strut ???'s

[playero]

I need to get some bilsteins sport for my '95 525. Every where I look I keep getting this thing about the different size of the dust cover, also about the nut size. My problem is that I have no acces to my car right now, I'm deployed overseas and I'm just trying to get all this parts for when I get back home. I can have my son look at the car and find out about the top nut (19 or 22 mm) but, how do I find out about this dust cover? Can I just get the struts with the bigger size for this cover and order the cover latter? Any other way to figure out the size of this thing? :(

[bpattan]

if this is the first time replacing the strut inserts, also replace the top strut bushing. after ten years your car will need it and you'll notice the improved ride. i'm not sure what you mean by dust covers. there is a cap on top of the strut that covers the large 19mm or 22mm nut, but i don't recalll having to replace a dust cover in the strut assy.

[AllanS]

It's like this- the dust covers denotate the size bolt underneath, which of course corresponds to different size shafts on the struts. If your strut mount is made for, say, the 22mm shaft strut, and you buy a strut made with a 19mm shaft, you'll need some sort of insert, or you may get play. If your strut mount has a 19mm hole, and you get struts with a 22mm shaft, it won't fit at all.

Older e34s (like my 91' 535i) use the m14 bolts, while the later ones (like yours) use m12. I'm assuming that means yours has 19mm bolts. But you really need to have your son measure the dust cap and bolt sizes, to totally make sure you order the correct strut. If you mess up, you'll have to deal with sending it all back, or buying different strut mounts for a diifferent year e34 to match the struts.

[playero]

Thanks, guess I will have to wait until I get home to take a look at this thing... :(

[632 Regal]

I would guess you have the 22MM nuts, call BMA and see if they know, sent me the right stuff and I didnt even measure.