[TheMidnightNarwhal]

I know I need spring compressors but do I you need that weird looking socket that's like cut through or is there a trick to avoid needing to buy one?

[Pittz1]

Do you mean spreading the knuckle from the strut? If that is the case, you can get creative in how you get it out. Thick screw driver with a dead blow would get it loose enough. I have always sprayed penetrating oil on cars with a significant amount of miles on the knuckle before attempting it.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by Pittz1

Do you mean spreading the knuckle from the strut? If that is the case, you can get creative in how you get it out. Thick screw driver with a dead blow would get it loose enough. I have always sprayed penetrating oil on cars with a significant amount of miles on the knuckle before attempting it.

No strictly talking about the strut. Because I think I need to transfer my top plates to the new coils.

BMW TIS shows this as being the tool to hold like the main nut and then you spin a hex key I tihnk or something?

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...unting/5B4s8Eu

[weehe126]

Yes you need the weird socket. No other way.

[PerfectAce]

For the price of one of those cut-away sockets, just buy yourself a pass-through socket set. Here's the one I used for the strut job: https://www.harborfreight.com/21-pc-...set-62305.html

It has the added benefit of being useful outside of this one particular job.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by PerfectAce

For the price of one of those cut-away sockets, just buy yourself a pass-through socket set. Here's the one I used for the strut job: https://www.harborfreight.com/21-pc-...set-62305.html

It has the added benefit of being useful outside of this one particular job.

Ohhh that's not exactly the one I was talking about but that's something else that wuld work uh.

That whole set is as much as the specefic schwaben socket. And I'm going to Harbor freight to pick up some tools when I visit the states might get that.

[relative4]

The Schwaben socket is crap. Bought it, tried it, returned it.

Before finding out about the pass-thru socket set, I made my own pass-thru socket by grinding faces for an open-end wrench in the sides of a regular socket. Works great. I'll continue to use it for initial loosening and final torqueing, since you can (have to) put a big-ass wrench on it, but I plan to pick up the HF set to save time ratcheting the rest of the nut's travel.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by relative4

The Schwaben socket is crap. Bought it, tried it, returned it.

Before finding out about the pass-thru socket set, I made my own pass-thru socket by grinding faces for an open-end wrench in the sides of a regular socket. Works great. I'll continue to use it for initial loosening and final torqueing, since you can (have to) put a big-ass wrench on it, but I plan to pick up the HF set to save time ratcheting the rest of the nut's travel.

How come the socket is bad? Also I just realised you need 21mm and that harbot freight kit don't have a 21 mm passthrough so it wouldn't even work?

[spazzz]

I used a 13/16,1/2"spark plug socket for the 21mm with a 1/4 inch extension through the hole, holding the torx bit with, of course a 1/4" socket wrench.

I can't remember the box wrench size I used for the spark plug nut side.
Also the spark plug socket would need the pass through size for the extension once the rubber is removed.
I had everything so no big deal for me. If you don't have an assortment of wrenches then maybe the strut socket would be the way to go.

[relative4]

Here are my sockets - 17mm, 19mm, and a 13/16" for the 21mm. The Allen wrench is from a Harbor Freight T-handle set, with the handle obviously trimmed to clear the socket.


Closeup of the flats ground into one of them:

[relative4]

Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal

How come the socket is bad?

The cut-out has an arc of like 180 degrees. The nut has to travel up like 20 threads. Insert Allen wrench, turn 180 degrees, remove Allen wrench, insert Allen wrench, turn 180 degrees... you'll be there all day.
The design is also restrictive on the Allen wrench size, and there were other problems, I don't remember.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Ok well thanks guys. I think I'll still get the shwaben for proper torquing with my torque wrench

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by relative4

The cut-out has an arc of like 180 degrees. The nut has to travel up like 20 threads. Insert Allen wrench, turn 180 degrees, remove Allen wrench, insert Allen wrench, turn 180 degrees... you'll be there all day.
The design is also restrictive on the Allen wrench size, and there were other problems, I don't remember.

Ahhhh makes sense. Well I'll look but if I get pass through wrenches I also need crows foot for proper torquuing

Or hold on can't I just use a normal box wrench?

