1995 850ci m73 e31 Front strut insert replacement

[sshivaram]

I am trying to replace the strut inserts. I saw this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1kQhbpqgQI

it looks like we can do the strut insert replacement in place , without taking out everything. Has anyone tried this ?
(Sorry, i have to go in for extremely budget minded maintenance, can't afford new struts).

[rjjablo]

Here is the Canonical Thread

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...erts-revisited

I assume you could do it without pulling the strut.
Drilling the hole in the bottom will not be fun because you need to have enough room and you will get all the oil coming down.
Gland Nut for mine came off with a Cut Off Wheel, nice to have the space to work
And I poured out a lot of sand out of the top bearing.

And it really was not that hard to pull the strut

[sshivaram]

Alright, will pull everything out. Its just that some bolts and nuts are so rusted, looks like i may destroy them. Wish i could soak the entire car overnight in a swimming pool filled with PB Blaster.

[cartoonz]

Please do NOT destroy EDC struts...

[sshivaram]

no EDC here, just everything rusted AF. Sprayed PB Blaster on every nut, everything has to come out and go back in.
Rule of thumb: after using PB Blaster and soaking and removing, they should be wiped clean, bone dry using MAF cleaners, otherwise, the torque specs won't hold.
Some pictures:

[sshivaram]

haha, told you, this thing is frozen welded rusted, won't come off after 2 days of constantly soaking in PB Blaster. Its nearly 26 years of exposure, never shaken or stirred.

sway_bar_link.JPG

[sshivaram]

Took strut out, in 2 days. Its a 15 minute job in reality.
strut.jpg

[exalted]

Removed front and rear suspension on mine the last few days, still got no clue how I'm going to remove the drive shafts without breaking some bolts and I think a shop will have to get some of the press fittings on the knuckles out.

30 years of rust and grit makes everything that should take minutes take hours on these cars.

[rjjablo]

Heat and Air Impacts go a long way.

Cut Off Wheel as a last resort

If you can get to them

[sshivaram]

Soaked the thing in PB Blaster for 3 nights now, still won't budge with a 24" pipe Wrench. Just can't move the wrench at all.
Gonna get a 6feet pipe now.
I am scared to get a 15,000 rpm dremmel near the threads.
I don't have any other tools right now, no pneumatic chisel.

[sshivaram]

This nut wont crack or move, heated it, soaked it like crazy, and I am standing on the 24" wrench while i use the 5 foot pipe on the 18" wrench, and i lift myself up lol.
What it needs is the strut in a heavy duty vice, and just heat and rotate using the 5' pipe. But i don't have that vice, will hand over to meineke now.
Tried cutting it too, but am scared i will damage the threads on the strut. that will be financially damaging. I feel i am so close yet so far !

[rjjablo]

I cut mine with the Dremel. Light touch etc.

[sshivaram]

@rjjablo did you cut it along the threads , or go cross ? How do you judge the depth, so you don't destroy the threads. I tried a grinder, just not comfortable with it being so heavy handed, and backed off.
Maybe i will try a dremel. Any more ideas - truly appreciate it. there is a youTube video, but that strut has threads on the inside. In ours, its on the outside of the strut.

[rjjablo]

Piece you are going after came off pretty easy for me. Remember there is another nut underneath it. Go the length of the tube. I nicked mine but as long as it threads back on with Loctite IMG_20201127_162038_8 (1).jpgIMG_20201127_162038_8 (1).jpgyou will be fine.

[sshivaram]

That picture is very helpful, i see where the threads are. They are flush with the outer cylinder of the strut.

I have taken the outer cap off, you are looking at the nut on the inside that i have to cut now. So, i will make one cut, then another one on the other side, and it has to slowly weaken the nut, A chisel should crack it afterwards. I will work slowly, thanks for the tips. Here is the before picture with the cap on the nut:

[sshivaram]

Got myself a dremel. First, i will cut circular along the red line to take off the edge, and it will expose the thickness of the nut correctly. Then go along the yellow line.

[rjjablo]

Just cut on the Yellow Line

This is the kind of vise that I have, It will crush metal

https://www.ebay.com/itm/284293184038

[sshivaram]

I cut along the red line and the yellow line, it looks like the red part was gripping and wouldn't let the nut turn. The nut is off, old insert with oil off, and the oil is all drained now.
The new insert isn't sitting air-tight in there -- it shakes around. Will its new retaining nut clamp it down ? have to see. I have to clean up the threads, the nut hardly goes on the strut lol. Wipe it all clean, lube with some grease, get it going, and then clean up all the oil , and screw on the nut again, metal to metal, without any grease/oil residue, to get good torque.

[sshivaram]

Old strut insert.


- - - Updated - - -

New insert, with the collar nut held in place snugly. The strut insert looks perfectly designed. It was around $250 for 4(STAGG). Working on a budget.
Have to wipe down everything dry and lock it into place. The nut should be turned using a pipe wrench. Scuff marks on the outside is just cosmetic damage, which
will get covered also.

[rjjablo]

I used Loctite on the nut. Nut will come off for the next guy the same way it came off for you.

How much sand did you pour out of the bearings on top?

[sshivaram]

Hmm, haven't checked the bearings, i don't think i saw any sand there, will double check.

Now, big problem. I have two strut collar nuts. One fits perfectly, it glides on both the struts nice and clean. The other one doesn't!! Am screwed now. I have to find a STAGG strut nut.

[rjjablo]

Inspect your threads closely. both on the strut and the nut. Sometimes you can clean up a burr or imperfection with a file.

[sshivaram]

Well, its only one of the new collar nut that doesn't work on both the strut members. I have examined its threads, and it is shiny new, can't see any imperfections. It goes in about 4 turns and freezes. I tried using pipe wrench on it, but won't budge, and don't want to damage threading on the struts.

The other new nut, as i wrote before, glides on smoothly, all the way, on both the strut members. I am hunting for a new collar nut now, will contact STAGG also. I can't find it anywhere. its a M48x1.5 inside threading. This isn't even standard anywhere on realoem.com, most gland nuts have threading on the outside.

[rjjablo]

Sand in BearingIMG_20201128_101350_9.jpg

[sshivaram]

lol, look at this, they are still selling. I have contacted them to get a new gland nut:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/STAGG-4-SHO...tus0004lw00004

- - - Updated - - -

this is exactly what i have with me now: