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E89 strut install

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scootr
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E89 strut install

Post by scootr » Mon Oct 14, 2019 1:59 am

I just replaced front struts and tower mounts on my 2010 E89. We are not BMW mechanics. We are experienced mechanics and common safe practices were applied. We used a 2 post lift. 2 18v impacts 1/2 and 3/8ths, and various hand tools and torque wrenches, common to any garage. I read a recent post were a member paid $2200 for front strut replacement.
These Bilstein B4 #22-183897 and 22-183903 at $122 each were a fair price. Sachs top mounts #SAC-803148 at $41 each
We did each side a bit different in the way we put the strut assembly back in the car. Both ways work ... neither way is really easy. (old guys opinion)
Strut removal notes first are
Lift the car
Remove the drivers side wheel & tire
Spray lube (WD40) on small rubber lines where they clip into holders on the struts.
remove line(s) from retainers by hand. Repeat at the body for maximum movement of these lines later.
Remove 17mm nut from strut tab releasing the brake line. Remove the 18mm pinch bolt at the lower mount.
Remove 2 of 3 top 13mm nuts at the tower leaving the one furthest from the center of the car. Loosen the remaining one until the nut is flush with the end of the threads. Drive a wedge into the split in the lower mount. Any chisel or drift of the proper size works good. The object it to force open the collar the strut base is in. You may need to spray a bit of rust solvent in here. We used a pair of spring compression clamps here to reduce the length of the strut assembly by about 50mm. You will need spring compressors for the job. I used these here > https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BR ... UTF8&psc=1 I ended up shortening them 50 mm and putting a 13mm ID pipe spacer about 140mm on the thread nearest the drive nut.
We used a long steel bar commonly called a pry-bar put in over the caliper and the bar tip in under the frame, making it easy to apply downward force on the wheel hub and brake assembly to ultimately slide the pinch collar off of the strut. Then moving the strut end to one side being careful not to injure the small rubber lines all the time. Remove the 3rd top bolt and lower the strut assembly out of the car. The strut comes out with the mount assembly installed. Phew.
Strut exchange Note you have right and left struts!
Now on the bench we remove the top center nut to release the strut mount... not the position of the 2 washers between the spring cap and the mount. They will be reused in the same positions. Pull the rubber boot off through the top of the spring and pull the strut out the bottom of the spring. Remove the rubber bumper from the strut's spring base and place it on the new strut. Put the new strut in the spring aligning the spring end with the rubber bumper end. Ultimately this is where the end of the spring must be - keep an eye on it. It likes to move around.
Stand the strut up on the bench top with the spring in place. Place the spring top on the spring and again rotate until the spring coil end aligns with the stop. Place the 2 washers from the old assembly on to the new strut shaft and fit the new (or used) top mount. Install the retaining nut. If the strut shaft spins when the nut is tightened (we used 1/2 " electric impact) release spring compressors until much force is applied to the mount and shaft making it possible to run the nut down good and solid. Re-tension the springs for installation if needed.
Strut install
Put the strut back in in the opposite order. For us it took 2 men. One handling the strut, one bolt to the top mount, and the other with the pry bar lowering the hub until the strut could pop into the pinch collar.
This was pretty much a bitch for 2 old guys - lol. Which is why we tried method #2 on the second side. Side 2 we inserted the strut into the pinch collar. Lubing and fully seating the strut with a hammer...then prying the hub down and tilting the top in.......easier said than done. THis method required more force prying the hub downward Note! on the right side we found a small switch and linkage arm that needed to be disconnected before strut removal. ( 10 mm)
Both ways worked if I did it again I would use the top first attachment.
When we attached the top first we used the weight of the car to seat the strut fully into the collar by placing a post under the support arm and lowering the car until the strut was pushed fully into the collar. Easy Peasy.
Reverse order of fastening... and wheels afixed... refreshments all around.

I'm happy to answer any question I can about this, just ask.
E89 3.0L 6 MT gone
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Michelin P4s
Bilstein struts & shocks
Luxon tower brace

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maxman
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E89 strut install

Post by maxman » Mon Oct 14, 2019 4:57 pm

Nice informative write up. :thumbsup:
As we get older almost any job on a z seems to be more awkward now I am an old git.

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scootr
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E89 strut install

Post by scootr » Mon Oct 14, 2019 5:51 pm

maxman wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2019 4:57 pm Nice informative write up. :thumbsup:
As we get older almost any job on a z seems to be more awkward now I am an old git.
I know, right. I'll have to hire the work out when the rear window needs washing inside. :rofl:
E89 3.0L 6 MT gone
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Michelin P4s
Bilstein struts & shocks
Luxon tower brace

Epinephrine
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E89 strut install

Post by Epinephrine » Mon Oct 21, 2019 3:49 pm

Has anyone replaced the "active" struts on an E89? And if so, are there issues with resetting computers / electronics?

keving1
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E89 strut install

Post by keving1 » Mon Oct 21, 2019 4:52 pm

I have done it, see my "How-to" link below, easy enough if you have done coding on a BMW before.

viewtopic.php?f=46&t=101129&p=1478363#p1478363

Epinephrine
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E89 strut install

Post by Epinephrine » Wed Oct 23, 2019 4:39 pm

Parts ordered. Had to go Bilsteins, no one I could find had Sachs. Cable for software ordered. Now we shall see!!

