[Processing61]

325d e91 pre lci msport.

So I am currently replacing both front shocks. I am currently just doing the front drivers side. I loosened the control arms and loosened the track/tie rod end that goes into the hub to allow me more room to move the whole suspension/hub assembly down to the ground further to allow me more room to get the shock/strut out.

When loosening the nut I stripped the internal counter hold 6/7mm allen slot as the nut was getting stuck on rust on the end of the thread (didn’t realise this at first). I’ve come to putting everything back together and I just can’t get the tie/tracks rod but up without it spinning. I’ve tried a pry bar levering onto the ball joint and tightening. I’ve also tried getting a jack under the ball joint getting a lot of pressure into it and it still spinning when tightening.

So I’m thinking my options are cut off the nut and maybe that’s enough relief to get the nut off, run a die and clean the threads, get a new nut and hope the prybar ir jack method will stop it spinning this time as the counter hold Allen will still be F*d.

Or cut through the thread and replace the end with a new part. Hoping that the locking nut and threads of the outer piece that goes into the inner won’t be seized too.

Does anyone else have any bright ideas? If I could not replace the part and some how get it to tighten without spinning, that would be ideal.

[Tambohamilton]

Cut it off and replace the part. Before you order parts, make sure you can get the ball joint off the arm too.

Edit: looks from the pics that there may still be some meat in the Allen socket, just needs the bit to be hammered in. Clean out as much rust as possible first. As a last ditch effort you could try hammering in an oversized torx bit.

[Processing61]

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

Cut it off and replace the part. Before you order parts, make sure you can get the ball joint off the arm too.

Edit: looks from the pics that there may still be some meat in the Allen socket, just needs the bit to be hammered in. Clean out as much rust as possible first. As a last ditch effort you could try hammering in an oversized torx bit.

Thanks for the advice.

Just realised that picture was from a few days ago. Since then I did try hammer in a Allen bit and then tried hammering in oversized torx and unfortunately completely ruined it.

Looks like I’ll be cutting it out! Yes I will check to see if I can undo the locking nut and if the outer is able to spin off the inner.

[Silver Streek]

Can you borrow an impact driver, that may successfully undo the nut for you, and retighten it. They shock the nut loose even when the threaded part of the joint turns.

[Processing61]

Originally Posted by Silver Streek

Can you borrow an impact driver, that may successfully undo the nut for you, and retighten it. They shock the nut loose even when the threaded part of the joint turns.

I do have a ryobi cordless impact gun and tried that but no luck. I have now already cut through the threaded part of the ball joint today and have the new track rod end installed. Luckily when I replaced the track rod a year or two ago I put copper slip on the locking nut and main thread of the outer so it wasn’t seized. Driver side shock replacement is done. Now for the passenger side. I’m going to see if I can get away with not touching the track rod at all this time, I might have enough room to get the shock assembly out.

[Processing61]

All done now. On the passenger side I managed to just loosen both control arms and didn’t have to remove/loosen the tie/track rod end. I still had enough room to get the suspension/strut assembly out.