strut assembly dissassembly

[DrMcDave]

What size is the nut at the top of the strut housing (to free the spring/strut). I'm not anywhere near my car or my bentley and I need to pick up a socket.

new question. How do I get the strut collar off. I see it has notches for a special tool, but I don't have that.

[Jean]

17 or 19 mm iirc

this says 19mm - http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/tech...ont_Suspen.htm

[DrMcDave]

okay cool.

[E30_fiend]

its a 19mm on the bigger strut housings and 17mm on the smaller ones for the top nut. and the collar nut is easily taken off buy a hammer and chisel or a big pair of vise grips and a friend o hold it in place or a bench vise. they are pretty easy to take off. youll realize that when you get the first one off






Taylor

[deutschman]

the collar nut can be taken off with a screw driver and hammer. really easy.

[Knockenwelle]

Yes, but reusing the part and getting it torqued back on correctly is a different story. I ended up making a tool out of 1/2" steel on a mill. I think Koni sells the tool, too.

Also, as I was rebuilding my steering rack, I discovered the happy coincidence that the threaded collar nut which holds the rack together takes the exact same tool...

[M5wanaB]

just buy a 13/16 spark plug soket with the built in 7/8 hex on it. It doesnt fit perfect but its good enough to torque to spec. and you can get your allen key in the middle because you dont need to use a rachet with it. just picked one up for 2 bux at napa and worked like a charm

[Quailane]

The collar nut wasn't very easy for me. My vert has 96k miles and one of the original strut inserts was completely dead and the other was kind of weak. To get the collar nuts off required liquid wrench, a blowtorch, a dremel, and a hammer and chisel for the one side. That didn't work on the other side and I had to use a 5ft steel pipe to get enough leverage on it to break it loose, then I finished it off with a hammer and chisel.

Edit: I remember how I did it. I had the strut bolted to a wheel that I stood on to hold it steady while I stomped on a big pipe wrench I attached really well by dremeling the collar nut. I brought my 5 foot pipe out but didn't use it.

[DrMcDave]

i ran it down to the shop at the end of the road, It was almost embarrasing how easy it came off. I just needed someone to hold the assembly so I could get enough clamping force.