Procedures for replacing front shocks/struts on 1985 bmw 325e

hi, the first thing would be the proper tools. apart from the general hand toold, you require a spring compressor for removing the shock absorber. it would be better if u could see some video of the same before u get ur hands dirty on the job....

you will need the use of a lift to be able to lift car off the subframe once you have dismantled the wheels, suspension etc , get a work shop manual, that will give you a step by step guide on how to do this , it is pretty complex so i'd really recommend getting the workshop manual

it could be a broken cam shaft

YOU NEED TO REMOVE THE STRUT COMPLETELY USING COIL CLAMPS CLAMP THE SPRING AND REMOVE TOP PLATE UNDOO THE LARGE NUT ON THE STRUT ITSELF THEN PULL OUT THE INTERNAL SHOCK REPEAT THE PROCESS IN REVERSE FOR ASSEMBLEY

No special tools necessary. Just a screwdriver. Takes less than 5 minutes. Have someone hold the hood and do one shock at a time, or put vise grips on the side you are not doing to prevent the hood from falling on you.

Call your local BMW dealer and ask them...should be free!
Good Luck

struts in the front, shocks in the rear. struts take what are called cartridges, they require special tools to replace, shocks are just simple hand tools and very easy to replace.

My answer is not going to help you because not only do you need specialized equipment, but you will need special experience to perform this job.

You would be required to completely remove the entire front strut assembly from the car. It has to be safety set up on jacks. Once you have the strut assembly out of the car, special spring clamps are needed to compress the heavy spring that is part of the strut. These require very special clamps that compress the springs. If this is not done right, it can conceivably kill a person.

Once the spring has been removed, the strut it self must be removed from the strut housing using an impact wrench.

Once both sides are changed, the car must be realigned in the front end, otherwise the car will not steer or track properly.

Over all, this is a major job. These are not shock absorbers, as you would know them, but are called McPherson struts.


If you would like to contact me again about this or other problems, feel free to do so.
Bill
ASE Master Technician

no, just replaced mine, springs are independent of shocks and struts