How easy to replace front shocks

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I have a 325 and shocks are leaking on front, can anyone let me know how easy to do and what tools do I need ?

[Jhonno]

in theory its easy in practise it can a sod as the collar that secures the shock in can be a complete bastard to remove

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What tools will I require for this job

[Jhonno]

13mm socket for the top mounts

18/19mm sockets/spanners for the nuts holding the tiebars and lower arms to the strut

ball joint splitter

bit of muscle to remove the strut

a wrench which tightens/grips harder the more you apply force and possibly a scaffold pole or similar to go over the end and increase leverage - big sturdy workbench and vice also required

few other odds n sods

[BadDave]

STATING the OBVIOUS
Coil spring compressors
Box spanner for the shock top nut(as it has a 6or 8mm hex section on the top of the piston rod)
put the box spanner on the nyloc nut and a socket on a short extension bar through the centre of the box spanner to hold the shock as you undo the nut.(or just grip the old shock piston rod with a pr of vise grips)

AND the following Definately makes the whole proccess easier
2ft stilson/pipe wrench to help with the shock retaining nut that threads into the strut casing(helps if you apply a little heat first)
small blow lamp(oxy/acetylene is goint OTT)
Ball joint seperater
When i did mine a couple of months age,the nut on the track rod end just wanted to turn(wouldn't hold),little heat with some propane and the bugger came of no probs

[Liam]

When i did mine a couple of months age,the nut on the track rod end just wanted to turn(wouldn't hold),little heat with some propane and the bugger came of no probs

Another solution to the spinning balljoint nut is to get a small trolley jack under the balljoint so it has some load on it.

It's worth having a bolt/"nutcracker" type balljoint splitter and a "pickle fork" one as well.

Another tip is to not compress the spring until you've got the top-nut moving. The extra pressure helps a little. But don't forget to compress the springs once it's moving... I forgot once and nearly took someone's leg off!!!

[BadDave]

When i did mine a couple of months age,the nut on the track rod end just wanted to turn(wouldn't hold),little heat with some propane and the bugger came of no probs

Another solution to the spinning balljoint nut is to get a small trolley jack under the balljoint so it has some load on it.

It's worth having a bolt/"nutcracker" type balljoint splitter and a "pickle fork" one as well.

Another tip is to not compress the spring until you've got the top-nut moving. The extra pressure helps a little. But don't forget to compress the springs once it's moving... I forgot once and nearly took someone's leg off!!!

I used a bottle jack under the steering arm
That's the way to do it

[StuMc316is]

-13mm for upper strut mount
-17mm for swaybar link and tie-rod nut
-19mm for control arm nut, brake caliper bolts, top shock nut
-5mm (maybe 6mm?) for brake rotor set-screw and ABS sensor set-screw.
-Pipe-wrench or similar tool to loosen/tighten shock collar (Bilstein Tool if you are using Bilsteins)
-a vice---to put the strut housing in, makes things quite a bit easier

These are the tools I use to do the front shocks/springs on my E30. My method involves removing the entire strut housing from the car; the work can be done without removing it from the balljoints, but I find the strut/spring change to be much easier with the strut housing out of the car.

I do not recommend use of a pickel fork, as it almost always tears the dustboots on the balljoints, causing premature failure of the control arm/tie-rod unless some other sort of dust cap is used (www.bmpd.com sells urethane ones, if you do crack yours). Instead, with the control arm and tie-rod nuts spun on, hit the side of the strut housing (where the ball joints are) and it will pop the control arm/tie rod out of the strut housing. Don't forget to use a floor jack when loosening/tightening control arm and tie-rod nuts, as they use a tapered fitting. Do not tighten the upper 3 strut nuts until the car is lowered off the jacks and on the ground.

just my $.02

[Gunni]

-13mm for upper strut mount
-17mm for swaybar link and tie-rod nut
-19mm for control arm nut, brake caliper bolts, top shock nut
-5mm (maybe 6mm?) for brake rotor set-screw and ABS sensor set-screw.
-Pipe-wrench or similar tool to loosen/tighten shock collar (Bilstein Tool if you are using Bilsteins)
-a vice---to put the strut housing in, makes things quite a bit easier

These are the tools I use to do the front shocks/springs on my E30. My method involves removing the entire strut housing from the car; the work can be done without removing it from the balljoints, but I find the strut/spring change to be much easier with the strut housing out of the car.

I do not recommend use of a pickel fork, as it almost always tears the dustboots on the balljoints, causing premature failure of the control arm/tie-rod unless some other sort of dust cap is used (www.bmpd.com sells urethane ones, if you do crack yours). Instead, with the control arm and tie-rod nuts spun on, hit the side of the strut housing (where the ball joints are) and it will pop the control arm/tie rod out of the strut housing. Don't forget to use a floor jack when loosening/tightening control arm and tie-rod nuts, as they use a tapered fitting. Do not tighten the upper 3 strut nuts until the car is lowered off the jacks and on the ground.

just my $.02

-5mm (maybe 6mm?) for brake rotor set-screw and ABS sensor

It´s 5mm allen key

Spring clams, use ones that can compress alot
normally a second person is required to assist with install of the spring if you haven´t been able to compress the spring enough, I was using spring clamps the other day that where able to compress alot more then my usual ones, I was able to do the whole job myself ,, real easy, it was a E36 as well

One other trick for getting the control arm loose is to unhook the swaybar, but a jack under the strut and whack with a sledge on the control arm in the correct place , you can see it as it´s about a size of a coin very close to the strut housing,