Front Strut/Shock Absorber Removal And Replace.

[towe001]

Front strut/shock absorber removal and replace.

 

Do one side at a time so that the other side can be used as reference.

 

First up, tools needed

Wheel Brace (not shown)

1/2in rachet handle

1/2in Flex handle/Breaker Bar

1/2in Short Extension

19mm 1/2in socket

17mm 1/2in socket

14mm 1/2in socket

17mm Flare Nut spanner

Brake bleeder - eg: one-man brake bleeder

8mm open-ended spanner (or adjustable spanner) (not shown)

Pliers

Spring Compressors

Jack Stands

Jack

Length of 4x2 timber or something similiar

 

Optional Tools

1/2in Air Rachet

1/2in Impact Wrench

Hydraulic Jack

21mm Deep socket

Bench Vice (not shown)

Parts Container (not shown) - Ice container, etc

 

Optional Tools Depending on Locking Nut on strut

Pin Punch (not shown)

Hammer (not shown)

Monkey Wrench (not shown)

 

Step One

Get the front end up on the stands and remove the wheel

21mm deep socket on the wheel nuts. (Or the wheel brace)

[towe001]

Step Two - Brakes

Line clamp is placed between the strut and body

 

Loosen flare nut - 17mm flare nut spanner

 

Remove the brake caliper - 17mm socket, breaker bar to start. Finish off with rachet.

Make sure hold the caliper cause it might drop.

To remove brake line you'll have to twist the caliper while holding the brake line to stop it turning.

 

Remove the spring clip with the pliers and pull the brake line through.

[towe001]

Step Three - Struts

Loosen all these nuts.

Warning - middle nut is what holds the coil spring in place.

Only loosen DO NO remove.

 

Bolt locations

 

Inside veiw

 

From top down

Remove these bolts - 17mm socket, breaker bar first then rachet.

 

Remove 14mm nuts from up top

Place 4x2 like this

While holding strut/coil step on timber to push control arm down.

The strut will have some weight to it but it should just slide out.

[towe001]

Step Four - Springs

 

Once out it'll look like this.

 

Spring compressors - make sure their on opposite sides of the spring and tighten evenly.

 

When the spring is loose and away from its upper spring seat you'll be able to take the middle nut off. If the shock absorber turns while your undoing the nut you'll have to hold the upper spring seat down, there's a slot where the shock absorber goes through. It'll help with stopping the shocky turning.

 

After it's all done. May or may not have the boot/bump stop

 

Step Five - Shock Absorber Removal

 

Place the strut in a bench vice, or it can be done on the ground (bit harder but)

Depending on the style of the locking nut will either be removed with a pin punch or the monkey wrench (unless you have the correct tool) Shown with both tools.

[Evan G]

i recommend undo the 19mm bolt holding the strut/spring when the front wheels are on the ground.

 

jack up the vechile and then you don't need to compress the springs when removing em.

 

(ive also undone the 19mm bolt without compressing the spring, it just pops 2cm and comes off, no danger!)

 

edit - also recommend cutting a slit in the brake line holder then bending it open so you don't need to undo brake lines/bleed brakes etc etc

Edited October 25, 2010 by Evan G

[towe001]

Step Six - Fitting

 

Basically from here its just in the reverse order.

The only trouble you might run into is the slots in the upper spring seat and the slots cut into the shock absorber. It must be fitted correctly or you not be able to tighten the bearing plate nut.

Slide shock absorber into the strut tube, fit the locking nut and make sure its tight (the shock absorber body can not move).

When you go to fit the strut back into the car use the length of timber to push the control arm down to make sliding the strut into place easier.

 

Note 1> have the bolts on the bearing plate lined up it'll make things a touch easier.

Note 2> have at least one nut, don't worry to much about the washer till the bearing plate is in position and then do the other two with washers and go back to the first nut, for the inside bolt on the bearing plate at hands reach. Don't do up tight yet.

 

Because you'll need the wiggle room to get the strut fitted onto the steering arm. The strut and steering arm have to be flat against each other for the bolts to be able to go through properly.

And now tighten the nuts for the bearing plate.

 

The next tricky bit is fitting the brake calipers. Make sure you reconnect the brake hose first and then fit the caliper over the rotor and onto the strut. Line up the top bolt hole first and then the bottom bolt.

 

Make sure all nuts and bolts are tight.

[towe001]

Step Seven - Bleeding the brake

 

This is why the brakes have to be bleed. I like to put the container up higher then the caliper due to the bubbles wanting to travel up. About three full easy pumps on the brake pedal should do the trick. Just watch the fluid level in the brake reservoir and don't let it get too low.

There are other methods to bleeding brakes, i just think this way is a bit easier.

 

 

Go back over all the bolts and nuts for a double check to make sure their done up.

 

Repeat on the other side.

[Felix]

Good write up. :y:

 

One thing I do is cut a slot in the bracket thing that holds the brake hoses to the strut. Then you can bend it open slide out the hoses and not have to worry about cracking open the brake lines and having to bleed the brakes.

[towe001]

Cheers Felix. I did cut a slot in the brackets but i didn't worry about taking a photo nor writing it up.

[Evan G]

felix gets credit for cutting slots in the caliper bracket even though i said the same thing 2 post before he did :P :lol:

[Felix]

felix gets credit for cutting slots in the caliper bracket even though i said the same thing 2 post before he did :P :lol:

 

So you did. I didn't notice that. Interestingly BMW were way ahead of both of us, my '87 model E32 has a grommet around the brake hoses that unclips from a bracket on the struts.

[Evan G]

germans had 7 years to think about everything before making a decent car :P