Fitting New Springs - BMW Forum

Rich328 · 07-12-2005, 06:52 AM

I've just bought some new springs for my car, because i took it in for a service and they told me that the rear springs had a broken coil on them.

now how do i change them? never done something like this on a bmw.

funtoos · 07-12-2005, 11:52 AM

all i can add to this is good luck... and watch out for that spring popping in your face... i would get it professionally done... the rear springs are the hardest to remove...

///M Power · 07-13-2005, 04:11 AM

You own a e36? The rears are easy cheesy. Although i'd recomend professinal installation Illg vei you the basic setup I think you need ot do. I dont own a e36.

Jack up the car.
Remove wheel.
Plce another jack under the hub/brake setup so it doesnt "dropp" all the wya down.

Heres where my vocabulary is fuzzy. Basically look at it. It's eays to notice that there is a screw connecting a arm to the shock/hub deal. After you remove that, there should be another one kinda behind it where the subframe I believe is connected. Remove it. All my vocab here is Fucked so please just look at it. Then after these are out, lower the jack that was under the hub till its in a full "droop" position. Then push down on the hub. You should be able to wiggle and shimmy it out. A broken rear coil is not uncommon. Make sure you watch what direction the plates attched to the top/bottom of the spring are facing.

To install push down on the hub. It iwll take strength. Then put the top of the spring in first and kinda play with the spring till u get it back in> Follow reverse directions to complete.

Drive it around your neighborhood for a bit for it to settle in. Look at ride height and it should look a bit taller than previously.

Good Luck and let us know how it turns out.

bad man working · 07-13-2005, 07:08 AM

///M Power is right but before you start disconnect the anti-roll bar otherwise when you bar the hub down to put the new spring in you can snap the aluminium drop link 90% of the time they don’t but nit worth taking the chance

93 325i · 07-13-2005, 07:53 AM

had my springs installed for like $250.. money well spent. It took the shop 3 hours to do the job.. i could only imagine how long it would have taken me in my driveway on jack stands..

///M Power · 07-13-2005, 01:22 PM

Rear springs are easy. Front ones are the ones I fear because for the front ones you need to rent a spring compressor.

And the install was JUST springs? Did it include alignment for you 93 325i?

93 325i · 07-13-2005, 01:49 PM

yea alignment too, plus the struts. I had previously installed the rear shocks w/ heavy duty mounts.. You MUST get an alignment after spring install

DarrellS · 07-14-2005, 09:39 AM

Just about to get mine done including the rear trailing arm bushes all in for less than £200, why waste your time??

DarrellS · 07-14-2005, 09:40 AM

Oh and don't forget that you will need to get the car re-aligned once it's done.

thekid · 07-14-2005, 02:27 PM

YOu don't really need to, only if it's pulling on way or another.

But it is extrememly easy to do. A drunk blind 5 year old givn the right sized tools could do it. Unless you have some money lieing around that you really want to spend, find a buddy with the tools and "git'r done".

P.S. If you do decide to do it your self, I'll provide a more helpful post. But usually people get scared and do not do it themselves. But if you are interested, the correct insturctions and/or pictures of how to do it could be found for your DIY convience.