Advice needed - access to shock mounts on a Touring

[Saga]

I have to do a fairly rapid replacement of what sounds like a very dead left rear shock mount on my E30 touring, as it's going on a trip to France on Friday. Was going to do the job anyway and have new shocks, but have had to bring the schedule forward as it's really got very loud.

I've never done this job, although I understand it actually involves about 4 bolts. However, what isn't obvious to me on looking in the back of the car is how you remove the big bit of trunk trim containing the rear speaker etc. to get access to the shock mount. I only see two screws under the rear pillar, and nothing forward of that is immediately obvious.

I can see rage and destruction of plastic in my future if there's some hidden fastener which you only know about if you're a mason, have been taught the secret BMW mechanic's handshake and own special tool no. 207747012. This info may be in the Bentley, but I've just moved house and the manual's hidden in a large box somewhere.

Can anyone who's done this help me get a clue as to how I get the trim off?

[nicey]

might help ?

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=51&fg=65

[Saga]

Ta Nicey - I did look at realoem, as one does, but it doesn't show the fasteners for 7 (or the one on the other side). The only ones I see are two phillips head screws below the rear pillar, but that's (surely) not what's securing the trim.

[Sanchez]

Ive not done it but I think you need to remove the rear seat bolster thats by the wheel arch, makes it easier to see whats holding it in place.

[HairyScreech]

pull side cover out, pull carpet out, undo the load cover mounts, a bolt near the tail gate and one near the seats and then pull the trim pannel off.

once thats out its 3 screws for the speaker pods.

just get stuck in its easy to see what you need to do. i did a pair of dampers on a touring a few weeks ago, my first one in about 40 mins and the second one with out even taking the rh wheel off in 20 mins.

[gooner1]

Spooky, was just about to do a search on this very subject. Got a feeling my rear L/H side Topmount has given up the ghost. Would that explain why the Rear Axle beam dropped
a good few inches when i undone the 22m nut at the rear bush ?

[Saga]

pull side cover out, pull carpet out, undo the load cover mounts, a bolt near the tail gate and one near the seats and then pull the trim pannel off.

once thats out its 3 screws for the speaker pods.

just get stuck in its easy to see what you need to do. i did a pair of dampers on a touring a few weeks ago, my first one in about 40 mins and the second one with out even taking the rh wheel off in 20 mins.

Cheers Hairy...

By side cover you mean the door to the jack, triangle etc., or do you mean remove that big bit of carpeted trim entirely and then there's more crap? Never having had those bits off it's tough to visualise, sorry!

I assumed once I'd got that off it's be pretty evident, just having trouble seeing where the fasteners are at first glance. Did spot a wee plastic nut however, so I'll have a go at taking it apart when I get home (missus allowing) and see where I get to.

On the down side, having got all this helpful advice, I'm now paranoid the big bastard trailing arm bushing's gone and not the shock mount at all. The back end has become more slidey since the clattering noises started, and my T1Rs are far from worn out. If so, that won't be fixed by Friday!

[HairyScreech]

yes i mean the side pod door bit.

you need to whip that plastic nut off as well, but get the car up on a jack and have a look at the top mounts in the top of the wheel arch, grab the damper and move it about, if its moving about all over the place then there shot.

i wouldnt be surprised if the lack of damping was causing all the sliding about, as you have a spring that essentially has no damping at the back.

[daimlerman]

Have a rumage through the wiki,there should be a photo guide to this job somewhere 320itouring(Neil) wrote it up a while back.

[toby]

There was a really good article on how to this but I can't find it at the moment. I assumed it was in the wiki but it isn't there...

The trim is just held on with screws and to get to the top mounts you need to remove the seat belt mechanism (take photos as you go to show how to line them back up). Be careful when taking off the nuts as they will tend to fall out of the socket and disappear down inside the bodywork. Stuff some rags down the gaps or put some grease/glue on the socket to prevent the nuts falling into the voids.

[HairyScreech]

i never had to touch the belt mechanism at all to do mine, theres plenty of room to do it all from the back sitting in the boot.

[toby]

It sort of depends on the size of the sockets you are using. I couldn't get the ones I was using square on the nut without removing the seat belt mech IIRC.

[gareth]

this is the way i do it:
remove the load cover
fold the rear seats down.
remove the side bolsters from the seats - one 10mm bolt at the bottom then lift up and off.
remove the boot carpet and cubby bin doors (they unclip at the bottom)
remove the side panels (one screw behind the cubby door, at the top. two screws in the loadcover brackets. two 10mm plastic nuts on the boot floor) then prise out of the rear window seal.
remove the speaker pods.
remove the seatbelt reel (pulling the belt out makes access a lot easier. when it's out, loop it over the front seat to stop it retracting).
remove the two shock top mount nuts through the hole under the seatbelt reel. use some tissue in the socket to stop the nut disappearing forever into the body cavity!
then under the car, remove the bottom shock bolt.
the shock will then come out - there will be no load on it if the car is sat on it's wheels. if it's jacked up, the wheel should be supported a little so the shock isn't taking the load. personally, i do the job without a jack at all.

refitting is the reveral of removal and all that

[gooner1]

Gareth, anyone, got a strong feeling my top mounts need replacing urgently om the Touring.
Luckily i already have some, along with Z3 reinforcing plates, that i intended to put
on my Cab. What, if anything, else do i need
Tia.

[BadDave]

Gareth, anyone, got a strong feeling my top mounts need replacing urgently om the Touring.
Luckily i already have some, along with Z3 reinforcing plates, that i intended to put
on my Cab. What, if anything, else do i need
Tia.

The gaskets that go between the topmounts and the underside of the bodywork.
And I'd recommend applying some silicoe to the Z3 plates to keep them from moving, in order to make it easier to replace them next time round

[gooner1]

Gaskets, i knew there was something else.
Thanks Dave.

[e30topless]

What, if anything, else do i need
Tia.

just a bit of patience Rob, these are a lot more fiddly than doing the cab one's

[gooner1]

Patience , that,s me buggered then Steve.

[BadDave]

As an alternative to Gareth's suggestion about putting a tissue in the socket before using it on the retaining nuts.An alternative in part of a rubber glove or even some grease,just to prevent the nut slipping down into the hollow section of the chassis

[bpowell555]

this is the way i do it:
remove the load cover
fold the rear seats down.
remove the side bolsters from the seats - one 10mm bolt at the bottom then lift up and off.
remove the boot carpet and cubby bin doors (they unclip at the bottom)
remove the side panels (one screw behind the cubby door, at the top. two screws in the loadcover brackets. two 10mm plastic nuts on the boot floor) then prise out of the rear window seal.
remove the speaker pods.
remove the seatbelt reel (pulling the belt out makes access a lot easier. when it's out, loop it over the front seat to stop it retracting).
remove the two shock top mount nuts through the hole under the seatbelt reel. use some tissue in the socket to stop the nut disappearing forever into the body cavity!
then under the car, remove the bottom shock bolt.
the shock will then come out - there will be no load on it if the car is sat on it's wheels. if it's jacked up, the wheel should be supported a little so the shock isn't taking the load. personally, i do the job without a jack at all.

refitting is the reveral of removal and all that

Heh G, you have pm

[town325i]

I use silicon in my socket to stop the nut disappearing into the body work

[pacerpete]

Be sure to use genuine BMW E46 cab rear mounts or better , especially if using uprated shocks. £5 Euro mounts and Bilsteins will soon disagree and you will be doing the job again

[BadDave]

Be sure to use genuine BMW E46 cab rear mounts or better , especially if using uprated shocks. £5 Euro mounts and Bilsteins will soon disagree and you will be doing the job again

Alloy R/J ones if you don't want to do the kob again whilst you own the car

[bpowell555]

Will I need a breaker bar to release the lower shock bolt?

[daimlerman]

It's a great big 19mm bolt,a ring spanner does it for me,have an extra wheetebix first!

[bpowell555]

cool, the ones on my french diesel turd are notorious, I'll man up