Removing rear shock lower bolt thing

[Jon K]

Ok so CerealKilla and I tried his rear suspension replacement a few weeks ago, but couldn't get the shocks out of the subframe. We removed the large bolt, but I could not for the life of me get the shock to come out of behind the wheel hub. Traditionally (and I've done a BUNCH of E34 suspension) I use a big piece of what I call "bash wood" and smack those bitches out, but it seems like the rubber bushings on his are just so beat, that the rubber is absorbing the impact and nothing is getting done.

How the HELL does one remove these shits? We tried PB Blast, a make-shift "bash wood" (personally not large enough to suit my preference but I think Kevin thinks im nuts using bash wood), and I even rigged up a gear puller to pull the strut base from the subframe but the rubber was just giving. Help us out.

[Jon K]

bump

[Elekta]

sawsall with a metal blade?

[Anthony (M5 in Calgary)]

I used a cold chisel with a longish handle, struck with a hand sledge (BFH). . Plenty of swining room from the outside. You could try a few fore and aft blows to the stub just below the bolt head using said cold chisel.

[winfred]

usually when normal means fail i start knocking them from the side back and forth to loosen them

[Jon K]

I used a cold chisel with a longish handle, struck with a hand sledge (BFH). . Plenty of swining room from the outside. You could try a few fore and aft blows to the stub just below the bolt head using said cold chisel.


I'll have to give another try - let me clarify that the bolt comes right out - its the strut inserted into the subframe point that we cannot get free.

[Anthony (M5 in Calgary)]

I'll have to give another try - let me clarify that the bolt comes right out - its the strut inserted into the subframe point that we cannot get free.

I gathered that. Like Winfred said, smack it fore and aft - don't just wave at it.:D

[winfred]

sometimes it helps to take the weight of the suspension off of it too

[632 Regal]

heat the center with an acetylene torch then it should slide off easily.

[Dave M]

I posted a fix to this a while back, I'll go look for it, (hopefully after the board change-over).

Dave

[Dave M]

OK, not my original, but this old post (http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=6976&highlight=shock) still includes the crude illustration of the fix. Basically shoving a 4-6" 1/4 socket extension into the shock, where the bolt was, then using a puller to, well....pull it off.

Worked like a charm, and I had pounded on that thing for a while.

EDIT: Just read that you tried the puller. I think there is another method descibed in there, maybe by Ed.

Dave M

[Jon K]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/dave_macisaac/Bimmer/Steering-Suspension/shockremovaltrick.jpg

That's funny - that's exactly what I came up with over at Kevins house only I didn't try drilling the bolt thru the shock. We'll have to do that to hold it together. Was it a bitch to drill?

[E34 530]

heat the center with an acetylene torch then it should slide off easily.

Damnit I was about to say this. We used the torch at my job to get the water impellers off the shafts.

[fkong777]

On my 93 525i it came out without any problem.. Just tap and came off.

On my 95 540ia.. I couldnt get the crap off.. I ended up bringing it to a shop.. i was sooo pissed because the rear was suppose to be the easy install.

[Dave M]

That's funny - that's exactly what I came up with over at Kevins house only I didn't try drilling the bolt thru the shock. We'll have to do that to hold it together. Was it a bitch to drill?

Its not the hardest metal out there, so you shouldn't have a hard time getting through it. Maybe you'll need two bolts if its stuck as bad as you say.

Good luck Jon,

Dave

[bullyd]

i heated it up with a plumbers blow torch after hammering for about 2 hrs, after heat 3 good bashes and she came out

[Mr Project]

I bashed with a small sledge until the rubber fully separated...no matter how much I heated the various parts, I couldn't get it to break loose.

After the rubber separated, I was able to get the shock off and was left with the sleeve in the hub. I then used a plumber's wrench on the sleeve, slowly turning it until it was loose enough to pull out.

It really sucked...that took me as long as anything else on the suspension rebuild.

[Jon K]

Yeah, I did E34 530's car and had no issue. My car, sisters car, couple other E34's... this car is being a bitch.

[BillionPa]

i ended up using the flat end of a very large and heavy axe, after spening 48 hours soaking the thing in PB.

needless to say, lots of moly anti sieze compuond went on there for the new one