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E89 strut install

Post by Player 1 » Mon Oct 28, 2019 4:47 pm

Having changed all four shocks and springs last weekend, I would add the following if it's of any help to anyone:
  • To remove the front struts from the hubs without having to pry/force anything, unbolt the lower control arm and tension arm from the subframe and turn the steering fully out towards whichever side you're working on. this allows enough movement for the hub to drop down easily away from the shock absorber.
    No hammering or forcing required, the second one took me about 20 minutes to remove the old strut and fit in the new one after figuring it out.
  • I would recommend changing the top mounts on both front and rear at the same time as the rubber will inevitably perish over time and I did find a small amount of play in the old bearings at the front.
  • At the back, all the boot trim comes out easily in 5-10 minutes if you have a trim removal tool,the trim over the top mounts doesn't need to be fully removed, it'll push up 6 inches or so to allow access to the three mounting bolts for the top mounts allowing the shock to drop out.
  • Lastly, new springs are not expensive, neither are all the mounting pads, bump stops, covers and washers from BMW. I built up a full set of new struts off of the car then when it came to it, simply unbolt the old and bolt in the new. No hassle of cleaning up and reusing old parts again. Possibly slight overkill but there's also a peace of mind factor that anything rubber has been changed so is all in as good a condition as it possibly can be.

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scootr
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E89 strut install

Post by scootr » Mon Oct 28, 2019 6:58 pm

Good to see more info on this. Wish I had found your post before I did mine :lol:
Sounds like we did it the hard way. How common is that ? :oops:
E89 3.0L 6 MT gone
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Michelin P4s
Bilstein struts & shocks
Luxon tower brace

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Player 1
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E89 strut install

Post by Player 1 » Mon Oct 28, 2019 11:55 pm

Only did mine a couple of days ago so I didn't know any different either I'm afraid.

Rear springs do take a bit of manhandling to get new ones in, only changed them as one side was about half an inch lower than the other so a new pair balanced it out properly.
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flybobbie
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E89 strut install

Post by flybobbie » Wed Feb 05, 2020 7:46 pm

Having a lift is certainly a luxury, i managed on my own with just a jack.

I have fitted engines in cars with just a jack and a few house bricks.

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Smartbear
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E89 strut install

Post by Smartbear » Wed Feb 05, 2020 8:01 pm

flybobbie wrote: Wed Feb 05, 2020 7:46 pm Having a lift is certainly a luxury, i managed on my own with just a jack.

I have fitted engines in cars with just a jack and a few house bricks.
No engine hoist/pulley? :?
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e89 Sdrive 20i, plenty of mumbo & good economy-the thinking bears z4
e89 Sdrive 30i, this ones busted, pass me another...
e85 3.0si sold

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E89 strut install

Post by flybobbie » Thu Feb 06, 2020 12:54 am

No stripped down from above cylinder head, bricks under wheels, then car jack down engine block onto house bricks, slowly removing each layer of bricks. Then drag out on old plywood.

Also fitted a Ford engine into my RX7, only tools, hand drill, hacksaw, stick welder and some plate steel.
Although i did need an adaptor plate making so i just traced around the bellhousing and engine and had flame cut a spacer made.

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scootr
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E89 strut install

Post by scootr » Thu Feb 06, 2020 1:12 am

flybobbie wrote: Thu Feb 06, 2020 12:54 am No stripped down from above cylinder head, bricks under wheels, then car jack down engine block onto house bricks, slowly removing each layer of bricks. Then drag out on old plywood.

Also fitted a Ford engine into my RX7, only tools, hand drill, hacksaw, stick welder and some plate steel.
Although i did need an adaptor plate making so i just traced around the bellhousing and engine and had flame cut a spacer made.
When there is a will there is a way :thumbsup:
Oh yeh, and youth. Will and Youth. You won't find any old guys doing that :)
E89 3.0L 6 MT gone
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Michelin P4s
Bilstein struts & shocks
Luxon tower brace

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enuff_zed
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E89 strut install

Post by enuff_zed » Thu Feb 06, 2020 9:01 am

scootr wrote: Thu Feb 06, 2020 1:12 am When there is a will there is a way :thumbsup:
Oh yeh, and youth. Will and Youth. You won't find any old guys doing that :)

Reminds me of a new young airman we got on the squadron a few years ago, name of William.
Every time we sent him to stores for a replacement component we told him he had to weigh it and record it on the paperwork so we knew we weren't messing up the aircraft's centre of gravity.
He did this for weeks and diligently wrote down all the figures, until eventually the Flight Sergeant took pity on him and asked him if he'd ever herd the phrase, "Where there's a Will, there's a weigh". Poor sod :D
HQ of 'Norfolk Zed Rescue'.
Always happy to help if I can.

If the forum helped you, why not help the forum back. Thats the Z4 way! :thumbsup:
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E89 strut install

Post by javis20 » Thu Feb 13, 2020 10:48 pm

Did you also replace the large circular rubber bushings above and below the spring seats?

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