I just tackled replacing cracked strut mounts on my '06 R53.

I ran into a few "surprises" along the way that caught me off guard and thought I would share them as tips to those attempting the same.

If everything goes smoothly this really isn't too hard of a job. You don't need any specialty tools do do this job.
My primary tools (that most DIYers should have) for this job was a metric craftsman dogbone socket wrench
(http://50under50.com/wp-content/uplo...970b-800wi.jpg)
This lets you put the 5mm and 6mm allen wrenches through the socket on a few different bolts easily. A 13/16th inch spark plug socket. This socket has a box end at the wratchet end to allow for turning w/ an adjustable or box end wrench. This is highly necessary for removing the strut mount from the strut. You may also want a longer socket based 6mm allen key for the strut mount also.
An impact gun w/ 13/16" socket. I can honestly say I would not have been able to do this w/out the impact gun. It will not remove the strut mount bolt as I thought a few had said it would. It will, however, help loosen it. My right mount bolt was on there EXTREMELY tight. The impact gun got it so I could loosen it w/ the spark plug socket and allen key.
SPRING COMPRESSORS! (I guess this is sort of a specialty tool but I was able to borrow them for free and most shops should have them available for rent)

As for the tools part.... here's the tips

-You do not need to remove the ball joint/control arm from the knuckle. (I do have lowering springs sooo... not sure if this holds true for stock springs)
-After you remove the tie-rod nut wack on the side of the knuckle w/ a hammer where the tie-rod connects to release it. YOU DO NOT NEED A SEPARATOR!
-Use a jack under the knuckle to adjust the height of the strut to remove the swaybar endlink from the strut.
-Use a jack with a length piece of 2x4 to push up the bottom of the strut. You'll need to hammer down the knuckle to get it off of the strut. This takes a while.... no worries. Getting the strut all the way out of the knuckle at the end can be a tad awkward but it'll come.
-Remove the nuts at the top of the mount (under the hood) once the strut is free from the knuckle.
-I mentioned the part about the 13/16th spark plug socket and adjustable wrench w/ the 6mm allen key in order to get the strut mount nut off.
-Before removing the spring compressors make sure the spring is sitting correctly in the strut housing.
-When reapplying the strut, put some lithium grease on the bottom of the strut where it goes into the knuckle. This made a HUGE difference for me.
-Once you get the strut aligned w/ the knuckle use the floor jack to "press" them into eachother. The strut can only go one way... make sure it's correct!

My left strut went in like a breeze. Slid right on no problems. This may be because I removed the entire thing a few months ago. The right side was a bit more difficult and I needed to use the jack to press them together.
On the right I connected the strut up top before aligning it. With the left side the knuckle seemed to drop down farther so it was easier.

Hope this helps those w/ this item on the DIY list or perhaps convinces some to try it on their own. It takes some time to do but it's really not too difficult.

(warning: living in the "rust belt" may significantly increase the difficulty of this project and any others involving automobile repair)

 

I used this method yesterday. Went very easily and took an hour and a half to do both sides.

doesn't seem like an alignment is needed afterwards when using stock replacements.

 

Ok, thanks guys. Could that be all thats wrong? I don't have the money right now, but This Friday is payday, so i'll be ordering 2 mounts. Hopefully I can rent a strut Spring Compressor, but if I have to buy one it'll still be cheaper then paying a garage, and add more tools to my collection.

 

It took me four or five hours to do just the one side, but that was mainly because it was the first DIY I'd done in a while (it had been even longer since I'd done anything with the suspension) and I had to get back into the groove. I also didn't have any ratcheting wrenches or pass-through sockets on hand, so loosening the nuts on the studs you have to counterhold was an exercise in patience and box-end wrench work. In the interest of sharing information...

1. I didn't have to disconnect the control arm either, and I have an all-stock suspension.
2. Having a second person to help get the strut mount lined up in the tower was pretty critical for me; it would have been a lot more frustrating without someone to thread the nut when I got it right.
3. Getting the strut back in, I found it easier to get the top end up into the strut tower first, then fit the bottom into the steering knuckle.
4. I had to use a tie rod end separator to get the tie rod end disconnected; whacking the side of the knuckle didn't do it for me.
5. My strut slid out of the knuckle with some minor wiggling, but I also gave it a healthy dose of PB Blaster first and let it sit for a while.
6. A jack was really, really useful for holding the steering knuckle in place, and also for pressing the tie rod end ball joint back into the knuckle.
7. All of the self-locking nuts are flanged, and finding them in the right sizes at my local hardware/auto parts stores was an exercise in frustration, so if you're going to replace them, have them in hand ahead of time.

