e36 front suspension (M-tec) sunday fun... NOT!

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pete69zx
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 317
Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Teeside

Post Sun Feb 03, 2008 5:49 pm

Today, i decided to have a go at changing the front suspension along with new TCA bushes & new front wishbones (with both balljoints already supplied fitted).

I decided that i would only have enough time to complete one side of the car & the rest could wait untill next weekend (car isn't used daily as i also have an e39 530d Sport).

Removal of the components from the passenger side was fairly un-eventful, untill...


The lolipop bush was a nightmare to remove, but i got there in the end.

Pressing the new bush back into the lolipop was stressfull!

I didnt realize that some parts of the old suspension would need to be used alongside the new components, DOPE!

I needed the rubber spring seats both top & bottom, so this made me have to dissasemble the old units, rather than just bin them, grr!

I was fairly ruthless with the removal method of the springs & top mount (as these are to be replaced).
I just gripped the shaft of the shocker with some mole grips (damaging the piston as i knew it would).

Ok, so i now have the upper & lower rubber spring seats.


The problem has come when it's time to bolt the new shocker assembly together.
I need to have a 22mm deep reach spanner to tighten the nut at the top of the shocker & also use a 6mm allen key to hold the shocker shaft still.

I dont have a deep reaching 22mm spanner that is slim enough to fit into the recess, grr!!!!!!

I suppose i could use a similar method with the mole grips, but wrap the shocker piston heavily in thick rags & grip it through the rags. I dont really want to do this as the risk of damage the piston is too great!


So, as i type, the car is half in, half out of the garage, minus the passengerside suspension awaiting the job to be finnished tomorrow :-(


Has anyone undertaken this job before?

What tools did you find usefull for putting the shocker assembly together with the spring & top mount in place?


6/7 hours outside has taken its toll on my back now, so im a little gutted :-S


Regards,
Pete.
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pete69zx
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 317
Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Teeside

Post Mon Feb 04, 2008 11:46 pm

I ended up buying a Halfraud$ Vortex socket set.

This enabled me to perform the required work.

Result: Passengerside front of the car is a success, just need to perform the rest of the job this comming weekend on the driverside front!


Regards,
Pete.
Image