BMW 1 Series Coupe Forum / 1 Series Convertible Forum (1M / tii / 135i / 128i / Coupe / Cabrio / Hatchback) (BMW E82 E88 128i 130i 135i)
 





 

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      04-07-2009, 03:14 PM   #1
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DIY Request: Install Springs

I'm going to buy some H&R Sport springs soon and want to install them myself, is there a DIY i didn't catch on here or can anyone make one that has done it themselves? THANKS IN ADVANCE!!
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      04-08-2009, 02:11 PM   #2
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anyone?? i found this thread on e90 post and was wondering if it would be the same for our cars since they share the same chassis, can someone verify this??
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      04-08-2009, 02:19 PM   #3
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I remember reading a post when larryn did the same mod to his 135i and said the installation was similar.

Edit: here it is. http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showt...t=h%26r+spring
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      04-08-2009, 02:28 PM   #4
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dude thanks soo much!! larryn actually did the DIY on e90 post and said that it's exactly the same for the 135
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      04-12-2009, 06:27 PM   #5
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cant seem to find the suspension tophat torque spec for bolting it down... anyone know the spec for it? 88ftlb?
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      04-12-2009, 09:29 PM   #6
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Getting postponed yet another week from installing my springs. The strutbar completely blocks the inner bolt on the tophat from torque wrench use. Feel a bit uncomfortable going by "feel" to get the torque spec right...

Anyone consider removing all the compartment filter caps and stuff on the top to remove the strut bar? I feel like its too much myself, and figure I can get it damn close by feel lol... Just set the torque-wrenchable bolt to 88ftlbs and follow that feeling...

Also, larryn's step 18 where he's loosening the spring compressors, he did that without an airgun? What a buff guy! lol.

BSM, when you find yourself a set, wanna meet up and do it together?
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      04-24-2009, 07:31 PM   #7
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I've been working on doing the front springs for over 4 hours, and I can't get it to pass the wheel well. I can compress the springs from 3 or 4 coils, but the strut doesn't decrease in size enough for clearance. The guide on the e90s also had a suggestion to jack up the strut, but two of our spring compressors couldn't fit to do it. We're considering jawing the top spring compressor jaw to the top of the tophat right above the top of the springs to push the strut down for clearance. compressing the springs just keeps the strut at 9'' tall, and isn't short enough to clear the well (need 8'').

Anyone actually do this install on their 1series and can offer some guidance?

Edit. I ended up modding these cheapo harbor freight spring compressors to have a nutbolt on both ends. I'ma try setting it upside down to see if it fits when i jack up the strut. brb..

Edit2: After four more hours and another separate spring compressor, we've given up trying to take it out of the wheel well using the e90 guide. I've got factory specs (torque specs) on a couple of the bolts (all for the front springs only) to share though:

17mm front swaybar mounting point (step 11 to the e90 guide) - 50 ft-lb
19mm brakeline bracket (step 12) - 50 ft-lb
17mm tophat bolts (step 14) - 30-32 ft-lb [yea it seemed low to us too, but we triplechecked]

and the wheel lugs
17mm and 19mm for the keylug - 120 ft-lb

hope that helps whoever's going to take this task on. I tell ya, these struts are too tall to push out of the wheel well, at least on my standard 128.

Last edited by McReary; 04-24-2009 at 11:47 PM..
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      04-25-2009, 12:11 AM   #8
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Just a quick tip+photos reply
1) I like to take on the hardest part of a task first, which in this case, will be the front struts. Jack it up using the central jacking point, and save yourself time. Jack it from the central jacking point and place jackstands under the front jacking points of each side. The CJP is hard to miss. It's rubbery like the side jacking points

2) There's definitely not a lot of space to place in your spring compressors to do the shortcut of preloading the springs with the jack (aka raising the strut from the flatspot behind the rotors).


The circle-like part is where you can jack from...


Needless to say, I had a PITA time with this... I customized the spring compressors by adding a nutbolt to the bottom end and secured it with a metal rod drilled and compressed into the center of the entire thing. This way, I was able to not only fit the compressor into the strut well, but compress with a socket wrench.



After a couple hours, we couldn't get enough clearance to pass the wheelwell. The spring compressors doesn't push the entire strut down much. The only way to do that would be to use the preloading method, but that doesn't work either. Still needed an extra 1'' of clearance =[.
This is us using medieval torture tools... jk, different more heavyduty spring compressors


In the end, it was just that the spring compressors would compress the springs correctly, but, even when trying the preload shortcut, the top of the strut didn't come down. We even tried compressing the spring on 4 rings and the strut never moved down =\.


Oh and also, don't forget: When you use the central jack, make sure to set the bar all the way down when you release, so that you don't release it down onto the bar and crack your bumper.


Be prepared to spend at least an hour lol
This was Georgie at 3 in the morning as I was figuring out the springs before modding it...

Last edited by McReary; 04-25-2009 at 12:26 AM..
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      04-25-2009, 06:56 AM   #9
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I took a different route. Rather than compress the spring on the car, I took the hub assembly loose from the control arms and dropped the whole assembly out.

FWIW, I wouldn't even think about replacing springs without upgrading the shocks at the same time, unless your only intention is to lower the car for the sake of appearance. It's too big of a job to have to do all over again to replace shocks later.
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      04-25-2009, 04:50 PM   #10
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Do you know the torque specs to the bolts you released to drop the entire struts out? We were thinking of doing the same, but that stopped us from attempting it.

