Nice write up, but I thought you weren't ever supposed to use impact drivers to install the nuts on the strut piston rods? KW even says it will void your warranty

 

I'm going to try and do it myself also, doesn't seem hard just a first time thing.

Still trying to decide on weather to use the stock dampers or go with some Koni yellows or Bilstein SP's

 

can anyone fix the pictures of this article or am I the only one who cant see them? wanna install some coilovers this weekend and wanna get all infos before doing this

 

I can't see the pics either and I tried looking up Randy's install and it's not there. Hoping to install tomorrow, 75 degrees, finally some nice weather!!!

 

Got a question. I recently started a spring swap about 2 weeks ago. I removed the driver's side strut assembly and dissassembled it, only to find out the springs were wrong. The ordeal wasn't too bad EXCEPT for trying to take the lower hub carrier. It did not want to come loose. Needless to say, I used a pitman arm remover and this put enough tension to allow one good whack with a hammer, and the ball joint popped loose. This however must have "warped" the bolt that holds the hub carrier. I had to tap and die it for it to go on. I noticed no one mentioned using a ball joint remover and was wondering how this might work? I've got the new springs now and will try the deed again, but I don't want to ruin the hub carrier bolt again. Thanks !!

 

I can't see any pictures either. Anyone knows where we can download them?

 

Not sure what a "hub carrier bolt" is, but here's what I did on my '06 MCS cab two weeks ago.
1. Jack up front.
2. Remove wheel.
3. Remove Brake caliper/carrier (2 allen screws on back; just like you're doing a brake job; need to stick a screw driver in there and wedge/wiggle it a little to loosen the pads from the rotor).
4. Hang the brake carrier with a cut and bent wire coat hanger so it doesn't hang from brake lines.
5. Pop brake lines and abs lines out of guide on strut.
6. Put jack under hub to remove stabilizer and jack up to get the bolts straight, then use a wrench on insude and outside to loosen at both ends.
7. Undo nut on tie rod at outer end (at hub on rear side; about 9 o'clock on the right side and 3 o'clock on the left/driver's side) and pop loose. One side needed a pittman arm puller to pop loose but the other side just popped off with a whack of the palm of my hand.
8. Undo nut on botom of hub (6 o'clock on the hub), then use pittman arm puller to pop loose from ball joint (with a loud bang when it pops; so don't SYPs). Hub drops way down giving plenty of clearance.
9. remove strut, change spring (using strut compressors), reinstall.
10. Reverse 1-8.
About 40 minutes a side for the front.
Rear is much easier. Just jack up, undo two bolts, remove, swap spring, reinstall. About 20 minutes a side.

Pittman arm puller and strut compressor loaned from Kragen Auto Parts for free or about 5 bucks or something for the day. Most auto parts stores love DIYers and will gladly loan you tools even if you didn't buy your springs/struts from them because they make about 90% of their sales off DIYers.

 

I swapped out the front struts on my 06 MCS about 2 weeks ago. You get plenty of clearance if you pop the tie rod loose from the hub (about 3 o'clock on passenger side) (remove nut then whack with palm of hand or use pittman arm puller) and pop the lower control arm loose from the bottom of the hub at the ball joint (6 o'clock on the hub) (remove nut then must use pittman arm puller to pop loose, just keep screwing until there's a very big bang). The hub drops down giving plenty of clearance. You'll need to remove the brake caliper carrier by loosening the two allen screws on the inside (pop the little plastic caps off and stick the allen into the rubber housing things), then use a screw driver to wiggle/wedge the brake pads a little loose from the rotor and hang the carrier from a bent wire coat hanger. Also, getting the top nut on the strut loose required either a special tool from BMW at something like $50 (no way) or a big socket (I think I used a 11/16's or something) on the outside, which I held with vice grips, then sticking an allen wrench through the hole in the socket to hold the strut rod from turning inside. Worked like a charm, but I don't have a set of torque/vice grips so I had to guess at the torque, but then again, I think 47 foot pounds is a pretty easy guess.

 

There’s no need to go through those extra steps. A length of wood (I use a 1.5”X.75”X2’ piece of cedar trim) placed under the lower spring perch with the other end on a jack pad; raise the jack to compress the spring and give the steering knuckle a rap, that’s all it takes.

 

I'm getting the dreaded Xs.

 

I can't see the pics either. Do I my MINI 3-D glasses?

 

looking back at it now, do you feel there was a need to remove the brake caliper? ...No mention of this in the original article. I'm about to do my '06 MCS...I'm just wondering if your MCSC is different?..or if this original article is just from an older ('02-'04) car - and not correct for the '05-'06 models? Anyone know?

 

Refer to posts numbers 10, 13 & 34, popping the ball joints on the control arms and pulling the calipers is not necessary on 05s either if you use a method where the spring is compressed. If you pre-spread the gap (screw driver or small pry tool) after removing the pinch bolt, then spray the lower strut with Liquid Wrench, the steering knuckle will fall freely after a few strikes with a dead-blow hammer. I’ve done this a half dozen times, using a piece of wood is easier than zip ties or endless loop tie downs.

 

Any other link that will have pic ? Thanks

 

Ok you guys that have put on lowered springs---Have you developed any high vibrations under load. Mini factory boys say my problem is the fact that lowering the car makes the axels at a different angle and therefore the vibration------comments?//??

 

Is there another place to go and get the intruction with pictures ? I am planing geting it done this weekend and try to see if I can print out some pictures and instruction.

Thank you

 

are any of you getting any more noise from your suspension?

Tyler

 

Hrmm, how come I can't see the pics?

 

I have not experienced this vibration at all...and I'm pretty damn low.

 

thanks, I have to change the springs back to stock for them to look at it, might even have to put the stock wheels and tires back on---what a hasstle

 

for great install photos go to
http://engr.smu.edu/rcam/cpm3v/minisprings/minisprings 1.htm

I could not make this as a link, due to my age
good luck, will be doing this this afternoon

 

go to this title for spring install:impatient

 

Here’s a picture of compressing the spring using a jack and stick to facilitate clearance of the steering knuckle.

 

^^ don't tell me you have your car on cinder blocks... those things
collapse on their own sometimes.

 

i never had to use this proceedure. The whole job was fast and worked like the Photos I posted.
I don't understand why this is needed.