[gizmo335i]

I searched and could not find anything. I'm doing it myself this week. I did see the one for E90s. I guess it has to be pretty much the same?

I guess I can look on some other BMW forums.

Anyone have a lot of experiece with this? That maybe I can call if I run into anything major? Mike? lol.

I'm sure it's pretty straight forward but I've never done ANY suspension work.

[mike-y]

LOL, yeah, the procedure is exactly the same on the E90 and E92. Tape up your front fenders before starting, it's easy to scratch them while pulling the front strut out.

also, to remove the front strut from the pinch collar, you can use a 3/8" to 1/4" socket adapter. it fits perfectly in the slot, then you just turn it a bit and it will spread the collar enough to easily remove the strut. You'll ruin the adapter after a few uses, but they are pretty cheap. note the angle of the sway bar bracket on teh strut before you grab the new one.. L and R are slightly different.

When you undo the rear suspension, don't take off the inner lower control arm bolt (it affects camber), just take off the outer one. When putting it all back in the rear, jacking up the hub helps get everything lined up so you can put that bolt in. It still can be a bit of a pain, but wiggling things around with some patience will take care of it.


Make sure you have all the correct sockets, etc before you start. I think I needed to buy a deep 15mm and 16mm, though I learned the standard spark plug socket worked for one of those. Also had to use a tiny wrench to keep the sway bar link from spinning when you try to remove it. If you have a lot of wrenches, you probably have one that fits, but otherwise get a small adjustable crescent wrench, and you should be good.

Loosening the front lower control arm/bushing will allow the suspension to drop more and give you more fender clearance, but you need to jack up the suspension so the springs are supporting the car before tightening it down, so the bushing isn't stressed..

that's all I can think of for now, good luck!

[gizmo335i]

Cool thanx. You're POSITIVE everything is the same between the 2 cars?

I might be pm'ing you on this. I'll probably start tonight....

[edirtaynine]

Originally Posted by mike-y

LOL, yeah, the procedure is exactly the same on the E90 and E92. Tape up your front fenders before starting, it's easy to scratch them while pulling the front strut out.

also, to remove the front strut from the pinch collar, you can use a 3/8" to 1/4" socket adapter. it fits perfectly in the slot, then you just turn it a bit and it will spread the collar enough to easily remove the strut. You'll ruin the adapter after a few uses, but they are pretty cheap. note the angle of the sway bar bracket on teh strut before you grab the new one.. L and R are slightly different.

When you undo the rear suspension, don't take off the inner lower control arm bolt (it affects camber), just take off the outer one. When putting it all back in the rear, jacking up the hub helps get everything lined up so you can put that bolt in. It still can be a bit of a pain, but wiggling things around with some patience will take care of it.


Make sure you have all the correct sockets, etc before you start. I think I needed to buy a deep 15mm and 16mm, though I learned the standard spark plug socket worked for one of those. Also had to use a tiny wrench to keep the sway bar link from spinning when you try to remove it. If you have a lot of wrenches, you probably have one that fits, but otherwise get a small adjustable crescent wrench, and you should be good.

Loosening the front lower control arm/bushing will allow the suspension to drop more and give you more fender clearance, but you need to jack up the suspension so the springs are supporting the car before tightening it down, so the bushing isn't stressed..

that's all I can think of for now, good luck!

good tips

but i always had the question but kept forgetting to ask... how come some people say to remove the rear sway bar link? what happens if you dont?

[mike-y]

Originally Posted by gizmo335i

Cool thanx. You're POSITIVE everything is the same between the 2 cars?

I might be pm'ing you on this. I'll probably start tonight....

99% sure.. I'll check my bentley manual tonight, I don't think it differentiated between E90 and E92. though RWD and AWD might be slightly different.

Originally Posted by edirtaynine

good tips

but i always had the question but kept forgetting to ask... how come some people say to remove the rear sway bar link? what happens if you dont?

It can allow the rear suspension to droop more if you remove the link, and give you a little more clearance, and maybe make it easier to remove and replace the shock. Might make it easier to line everything up when you are bolting it back together, but I was able to change springs and shocks without removing it though.

if you have a thick aftermarket rear bar, you will probably want to undo the links.

[tres]

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...swaybar&page=2

[Elie335]

^ ty