The lowering is purely for looks.
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      04-25-2009, 05:51 PM   #11
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Nope. I probably put 90 or so on them with my calibrated arm.
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      04-25-2009, 08:15 PM   #12
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its a pain to get the whole strut assembly out.. BUT it does come out. You need to have someone pushing down on the hub with their foot to make it go low as possible the move the strut assembly to the left side (towards the door) and carefully rotate the top shock mount untill you can get it all to clear

ps i used those same ghetto spring compressor and had to turn it with a hand wrench.. haha took so long.. but it will come out ive done it numerous times. your struts arent too tall haha. tape up the wheel well just incase and get to it
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      04-26-2009, 12:59 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fmxomar View Post
its a pain to get the whole strut assembly out.. BUT it does come out. You need to have someone pushing down on the hub with their foot to make it go low as possible the move the strut assembly to the left side (towards the door) and carefully rotate the top shock mount untill you can get it all to clear

ps i used those same ghetto spring compressor and had to turn it with a hand wrench.. haha took so long.. but it will come out ive done it numerous times. your struts arent too tall haha. tape up the wheel well just incase and get to it
Are you serious?! We did that and tried every which way to get it out of the strut. We still couldn't clear it by 1''. Maybe its cuz we have different tailored struts for the 128. Either way, I stepped on it with my entire body weight 160lbs and more, compressed the springs to 4 rings, preloaded with jacking it up. There just wasn't enough room for us by just removing the bolts of that e90 guide...
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      04-26-2009, 01:52 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by McReary View Post
Are you serious?! We did that and tried every which way to get it out of the strut. We still couldn't clear it by 1''. Maybe its cuz we have different tailored struts for the 128. Either way, I stepped on it with my entire body weight 160lbs and more, compressed the springs to 4 rings, preloaded with jacking it up. There just wasn't enough room for us by just removing the bolts of that e90 guide...
yes im serious.. trust me i thought the same thing when i did mine, theres nothing special about the 128 struts either they will come out the same way. just push down as far as possible with your foot on it, and tilt in towards the door basically it will need to clear the 1 inch of bolts coming out of the top of the mount right? you need to push down and twist the top mount so that 1 bolt is now cleared. keep pushing with your foot and rotate is again to get 2 bolts to clear. then same for the last one
dunno if that made sense but i tried haha
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      04-26-2009, 02:05 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fmxomar View Post
yes im serious.. trust me i thought the same thing when i did mine, theres nothing special about the 128 struts either they will come out the same way. just push down as far as possible with your foot on it, and tilt in towards the door basically it will need to clear the 1 inch of bolts coming out of the top of the mount right? you need to push down and twist the top mount so that 1 bolt is now cleared. keep pushing with your foot and rotate is again to get 2 bolts to clear. then same for the last one
dunno if that made sense but i tried haha
I know exactly what you mean. I have it easy for me, because for some reason two of the tophat bolts actually fell out loose, so I just have to worry about one. Sadly, I'm not concerned with teh bolt length yet; the 1 inch is to reach the top of the tophat. Then there's the bolts... My friend is suggesting I try just removing the entire strut by releasing the control arm and such. We could get a close estimate as to the torque spec using his tools.... still, REALLY? I mean me and my buddy had NO chance getting it out, even with one guy pushing down and the other trying to free it.
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      04-26-2009, 04:25 PM   #16
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i can see from the 3rd to last pic that its almost out tilt in more towards the door push down hard itll go dont be scared.. tape up the inside of the fender
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      04-26-2009, 04:35 PM   #17
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Good info in here. I'll be putting on my new springs/struts in a couple weeks, so I'll have to reference this thread.
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      04-26-2009, 05:45 PM   #18
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If you're going to completely remove the strut, you'd probably have to unbolt the control arm. To get a torque wrench in there to put to spec, you'd have to fit it in by removing the front undercover, which is a couple of bolts behind the central jacking point--it's pretty deep in there. Of course, you can just do it by hand, and not deal with removing the cover altogether. But the torque specs!!! =\
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      04-26-2009, 06:19 PM   #19
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I don't want to start an argument about this, but I wouldn't lose sleep over the lack of a torque spec. There are very few that are what I would consider "critical". In general, tight enough that it doesn't loosen up is adequate. Just think about how much torque you can apply with a hand wrench sized for the bolt. Small bolts have short wrenches. Just use common sense - you can certainly apply too much torque with a 3/4" ratchet adapted down to a 10mm bolt!

Drive it a few days, and recheck to make sure they are still tight if you are concerned about it.

I've never been a big proponent of torquing fasteners for general mechanical assembly, especially where fastener components are being reused. It is absolutely appropriate for some applications, where conditions are well controlled. The load applied to a bolt with a given torque can vary tremendously (100% or more!) with the materials used, type of lubricant, condition, etc. I did some studies of thread lubricants many years ago that was a real eye opener to me. I came to the conclusion that the “feel” of an experienced mechanic resulted in a more reliable joint than application of a specific torque spec.
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      04-26-2009, 08:39 PM   #20
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-___-

Last edited by McReary; 05-10-2009 at 02:19 PM..
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      05-10-2009, 02:24 PM   #21
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had riss racing install it. they ended up taking off the front undercover and loosening the lower control arm bolt and pulling out the strut that way. The rear driverside strut needed room for dropping and required dropping the muffler a bit since it got in the way. Overall, not as easy as it sounds like on the e90 guide (at least for the 128i).


some upclose before n after pix
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=260712
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      05-10-2009, 05:08 PM   #22
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it took me about 4 hrs all around with the help of a friend and we removed the whole rotor assembly (control,steering and sway bar bolts) for the front. i ended up removing the whole strut and used a wall mounted compressor vs. the unsafe spring compressor--so much easier. but it ended up taking me 4 hours to put the stock springs back in after i got an active steering fault, dsc and dbc malfunction. it wasn't worth it so i went back to stock and everything went back to normal. but no one here has experienced that one?
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