[TSRxi]

So I have seen others run into this issue. I took off my strut assembly on my 2008 335xi (stock strut) as I could feel some play in the steering that I deduced to the strut mt on the left front.

The mount seemed to have a lot of vertical play in the bearing. I think now after looking at it apart I think my top nut was loose. (if only I had known)

So I went to BMW bought 2 new strut mounts as was planning to go to coilovers but was not in the budget right now.

I have a decent scissor style harbor freight compressor (not the external cheap style - i have those also) and I cannot compress the spring enough as the strut does not extend to its full length.

It seems like BMW has made the stock struts to be preloaded with negative spring pressure (gas) inside the shock. They only come out about half way and you cant pull them out more (under gas or spring pressure)

This means you have to compress the spring to near all the way. I got it as far compressed as I could then used 2 more external compressors and still was a frustrating 1.5 inches off.

I read up on another thread on how someone used lots of 20 gauge wire to keep compressing the spring. release the compressors and move them till the spring is all the way compressed.

This idea scares me for lots of reasons. I tried it a little at the top but still was off by 1.5".

So given all this BS and with 77k miles on the stock ones I am not going to this much trouble to put stock struts back on the car.

are aftermarket struts this same style as stock ones meaning if I get a Bilstien shock will it extend to its full length? This is a 10 min deal if the strut extends.

I am thinking of going to Sonic Tuning coilovers.. the xi AWD 335 only has a few options as front is diff than stock 335i.
I dont want to spend a ton either and ST seems like a good balance. I see that ICS just came out with an xi option but mixed reviews on them. Same price.

Someone could make a tool to lock the strut out before you take the nut off may have a good idea.

Thoughts?

[matteblue3er]

The key here is that you grab the upper spring seat and the bottom most coil. Not the upper and bottom most coils.

[TSRxi]

so you mean put the top hooks on the top mount pearch? Seems like it could slip off. But it does have a lip. The issue I would have with this idea that the spring diameter is not the same at the top bottom.

My spring compressor will not allow you to do that. it will hit.

I could go top pearch and maybe the spring up from the lowest rung. I also think my spring looks bent.

The bottom lowest coil is not in line with other ones.

All this has led me to give up on stock stuff.

its old.. Coilovers are calling me. Car is FBO. so makes sense at this point. ST coilovers are about same cost as good aftermarket struts.

[matteblue3er]

Originally Posted by TSRxi

so you mean put the top hooks on the top mount pearch? Seems like it could slip off. But it does have a lip. The issue I would have with this idea that the spring diameter is not the same at the top bottom.

My spring compressor will not allow you to do that. it will hit.

I could go top pearch and maybe the spring up from the lowest rung. I also think my spring looks bent.

The bottom lowest coil is not in line with other ones.

All this has led me to give up on stock stuff.

its old.. Coilovers are calling me. Car is FBO. so makes sense at this point. ST coilovers are about same cost as good aftermarket struts.

Yes, that's correct. The shop I work for does this all the time with spring compressors like these: https://jet.com/product/3d6b5950ba71...oAjhoC0ETw_wcB

[mike-y]

You can try taking the strut/spring/mount assembly to a local shop and have them assemble everything for you. If they have a proper stand-up spring compressor, they can literally do each strut in about 30 seconds.

[TSRxi]

My point is. Why does the strut only come out half way.. never seen this before.

Also I hear you on compressing them from the perch but I dont think you can get those external compressors the bottom spring coil. Not sure if the Xi springs are different but there is no way you could do that with those external style compressors. I also doubt they are long enough with the spring fully extended to get on the top perch and bottom

The diameter is like 50% of the top coil. it will not reach it. you could go 1 up

I may give this a try. But given that my struts have 77k miles on them.. and all this bother I am going to break down and get coilovers.

Also spring looks bent to me. It was like this the first time I released the spring so nothing to do with compressing plus doubt you can bend a spring like this.. see pic

[matteblue3er]

Bent spring is normal and nothing to worry about.

You cannot grab the absolute bottom most coil. It's like the second or third from bottom. Just the lowest one you can grab with the tool.

Thinking about this now, we rarely put the OEM springs back on. It's always a lowering spring. So with the OEM spring, if it's too long, you may need another set of compressors to hold the spring compressed so you can get the second set over the upper spring seat.

[TSRxi]

Yes I tried this from the lowest coil I can get the compressor on and note I am using a much better compressor... its a scissor style. I did not try to put it on the top perch, but given the style of the hooks I would be nervous putting them on the top pearch. I think they could slip off. The safety locks would not be on. the lip is only like 5mm.

Maybe if I used the scissor style with an external compressor for safety. Could work?

And the amount of force to compress these that much is scary to start with.

I agree.. not many people taking off stock springs and putting them back on. I thought a $100 new mount was worth trying and any other car I have done this with would have taken maybe 1hr from removing from car to back on.

[ajsalida]

There is a thread where somebody cut apart an XI strut and he found something interesting. XI OEM strut has an internal spring limiting extension. Like a bump stop preventing it from topping out. Had pics and everything, very interesting.

edit: look here

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1138625

[TSRxi]

yes that explains it. That spring is no joke. I tried a number of things to pull it out. I think with 2 sets of external spring compressors and the scissor compressor you might be able to get the spring back on the strut. But like said a few times... this is no fun and not worth putting such an old strut back on car
bites that dealer will try for a 30% restocking fee on my mounts I bought..

Anyone need stock Xi strut mounts?

[ajsalida]

Originally Posted by TSRxi

yes that explains it. That spring is no joke. I tried a number of things to pull it out. I think with 2 sets of external spring compressors and the scissor compressor you might be able to get the spring back on the strut. But like said a few times... this is no fun and not worth putting such an old strut back on car
bites that dealer will try for a 30% restocking fee on my mounts I bought..

Anyone need stock Xi strut mounts?

Compounding this problem is the XI springs are stiffer than I, even stiffer than I sport springs. So with that extra return spring inside the shock XI are very hard to get apart. I doubt you'd have the same difficulty putting say ZSP (I-sport) back on but it will always be harder with that internal spring fighting you. As I said in that thread I broke a spring compressor trying to get OEM XI springs off those shocks.

[TSRxi]

Getting them off was not that hard. I just compressed them a normal amount and with a impact took off the nut and it did pop a little but was off.

Getting them back on that is no joke. The spring needs to be 90% compressed.