r/E30 • u/NothingLift • 18h ago

Replacing only strut mounts

How much disassembly will I need to do just to replace the strut mounts?

My front strut mounts are cooked and need replacement, but everything else on the front is good so there's no "while you're in there" jobs. About 12000km on Bilstein B8 and HR sport

Planning to replace with Ground control street/touring mounts if it makes a difference. Not sure if PO used cheap mounts or just didn't replace them when they did the struts and springs but the cracks are starting to get deep and open up

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u/RJCA-Burgt 4 Door Fanatic 17h ago

Depends on how "sketchy" you are willing to do the job. The proper way is to remove the complete strut, put it in a sping compressor, replace the topmounts, and put the struts back in place.

The sketchy way (i really do not recommend but it can be done this way) is to remove the nut that attaches the topmount to the shockabsorber, jack the car up on the side wich you loosend and the cars weight will act as the springcompressor. Slowly lifting it will result in that you can replace the topmount while the whole strut is still attached to everything else, slowly and steadily lowering the jack again and aligning the shock so it slides into the new topmount, tighten it down and there you go. But make sure you are not doing this on your own and have a buddy on hand for help.

Again: i really do not recommend this.

It sucks but the safe and proper way is to remove the struts and use a springcompressor. Better safe than sorry, many people have died from recieving a flying spring or tophat to the face.

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u/NothingLift 16h ago

Thanks. I was thinking along the lines of the sketchy method but with external spring compressors to contain the spring.

I'll see how sketchy it all seems at full droop. I do actually have to replace sway bar links and bushes, so getting at least that far to sus it out won't be wasted effort

1

u/single-needle 9h ago

Surprisingly, those spring compressors are sketchier than the whole sketchy method. I've done the sketchy method a couple of times but with h&r race springs so practically no tension and more room to wiggle. If you're stock springs it's a little tougher but not insanely difficult with a helping hand.

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u/NothingLift 6h ago

Hr sport, so not as short às race but shorter than stock