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Thread: Quick advice needed...

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
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    Los Angeles, CA
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    '96 BMW 840ci

    Quick advice needed...

    The plan for today is to refresh the front end on my 96 840 which I took out of 4 years of storage last year. I've got a garage floor of parts: UCA, LCA Links, Tie Rods and new TRW struts for all four corners.

    I've been hung up early as I disassemble the brakes to take out the strut assembly to have the new TRWs put in. I'm assuming that I'll need to remove the rotors to gain access to everything, but after so many years of storage I can't seem to get the discs off of the hub! (yes, I removed the guide screw). After an hour and a can of WD40, I seem to be closer to knocking the car off the jack stands than I do to removing this disc.

    Question: Am I missing something here, seems like it should be much easier? And 2nd, is there a way to complete this job without taking the disc off. I'm planning to take the assembly to a shop to compress the spring and put in the new strut.(The rotors and pads are actually in reasonable condition so I wasn't planning to change them now).

    Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    Toronto, Canada
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    BMW 850CSi
    The rotors should come off easy with solid hits with a rubber mallet. Is the caliper and bracket off?

    No need to compress spring for removal/install. Just support from underneath, unbolt the top and lowering assembly down and out will take all the compression out of the coil.

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    '96 BMW 840ci
    Thanks - yes, the caliper is completely off...bought a bigger hammer but no luck. I unbolted the assembly from the top, but I'll still need to compress the spring to install the new strut, correct?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    BMW 850CSi

    Quick advice needed...

    No. Install is reverse of removal. Jack under assembly and pump up compressing spring until strut inserts itself into mount. Then bolt in.

    Couple swift hits at 12 and 6 o’clock should free the rotor. Weird.

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by Dr. T; 06-23-2018 at 01:57 PM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
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    Thanks - sorry, I meant that I'm replacing the actual shock in the assembly with a new one, not just putting the assembly back in place.

    Now that it's down, I'll keep working on the rotor.

    Appreciate the help!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    Montgomery, AL
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    212
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    '92 850i 6-speed (SOLD)
    I installed TRW front struts last year and kept the rotor on when I removed the strut tube. Personally I used a spring compressor to get the spring off. Once the spring was off, I put the strut tube in a big vice and held it firmly while another guy with a really big pipe wrench loosened the gold-tone flange nut. I can imagine that nut will be a bear to take off if your car has a lot of corrosion.

    After the nut was removed I took out all the old strut components and slipped in the new TRW inserts. I also put some heavy weight oil in the tube to surround the insert for cooling purposes (several folks on here recommended that technique). Don't fill the oil to the top otherwise it will seep out on your strut tube. I also recommend you get a new set of bump stops. Mine were pretty much powder after 25 years.

    This is one technique, but it worked for me.
    Last edited by Sniff38; 06-23-2018 at 02:14 PM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
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    The new shock insert just slides into the existing strut tube.

    Once the assembly is lowered, the spring is slid off and the assembly removed after removal of the bottom 3 bolts. No spring compressor is needed.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
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    Dallas, TX
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    '93 850Ci- Daily Driver
    Spring compressors are extremely dangerous. Much easier to support the assembly with a floor jack, remove the top nut and slowly lower the jack with the spring. Let the jack do the work. You haven’t lived until you have had a spring compression tool fail on you. Install is the reverse.
    '93 850Ci - Mineralweiß Metallic

    2001 740iL - Titansilber
    ALPINA B7 -Alpinweiß III


    ...the price of cool ain't cheap!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
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    ^^ I could have used that tip a year ago LOL. Although I felt comfortable with the spring compressors, I can see how they might cause problems if you aren't careful. I'll remember this technique the next time I do a front end rebuild.

  10. #10
    Join Date
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    '96 BMW 840ci
    I read once that a man has to know his limitations, and thus I was planning to haul the assembly to the front-end shop that'll do the alignment and have them put it together. I'm likely out over my skies already, why push my luck.

    I actually took out the entire strut assembly with the LCA and rotor still attached (still at a lost to explain why the disc won't separate from the hub). I'm trying to decide if I should remove the plate on the bottom of the assembly, to which the LCA is attached, or try to fiddle around to access the bolt another way. Any suggestions on easiest way to remove / install the LCA would be awesome.

    Thanks guys!

  11. #11
    Join Date
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    Woodstock, GA
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    2001 BMW 540i6
    You aren’t hitting it hard enough. Just use a bfh it’ll come off.

  12. #12
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by killian665 View Post
    You aren’t hitting it hard enough. Just use a bfh it’ll come off.
    Yep - 6 pound hammer did the trick :-)

  13. #13
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by TwoSnap View Post
    Yep - 6 pound hammer did the trick :-)
    Should have sent an SOS to SoCalEights. Quite a few experts in your area....for the price of pizza & beer it'd been SRO!
    1993 850Ci.....18 years & 165,000 miles and counting!

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