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Thread: Shock tower ball bearings

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    1990 BMW 850i, 1976 Nova

    Shock tower ball bearings

    some of the bearings popped out... its like the high side has bearings and the low side popped to the high side on top of the other bearings.

    to replace them do i need to remove that large nut on top of the shock? If i do it wont collapse on me or anything will it?

    then i need a new bearing retainershock tower.jpg
    "...i haven't taken leave of my senses Bob, I've come to them..." -- Ebenezer Scrooge

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    850Ci, M5, Model-S P85D
    Quote Originally Posted by starship1701a View Post
    some of the bearings popped out... its like the high side has bearings and the low side popped to the high side on top of the other bearings.

    to replace them do i need to remove that large nut on top of the shock? If i do it wont collapse on me or anything will it?

    then i need a new bearing retainershock tower.jpg
    Do not loosen the strut cartridge nut, as that will not solve the problem.
    You need a new Guide Support for the strut.

    To R&R the Guide support the front strut needs to be removed and that is no simple DIY task.
    At this point you will want to determine what other front-end maintenance is recommended based on mileage as it is a lot of labor for just replacing a warn-out Guide Support.

  3. #3
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    thanks...

    i have had my other front strut bearing replaced recently... guess this one not being far behind makes sense...
    "...i haven't taken leave of my senses Bob, I've come to them..." -- Ebenezer Scrooge

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    91 850 Panzer
    If there is two of something and one of them fails, replace both....
    91 850 (Panzer), 2012 Mini Cooper Countryman (WifeMobile) www.wuffer.ca


  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wuffer View Post
    If there is two of something and one of them fails, replace both....

    a wise man once uttered those exact words...
    "...i haven't taken leave of my senses Bob, I've come to them..." -- Ebenezer Scrooge

  6. #6
    Join Date
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    Calgary, Canada
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    '91 E31 850i,'05 E53 4.4
    I politely disagree with M6 BigDog. I replaced both my front strut bearings easily. Very easily and safely.
    Disconnect the stablizer bar ball joint from the Strut housing.
    place a jack under the steering knuckle and jack up, compressing the spring and gas shock rod.
    Loosen/remove the large nut on top of gas shock mount
    slowly lower the jack and the whole assembly will drop OUT of the gas shock mount.
    unscrew the 3 small nuts holding the shock mount in the shock tower.
    install new shock mount into tower and loosely put 3 nuts back on to hold it in place.
    line up the gas shock threaded rod and jack back up into place and reinstall the large washer adn nut again. tighten to spec,
    lower jack slowly again
    reinstall stablizer link,
    put wheel on and get wheel alignment again.
    fast and easy.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by starship1701a View Post
    to replace them do i need to remove that large nut on top of the shock? If i do it wont collapse on me or anything will it?

    then i need a new bearing retainershock tower.jpg
    Yes, if you remove the nut, the spring tension would try to shoot the threaded rod/gas shock OUT of the shock mount. DO NOT DO (until you have a jack underneath the steering knuckle and the spring is compressed).
    I swear, my cars are like a girlfriend.
    Sometimes its a rough ride, sometimes its smooth motorin'.
    Sometimes she doesnt like how i treat her and sometimes i dont like how she behaves.
    BUT at the end of the day, she loves it when I am inside her.

  7. #7
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    850Ci, M5, Model-S P85D
    Quote Originally Posted by clockwork View Post
    I politely disagree with M6 BigDog. I replaced both my front strut bearings easily. Very easily and safely.
    Disconnect the stablizer bar ball joint from the Strut housing.
    place a jack under the steering knuckle and jack up, compressing the spring and gas shock rod.
    Loosen/remove the large nut on top of gas shock mount
    slowly lower the jack and the whole assembly will drop OUT of the gas shock mount.
    unscrew the 3 small nuts holding the shock mount in the shock tower.
    install new shock mount into tower and loosely put 3 nuts back on to hold it in place.
    line up the gas shock threaded rod and jack back up into place and reinstall the large washer adn nut again. tighten to spec,
    lower jack slowly again
    reinstall stablizer link,
    put wheel on and get wheel alignment again.
    fast and easy.

    - - - Updated - - -



    Yes, if you remove the nut, the spring tension would try to shoot the threaded rod/gas shock OUT of the shock mount. DO NOT DO (until you have a jack underneath the steering knuckle and the spring is compressed).
    I said simple, you say easy.
    I have done the hack strut/spring removal procedure (probably 25 years ago) and it is neither easy nor simple.

    FWIW, you have left out a few steps to include, loosening the upper control arm bushing bolt and unbolting the caliper.
    Beyond that, forcing the strut/steering tie-rod arm down far enough to unload the spring will most likely damage (cut) the Lower and/or Upper control arm ball-joint boots.
    Hence, for the most reliable results (repair without destroying something else), I would never try to remove the strut upper guide support without removing the complete strut assembly.
    Also, getting the shock rod back through the guide support, on the car with the spring compressed against it, in order to reinstall the nut is no easy task especially on low pressure gas shocks.

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