Replacing struts, shocks, and springs on an E36

If you have complete front strut assemblies to install, assemble the new front struts and rear shocks before starting to remove anything from the car.

If you're mounting coilover front struts, set the spring perches at the same height on both sides.

If you need to scavenge parts from the old struts, do one side at a time and use the other side as your pattern for reassembly.

If you must use any parts from the original front strut, you will need a spring compressor to safely complete the job. I strongly recommend against using the cheap "bolt type" spring compressors sold by many discount tool warehouses or at many discount auto parts stores. If your life is worth much to you, spend a little extra money and rent a "clamshell type" compressor or have the spring removed by a competent mechanic. (Harbor Freight now sells an inexpensive clamshell-type spring compressor.)

Tightening the nut to the strut mount is a real problem without an air impact wrench. Use two or three short bursts of the impact wrench to seat the nut -- do NOT use continuous impact or you will spin the shock shaft and damage the internal foot valve. This damage is not covered by any warranty.

OK let's get started...

2. Remove the tires and wheels.

Let's do the most difficult end first... the front.

3. The strut is held to the chassis with three 13mm nuts, to the sway bar with a 16mm nut, and to the hub with three 18mm bolts, one at the top of the hub and two at the bottom.

4. I like to remove both sway bar links from the strut first so I don't forget them. You'll need a fairly slim Crescent or 16mm wrench to get a grip on the flats on the back of the swaybar link stud, then use a 16mm socket to remove the nut. Do the other side now before you actually remove either strut.

5. Remove the brake pad depth sensor wire from the brake pad (LF only) and separate that wire as well as the brake line and ABS sensor wire from the bracket on the strut.

6. Remove the nut from the upper bolt (18x18) that connects the strut to the hub do not remove the bolt yet.

7. Remove the two lower 18mm bolts that connect the strut to the hub. These are usually installed using Locktite, so they'll take a lot of energy to remove. An air impact wrench or a 20-inch breaker bar with a 2 foot pipe extension is very helpful here.

8. Place some kind of support under the brake rotor/hub to keep it from dropping when you remove the remaining (upper) bolt. A floor jack works best, but believe it or not, I've used an empty 5-gal bucket upside down. The hub assembly weighs about 30 pounds and can flop around a bit just don't let the entire weight be supported by the brake line for any length of time.

9. Remove the upper strut bolt that you removed the nut from in step 4 and separate the strut from the hub. (Careful the hub will fall if not supported.)

10. Hold the strut with one hand and remove the three 13mm nuts from the top of the strut tower (under the hood) with your other hand. The strut can mow be maneuvered out of the wheel well. Pay attention to which wires go on what side of the strut.

11. To install the new strut, fish the strut into the wheel well bottom first and make sure the wires and lines are routed in the same manner as before.

12. Making sure the upper strut hat is oriented correctly (arrow pointing forward toward the headlights) and attach the strut to the strut tower first so its weight is suspended from the strut tower.

13. Attach the strut to the hub at the bottom first, using the two 18mm bolts. Just get the bolts started, but don't tighten them until all bolts are started. Sometimes it is easier to insert the upper tab from the hub into the bracket on the strut, and sometimes it isn't. I'll warn you right now that getting the two lower bolts started is the most difficult part of this entire job.

14. Once the lower two bolts are started you can insert the upper hub bolt. This is probably the second most difficult part of the job. <g> Once all the bolts are started and in place, you can tighten them all. The upper three 13mm nuts should be tightened snugly (16 lb/ft) using a 3.8" ratchet, the upper hub bolt torqued to 78 lb/ft, and the two lower bolts to 78 lb/ft.

15. If you are trying to maximize negative camber, this is the point where you should put a porta-power or bottle jack between the bottom of the tires/wheels to take all the slack out before tightening all the bolts and nuts. Use gentle pressure -- you're not trying to bend anything, just maximize all the tolerances in your favor.

16. Reattach the brake line and wires to the strut bracket. Reuse the wire holder from the stock struts -- it screws off the threaded stud on the strut.

17. Reattach the sway bar links to the strut. You cannot get this nut too tight (within reason!). 95% off your future clunks and rattles in the front end will come from inadequately tightened sway bar links.

Now on to the rear (step 9 will be a lot easier with two people)

1. Make sure the car will not roll and release the hand brake.

2. Remove the carpet in the trunk from around the upper shock mounts. You'll probably need to remove the rear radio speakers, inner tail light covers, the trunk liner, and the plastic panels that cover the upper trunk surface to allow the carpet to be moved. (If you're installing externally adjustable shocks, you may want to cut access flaps in the carpet after it's replaced so you don't have to remove the carpet each time you want to adjust the shocks. If you cut large enough flaps you can actually remove the attachment nuts as well.)

3. Place a jack under the bracket where the shock attaches to the hub.

4. Begin to loosen the18mm bolt that attaches the shock to the bracket. Do not remove the bolt entirely, but loosen it while raising the jack just enough to remove the load from the shock. (Don't raise it too high or you'll begin to put more stress on the bolt. Find the sweet spot where the shock is supported and the loosened bolt comes out with finger effort.

5. Now (inside the trunk) remove the two 13mm nuts that hold the shock mount to the chassis. You can remove them completely since the shock is supported under the car on the jack.

6. Remove the lower 18mm bolt and pull the shock out of the wheel well.

7. To remove the spring you will need to remove the shock on the other side of the car as well so carefully lower the jack from under hub bracket and follow steps 3-6 for the other side of the car.

8. When both shocks have been removed, lower the jack so that the entire rear axle assemblies hangs from the car.

(You will save yourself a lot of grief if you take a moment to double check to be sure you have released the hand brake.)

9. Using an extra long pry bar (I use the handle from my floor jack, but a 2-foot length of water pipe will work) pry the control arm down and remove the spring. This can take a lot of effort and is much easier with two people. It may also require a second pry bar on the spring itself.

On some cars it is necessary to disconnect a bracket holding the rear brake line from the trailing arm. If the car has stainless steel brake lines it is almost always necessary to do this step. Do not disconnect the brake line from the slave cylinder only the bracket holding the brake line to the trailing arm. Also, on some cars, it is necessary to disconnect the sway bar from the lower control arms. If you're working alone, it will probably be easier to do it this way.

10. Once the springs have been removed, you can install the new springs. Install the springs on both sides before you reattach the shocks. If you are using adjustable spring perches you can place them either above or below the spring (I prefer beneath). Measure to be sure they are the height you want and that they are at the same height.

11. Whether you leave the spring rubbers in place or not is a matter of personal preference. Most racers don't, but some rules require that they be left in (SCCA Touring for example). Performance is about the same either way and eventually the spring and adjustable spring perch will cut through the rubbers anyway. If you're in doubt I'd remove them until someone says something to you.

12. With two people I find it easier to install the top of the shock first.
If you're by yourself you'll probably find it easier to install the bottom bolt first, then use the jack to raise the shock into the upper mounting holes and then fasten the nuts.

13. Either way be sure the spring stays oriented correctly as you raise the lower control arm and don't tighten any nuts/bolts until all have been started.

14. If you disconnected the sway bar reconnect it now.

15. If you disconnected the brake line bracket reconnect it now.

16. Check that all bolts are tight and reinstall the tires/wheel.

17. Since camber and ride height have changed, it is necessary to align the car before driving it.

That's it -- you're done!

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