 

FWIW, I found that I did not need a spring compressor (stock R53 springs). The free height of the springs is just a little too long to get the nut on the strut, but a simple hand push will compress it enough, then you just let it **** to one side and the friction will hold it in place long enough to get the nut on. By the same token, the energy released when you take the nut off is trivial (not like some cars where it could kill you) - in fact the cocking action usually prevents if from popping off.

 

PS, not sure why big brother replaced a perfectly respectable English word with asterisks in that last post, but I'm sure you can figure out what it is!

 

I am wondering if anyone has come across any aftermarket strut mounts. I need something STRONG. I only have lowering springs so the car is not crazy low, and the struts are brand new, and have destroyed the brand new mounts in just under 5k miles.

 

it probably not the lowering springs as much as it is the towers mushrooming. get some tower defenders!

 

interestin thought. ill be sure to check those although i do have a strut brace installed, its not quite as thick as the defenders.

 

You're not alone, jown. I'm looking at Vorshlag vs RTM camber plates. Both are pretty pricey. IE fixed camber plates are said to be better than stock.

 

it never occured to me that my towers might be mushroomed. i did take a look at them, but knowing what i know now im guna carefully inspect them and throw a flat edge on there to see if things are consistent.

im pretty sure with just the springs right now im around -1.5 mabe even closer to -2 without camber plates. so any fixed style playe would probably just make it worse.

theres gotta be something goin on here. im guna do a real good inspection of everything today and get to the bottom of this.

 

strut mounts totally f*ckd after less than 5k. too much camber.
and does the strut brace look weird? should it be flush on the tower?
do they look mushroomed?

 

 

Subscibed

 

ordered under tower plates. new strut mounts. and craven std.

will update after install sometime later this week.

 

I have been plagued with strut mount issues lately. The factory ones failed so I installed a set of Moog units last year. They failed within a year and installed another set which failed four months later (yesterday the dealership said they were caved in.) And they looked funny after I initially installed them so they were probably defective from the start. I am done with Moog and am considered Ireland Engineering fixed camber plates or under tower plates and some KYB mounts. Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

I installed plates from Madness about two years ago. They were beefy and fit perfect. At that time new struts and strut mounts I think from Moog. I have and annoying knocking sound on both side when I pull into my driveway or uneven transitions in the pavement at slow speeds. I retightened the struts but to no avail. The Moogs might be the issue?????

 

Zombie thread revival....

Anyone replace their strut mounts without removing the strut from the wheel carrier?
I have 3 cars to do, and am dreading the pinch bolts/full removal just to change the mount.

Check out this guys clip:

 

Nice DIY,

I took the struts out and the springs to replace the rear upper shock foam mounts and on the front to replace the upper strut mounts. I also replaced the upper foam bump mounts. So I just took the struts out. Also that lower bolt from the carrier to the strut tend to rust and are a pain to get out if you ever change over to coilover or something so i hit them with free all or PB blaster and then got new bolts and hit them with anti-seize. Saves with taking out in the future.

 

We're doing a strut-top-a-thon next Saturday replacing them on 2 (hopefully 3) cars. Any little bit of time saved (or broken pinch bolts) will be a bonus. Up here with the rust and fused metal it will be a real "adventure".

I've got the PB, Kroil and Mouse Milk ready to go and will be applying them all in advance if we have to resort to the "traditional" method.

(and we ordered the parts from ECS - via Eurosport Tuning - too!)

 

Awesome, thanks for the orders.

 

No need to remove the pinch bolt from the knuckle, just remove the end link from the shock, tierod end from the knuckle, outer ball joint, pop the axle out of the hub, unclip the wheel speed sensor and brake sensor, let the whole assembly down. Use a ratchet strap to keep tension on the shock/spring assembly, remove the nut, replace mount, reinstall.

We're knocking strut mounts out in under an hour for both installed.

 

So for anyone doing this in the future, we've developed a method that only requires the removal of the 4 nuts (per side) on the top of the mount (and the wheel). No end links or anything else needed.

By the 3rd car we had it down to 38mins for both (with two people working on it). I figure one person could knock one out in about 30 mins or less.

I'll post the method in the next few days after I finish writing it up.

 

So it takes me about an hour a side to remove/replace the struts. I remove the tie rod and lower control arm from the steering knuckle before I pull the strut/spring/mount all in one piece. The way the guy does it in the video looks awful to me, looks like such a pain to do it that way. It might be faster but it looks like there's a greater chance of things going wrong.

 

I don't know what could go wrong - honestly - yah he's not on a great surface. But using the video as a guideline we were able to streamline the process to dirt simple.

There's no need to remove anything other than the 4 nuts on each of the strut tower tops.

I've documented it over on the R53 Productions' FB page: