surely not to the point where it has to be ditched?

They do get pritty tight some times, my dampers were leaking and had let oil run down the legs which had loosened them off for me when i did them. ask for you old ones back, if you can. Soak them in penitrat and release for a few days and try ang get them out, atleast then you can sell them on and offset some of the cost 51mm are often in the wanted section

Well the problem is you normally apply heat to a seized whatever to get the whatever out if you know what i mean?
but................if they apply heat to that hub they will cause excess heat in the shock absorber and cause it to explode if it is the gas type(quite dangerous)

But they sound like poofs that aint trying hard enough to me!

I didn't get new struts, I told them not to bother, so I still have the knackered shocks on the car. He found me a pair of used struts that he said came from a 318i. I told him they'd be smaller but he said they were interchangeable and the 318 had 51mm struts. Again, is this right?

datourer wrote:I didn't get new struts, I told them not to bother, so I still have the knackered shocks on the car. He found me a pair of used struts that he said came from a 318i. I told him they'd be smaller but he said they were interchangeable and the 318 had 51mm struts. Again, is this right?

that sounds wrong they have 45mm or something along them lines fitted

unless it was a 318is?

All tourings had 51mm struts, but certainly not all 318i's.

Incidentally, it's not unknown, albeit rare, for dampers to seize in the strut.

datourer wrote:Took my car in yesterday to get a few jobs done, including fitting new front shocks. I got a call from the garage telling me that the shocks couldn't be removed from the struts (why exactly got lost in translation but the word, rust, was used) and I had to have new struts. This has to be bollox, right? I know things can sieze pretty tight over 20 years but surely not to the point where it has to be ditched?

Bottom line is that 20ish years of water and crap take their toll. Any decent garage will try their hardest not to screw it up, or damage your car in the process of removal. But there comes a point when something is no good anymore. And needs replacing.

As mentioned, some places will rather replace than repair. Perhaps you could ask what they tried so far.

Thing is, if the damper does not want to come out, which as above can on occasion happen, would you be happier for the firm to spend X billable hours trying and perhaps failing, or rather letting you know that it's seized in place?

He said something about the damper turning in the strut when they tried to undo something, does this mean anything? Sorry, I know nothing about fron suspension set-up

That sounds like the shock shaft turning rather than the shock it self

Rav335uk wrote:That sounds like the shock shaft turning rather than the shock it self

Quite.

i've had it where the collar nut has rusted so badly you just can't get anything on it. The collar nuts are tightened to about 150Nm

So, justified in replacing the strut?

I would say so.

datourer wrote:So, justified in replacing the strut?

If they've not managed to remove the top nut yet - no.

If the damper body is seized into the strut - yes.

Have you seen the struts? Even someone inexperienced can probably see when its had it

Chris-W wrote:

datourer wrote:So, justified in replacing the strut?

If they've not managed to remove the top nut yet - no.

If the damper body is seized into the strut - yes.

I agree..
and don't we know about dampers stuck in shocks chris!!!

I haven't seen them, and they're back on the car now.

If they can not remove the 19mm nut from the shaft, i don't think i would trust them with my vehical.

It sounds like the garage doesn't know what it's doing.