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Thread: Changing springs & shocks

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
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    Belgium
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    307
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    1990 850i and 1970 2800C

    Changing springs & shocks

    as a shock is leaking i tought it was time to change shocks and springs also, because i found the car to low as i bought it . Hitting speed bumps with the front spoiler was no rarity.
    I bought a "sport" set : Eibach springs and Bilstein shocks.

    This evening was for the rear … shocks are easy to remove , springs were more complicated. I think i have H&R in it ( red and low ) but the ST couldn't pass between windings. Old springs are 16 mm diameter, Eibach 15 mm. Eibach is approx 20 mm longer in total length , both have 8.5 windings. So on the old ones the windings are much closer together.

    I managed to remove the old springs by compressing them with a jack and secure them with tension straps. Just enough to get them out. I could loose them again by compressing them under the lift ….On the new ones i could use the ST.

    I had to order new oem dust caps and bump stops for the rear as those are not in the set. Should be in tomorrow.

    Next are the fronts….

    SAM_2693.jpgSAM_2695.jpgSAM_2694.jpg

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
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    Belgium
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    1990 850i and 1970 2800C
    almost 100 peeps but no new clues how to remove rear springs without the ST....

    Well, all is back together in the rear , tomorrow i can start on the front.
    OEM dust covers were not that easy to get the big washer in the groove ….. even with heat.

    As for now i see the rear 2 cm higher …. that's already good !

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
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    Belgium
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    1990 850i and 1970 2800C
    Lucky the Bilstein's have the gland nut … so the old one can be broken…. dremel, heat and hammer… 15 min work.
    don't think it would be easy to get that s*cker loose in 1 piece ….

    SAM_2698.jpg


    time for camber plates….

    SAM_2699.jpg

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
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    Shoreview MN
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    975
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    Had a 1991 BMW 850
    Used my Dremel with cut off wheel on the 850 last night also.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    San Antonio
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    711
    My Cars
    850,76 2002 &530,84 633
    I did not have an easy time removing the rear springs, either! IIRC, I disconnected inboard side of the upper wishbone and used some spring compressors to wrestle springs off of suspension. I have a modified suspension in car now with shorter springs that are a breeze to remove. I am also using front adjustable camber/caster plates from Ground Control. They were actually designed for an E36 so they had to be rotated 90 deg but they work just fine.
    IMG_20180501_193523599.jpg

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
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    Belgium
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    My Cars
    1990 850i and 1970 2800C
    nice JDP530 ! ... but for yearly tech inspection here , setups like you have are not allowed. I can "risk" the camber plates , normally you "almost" don't see that. Those plates give 2° extra neg camber. Looking at your pic , you have more

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
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    Belgium
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    My Cars
    1990 850i and 1970 2800C
    done the left side this evening... no better, even with the right hand side experience. It stays a almost 30 years old car and nuts have grown on bolts.
    I hope to get it good… those Bilstein gland nuts just don't screw that easy on the struts… i have to carefully clean them and break in with a turn forward / a half a turn back. And a lot of oil. I suspect a lot of work before they tread on normal .... corrosion ? out of round deformation in the years ? who knows…. I must sure get the nuts good rotating on the strut thread before even installing the shocks with them…

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
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    Liberal Loontown, CA
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    Cool Volvo, Ugly BMW
    There is a tool for the gland nuts on the Billies. Bilstein sells them for very little money and it helps quite a bit.
    What "thumbs up" really means




  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
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    Belgium
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    1990 850i and 1970 2800C
    been to the autoparts shop but not that tool for the gland nuts... i have several ( for adjusting height) , but those are all to big.
    Forgot to go at a bearing supplier…. conical bearing tensioners have those nuts to , so the wrenches….

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Ridley Park, PA
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    198
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    91 850i x2, 92 850i 6sp
    I think I may be the only one that didn’t have much trouble with my gland nuts. I just soaked them with WD-40 and grabbed the largest pipe wrench I could find. Gave it all I got for about a min on each and they budged. My biggest headache ended up being a mushroomed sway bar link bolt.

  11. #11
    Join Date
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    Belgium
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    1990 850i and 1970 2800C
    I remembered i have a wrench as for oil filters but with a chain ( no leather strap ) … that one works perfect on the Bilstein gland nut without any damage. It's made in the USA

    Surface corrosion has worked his way until half way the thread.... i must search for a "safe" cleaning method. One side already turns full on , other side i don't get the nut started… will look tomorrow if i can make myself something like that : THREADBOY1.jpg

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
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    Belgium
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    My Cars
    1990 850i and 1970 2800C
    couldn't wait for tomorrow, so i got along this evening …. i got them both turning ! cleaned the corroded part with a wire wheel and got the nut started… after that a lot of turning in/out with penetrating oil. 1 turn break in by the time , no use to try more. Remove , clean , oil and start again. That way it was working . Glad i succeeded, or it was $$$$ new struts… after all surprized how corroded those oem gland nuts / thread were . Must say , the dust boots were closed at the bottom but no more at the top... so a perfect water trap once the drain in the spring plate is full of debris….

    curious for road handling as all shocks were shot ….can only be much,much better

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
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    Belgium
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    My Cars
    1990 850i and 1970 2800C
    a year ago i renewed the master cilinder ... brakes were "sticking" . That is the result... will be better now
    SAM_2708.jpg

    always amazed what we gather around a working spot …
    SAM_2709.jpg

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
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    Belgium
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    My Cars
    1990 850i and 1970 2800C
    finished ! car is again on his wheels and yes, a 2 cm higher with the Eibach's compared to the H&R.... me happy.
    The ENGL camber plates are not visible… it is only 2° ...

    so this for the iron scrap…
    SAM_2715.jpg
    Last edited by Belgiumbarry; 03-25-2019 at 01:50 PM.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
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    Shoreview MN
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    975
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    Had a 1991 BMW 850

    Shock Removal

    Did this to my truck this weekend to get the shock out.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
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    Belgium
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    My Cars
    1990 850i and 1970 2800C
    difference in height isn't that much noticable .... but better for speeds bumps . Now that all is settled , it must be 1.5...max 2 cm.

    H&R ----------------------------- Eibach
    H&R.jpg H&R-EIBACH.jpg

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