BMW 31321104320 Insert Shock Absorber

Jack up the front of the car and remove the hub and disc shield. Disconnect the track rod end from the steering arm at the base of the suspension strut using a suitable ball joint separator. Disconnect the track control arm from its pivot on the front crossmember. Cut the locking wire and disconnect the track control arm swivel joint from the base of the suspension strut by removing three bolts. Remove the strut upper mounting nuts and withdraw the strut downwards and out from under the front wing. Installation involves reversing the removal process.

Jack up the rear of the car and support it securely. Using a second jack, support the suspension trailing arm to prevent strain on the driveshaft universal joints when the shock absorbers, which act as check links, are released from their mountings. Inside the luggage boot, remove the cap and disconnect the shock absorber upper mounting. Then, disconnect the shock absorber lower mounting and lift the unit from the car. To test the shock absorber, grip its lower mounting eye in the jaws of a vice and, with the unit in a vertical position, fully extend and compress it about ten times. If any lack of resistance is felt or if the shock absorber locks at any time, it must be renewed. Refitting is a reversal of removal, ensuring that the upper conical flexible mounting has the narrower diameter towards the shock absorber, and tighten the mounting nuts to the specified torque only after lowering the weight of the car onto the suspension.