Bay Area: looking for help installing front springs

[freeride53]

Hey guys - looking for some help in installing my front springs in the Bay Area.

Located in the East Bay but willing to drive around the Bay!

-S

[BlackbirdM3]

Its pretty easy, might take an hour to do at most. I'd offer to help but I don't have anyplace to work. Remove the brake sensors, the brake calipers, unbolt the control arm from the strut, remove the strut from the body, remove the big nut from the strut mount. Lift mount off, remove springs, reinstall in reverse order. The only thing you might need is a spring compressor, but not necessarily.

Will

[Thizzelle]

I don't know where everyone gets there time from. Takes an hour if you have a lift and everything goes smoothly minus cleanup and locating tools.
This shit will take 4 hours

[Cabriolet]

Thizzelle, if you do it the cheating way it takes about an hour, if they arent stock springs to start. the stock ones need to be compressed a lot to get them out

[2mAn]

I cheated and didnt even take off any of the brake stuff. Pretty easy with aftermarket springs. Hardest part for me is the nut on the top of the strut

[RUFFLZ]

Hardest part for me is the nut.

[BlackbirdM3]

I don't know where everyone gets there time from. Takes an hour if you have a lift and everything goes smoothly minus cleanup and locating tools.
This shit will take 4 hours

There are 12 bolts that need to be removed. (at least on an M3). 4 that hold the control arm to the strut, 3 that hold the strut mount to the car, 2 that hold the brake caliper to the strut, 1 that holds the swaybar onto the strut, one that holds the damper and springs to the hat, one that holds the ABS sensor in place. Oh, I wasn't counting pulling the wheels, but there are 5 more bolts to be removed. Break the wheel bolts lose, jack the car up, unload the swaybar, remove the nut, remove the bolts for the brakes, and ABS sensor, remove the 4 bolts that hold the control arm to the strut. Remove the 3 bolts that hold the strut to the car. Remove strut, then depending on the springs use the spring compressors to unload the spring hat, remove the nut from the top of the damper releasing the hat and spring. Remove, replace, reinstall in reverse order. I think it requires perhaps 5 wrenches total. I've done it several times with my M3. It might take two hrs if things haven't been removed in the past 25 years.

Its not a hard job to do.

Will

[DDKing13]

I lol'ed :giggle:

[freeride53]

One More thing to note - I'm swapping my Eibach Pro Kit springs to H&R Races from an M3.

...not that much difference in spring travel, from what I've gathered...

I lack tools, space, and know how.

My grandpa who did the fronts for me in high school passed away two months ago.

I did the rears (easy part).

[Cabriolet]

all you need is a jack and a 17mm deep socket and to do this job

[freeride53]

all you need is a jack and a 17mm deep socket and to do this job

wanna help a brother out? haha

[golde30]

There are 12 bolts that need to be removed. (at least on an M3). 4 that hold the control arm to the strut, 3 that hold the strut mount to the car, 2 that hold the brake caliper to the strut, 1 that holds the swaybar onto the strut, one that holds the damper and springs to the hat, one that holds the ABS sensor in place. Oh, I wasn't counting pulling the wheels, but there are 5 more bolts to be removed. Break the wheel bolts lose, jack the car up, unload the swaybar, remove the nut, remove the bolts for the brakes, and ABS sensor, remove the 4 bolts that hold the control arm to the strut. Remove the 3 bolts that hold the strut to the car. Remove strut, then depending on the springs use the spring compressors to unload the spring hat, remove the nut from the top of the damper releasing the hat and spring. Remove, replace, reinstall in reverse order. I think it requires perhaps 5 wrenches total. I've done it several times with my M3. It might take two hrs if things haven't been removed in the past 25 years.

Its not a hard job to do.

Will

Non M e30s don't have the 4 10mm bolts on the bottom of the strut housing. Instead thats all 1pc, so you have to pop off all the ball joints on the strut. Takes more than an hour, but less than 3 hours.

[ak-]

Come to Diamond Bar ;D

[freeride53]

Lol i actually did this two weeks ago. The only scary part was compressing the springs b/c little girl.

Removing the calipers was easy, tie-rods were tricky upon removal.

I was blessed to have access to a shop lift though #tybg

BTW abbibi I'm gonna be sliding through DB next Tuesday to pick up some thangs before I drive back to SD.