[relative4]

Here's an interesting option:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/17x19-19x21...frcectupt=true

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Can someone confirm me 100% the nut size? ECS lists 18mm under suspension tools for my car but on TIS pretty sure it shows the 21mm...

[relative4]

Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal

Can someone confirm me 100% the nut size? ECS lists 18mm under suspension tools for my car but on TIS pretty sure it shows the 21mm...

The only person who can confirm that for you 100% is you. Pop the cap off the top hat, et voila.

FWIW, which is ca. zero, my stock struts were 21mm, and the new Bilsteins are 19mm.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by relative4

The only person who can confirm that for you 100% is you. Pop the cap off the top hat, et voila.

FWIW, which is ca. zero, my stock struts were 21mm.

True haha..

Anyway placed my order, I trusted the TIS and got the 21 mm socket. Thanks for a second confirmation

[PerfectAce]

Like Relative said, original equipment strut shaft nuts are 21mm. I just whizzed 'em off with an impact gun since I was replacing the struts. All I cared about was the size of the new nuts, which on Bilsteins are 19mm. Pass-through set worked fine for that application. As far as proper torque goes, two items to note: 1) the fastener (as well as the strut) that I was installing was different than what I had removed so I couldn't very well assume that the OE torque values would be exactly the same, although they would probably be in the neighborhood. 2) The fastener is a Nyloc nut which is always going to require a greater application of torque than the nominal value due to the frictional drag of the nylon.

I just got them on good and snug and gave them one more pull for good measure -- we're not installing TTY head bolts here.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by PerfectAce

Like Relative said, original equipment strut shaft nuts are 21mm. I just whizzed 'em off with an impact gun since I was replacing the struts. All I cared about was the size of the new nuts, which on Bilsteins are 19mm. Pass-through set worked fine for that application. As far as proper torque goes, two items to note: 1) the fastener (as well as the strut) that I was installing was different than what I had removed so I couldn't very well assume that the OE torque values would be exactly the same, although they would probably be in the neighborhood. 2) The fastener is a Nyloc nut which is always going to require a greater application of torque than the nominal value due to the frictional drag of the nylon.

I just got them on good and snug and gave them one more pull for good measure -- we're not installing TTY head bolts here.

FML the new billstein nut isn't 21mm... well then ok, guess I'll also pick up that harbor freight pass through kit. Another 20$ down haha... maybe shouldn't have go that socket after all.

[PerfectAce]

Eh, live and learn. You can always return it, I suppose. I dropped $100 on one tool for this job and it's not like I can use it for other things. https://www.eastwood.com/fairmount-t...ompressor.html

It did make my life a helluva lot easier though. I wholeheartedly recommend using one if you have access to (or have funds to buy) one. It makes the spring installation onto the new struts a five minute job...and a safe one, too.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by PerfectAce

Eh, live and learn. You can always return it, I suppose. I dropped $100 on one tool for this job and it's not like I can use it for other things. https://www.eastwood.com/fairmount-t...ompressor.html

It did make my life a helluva lot easier though. I wholeheartedly recommend using one if you have access to (or have funds to buy) one. It makes the spring installation onto the new struts a five minute job...and a safe one, too.

Yeah I'll do my cheap bastard and get one locally instead at HFT. Home depot return policy seems pretty nice.

And for spring compressor, damn looks pretty nice. But I already ordered the once that you screw on. That I plan to keep since it's actually cheaper than a pass thru socket set and I'm sure I'll need it in the future.

Or actually I may even rent the compressors for a return on investment!

[pjr710]

Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal

I know I need spring compressors but do I you need that weird looking socket that's like cut through or is there a trick to avoid needing to buy one?

i just did this .. you need a 21mm pass through socket or you need that special tool AND you need a long metric allen key.

I didn't have either! I used an impact gun to get it off, but you don't want to do that to put it on.

To put it on I used a 21mm socket ... put small allen key through it which just made it .. then use another allen key with vice grips to put in the socket side hold and turn it that way until it bottomed out - I DON'T recommend this.

The easiest way will probably be to get a 21MM pass through socket - unfortunately my HF pass through set did not have that size - I only found out after I had my first strut out and uncompressed!