Help with rear shock installation

[gwilt]

I need some serious help with reinstalling the rear shocks in my 94 525I. I got the old shocks and springs off o.k. but there doesn't seem to be enough room to use the coil spring compressors that I'm trying to use to install the new ones. Is there a special coil spring compressor that I need to use? Thanks for any advice you can give.

[tracye34]

I have done this several times and have always used a Macpherson strut spring compressor that I rented at the local autozone. This has 2 pieces that go on the outside of the spring. I have included a link that will show you what it looks like. This works like a champ.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002VRAG4/104-4336609-1365515?v=glance

Good Luck

Tracy


I need some serious help with reinstalling the rear shocks in my 94 525I. I got the old shocks and springs off o.k. but there doesn't seem to be enough room to use the coil spring compressors that I'm trying to use to install the new ones. Is there a special coil spring compressor that I need to use? Thanks for any advice you can give.

[gwilt]

I have done this several times and have always used a Macpherson strut spring compressor that I rented at the local autozone. This has 2 pieces that go on the outside of the spring. I have included a link that will show you what it looks like. This works like a champ.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002VRAG4/104-4336609-1365515?v=glance

Good Luck

Tracy

do you keep the spring compressors on when reinstalling the shock on the car? also, do you have to disconnect the sway bar link to reinstall it? thanks

[Tiger]

Spring compressor to remove and install the shock... so you need it compressed to install new shocks.

[gwilt]

i must be making this job a lot harder than it it cause i've been struggling with mine for a couple of days now. just can't get the springs compressed and up into the mounting position with the compressors still on.

[Tiger]

What? Hold on... You must remove the entire shock assembly from the car. You cannot do this on the car. Take out your rear seat bottom, get the seat back loose and tilt foward... then get the three nuts off that mounting tower. Then take that one bolt on the bottom off and take out the assembly.

[gwilt]

the old one is off as you described. i simply can't get the bottom of the shock to line up to get it installed in the hole in the trailing arm. do you disconnect the sway bar link to get the wheel to drop down further? thanks again.

[Robin-535im]

I need some serious help with reinstalling the rear shocks in my 94 525I. I got the old shocks and springs off o.k. but there doesn't seem to be enough room to use the coil spring compressors that I'm trying to use to install the new ones. Is there a special coil spring compressor that I need to use? Thanks for any advice you can give.

When I installed new springs, the strut assembly lower bolt and the trailing arm hole were not quite lined up because the strut was too stretched out from the stretch of the spring. If you take the pitman arm off your trailing arm can drop down more, IIRC. You can also push down on the trailing arm if you support the car at the subframe instead of at the hub.

A few things I've done to make this work:
1) grit your teeth and lift up on the bastard with all your strength. Girly men: do not attempt this. :) It can work if you've got lowering springs.

2) get a jack or a 2x4 pry board and lift up on the bottom of the strut till the holes line up.

3) get a nylon strap and use that as a spring compressor. Bolt your strut to the top of the car as normal (the 3, 13mm nuts from the inside) and wrap a strap from the top coil to the bottom coil, and cinch it up. It may give you just what you need in the tight space.

4) curse, spit, throw things. This doesn't help get the job done, but it releases tension.

- Robin

[632 Regal]

What you might have to do is use your jack with a chunk of wood to push the bottom of the shock up in order to lift it high enough to slide onto the mount. Last time I did this I didnt remember having such a problem but anyways the 4 x 4 chunk made it very easy, took no time on the other side.

Follow what I'm saying?

[gwilt]

i've done a lot of #4 over the past 2 evenings, i'll try the other 3 tonight. thanks. by the way i can't wait to do the other side....haha.

[Tiger]

Mmm... never had that problem... mine just slip in perfectly. I got Eibach spring with Bilstein Sport. There is another possibility why it is not aligned... because the spring wasn't seat properly... they have the indent with stop where the spring is supposed to sit... did you check this?

[gwilt]

yep the spring was seated in the gasket properly. your springs must be lowering springs, i'm reinstalling the originals.

[AllanS]

I never even used a spring compressor in the rear- even when I put Bilsteins and Mtech springs on the car. I simply put a bottle jack under the strut, took off the nuts on the rear strut tower and the one on the strut itself, and then slowly unscrewed the jack's release, letting the strut drop slowly.

Installation was the same, but a little more tricky to get it lined up right. It worked though.