Rear Hatch Strut Tool

[Lewisjrfamily]

Love how Douglas put emphasis on staying calm..lol! I still need to fix mine. I'll have to get him to do a voice recording. Maybe that will prevent me from Hulking it in there. LOL!

[Kevinems]

I'm interested in borrowing the tools. Is there a wait list and if so who do I PM to get on the list?

[9Hooker]

I still have them. I am out of town for a family emergency but will be back home in a couple of days. If the tools don't go to someone else when I get back they go the owner.

[Tampa 735]

My shocks are on the way how do I get on the list?

[Tampa 735]

Randal just sent you an email on renting the tool need to clear it with 9hooker, let me know.
thanks

[cakezinni]

If love to get on this list. Please let me know?

[Tampa 735]

I am waiting on the tools from 9hooker, I will get the info from the owner if you contact me so you can borrow the tools when I am done.

[Tampa 735]

The shocks are in if Randel approves I can ship it out to next person on the list.

[Tampa 735]

Nobody wants this I will be sending back soon to Randel!

[Fuddy]

I'd like to rent the tools, how do we go about this?

[mzdrati]

Fuddy- Where in NJ are you?

I do not need to replace my shocks just yet- but I'm sure I will in the near future. If I live nearby, I'd volunteer to help you replace yours and learn for when I have to replace mine...

[filon102]

Might need to do this in the near future... both my trunk and window needs shocks replaced, and if i can do it with a pry bar, thats even better

[Fuddy]

Fuddy- Where in NJ are you?

I do not need to replace my shocks just yet- but I'm sure I will in the near future. If I live nearby, I'd volunteer to help you replace yours and learn for when I have to replace mine...

I'm in central jersey, spotswood to be exact. If I can get a hold of these tools I'll let you know when.

[eric1ono]

Approx. how much is the shipping cost on these tools? I am in South Carolina.

Thanks,

Eric

[mzdrati]

I'm in Monmouth County (at the Eastern end of 195).

Let me know! I'd like the opportunity to assist and learn.

[Tampa 735]

I paid 19.95 to hooker for shipping let me know, it's already in the box, but must be cleared by owner first.

[maigo]

I got my old ones out but could not, for the life of me, get them back in - despite plenty of Zen concentration (or is Zen the opposite of concentration?).

Anyways, I paid the local indy $50 for 1/2 labour and they installed the new struts.
3 Months later - back to a saggin' wagon. The door stays up but slams down instead of the gentler glide it had when the struts were replaced.

[mzdrati]

Where did you get the parts that were installed?

[geargrinder]

I got my old ones out but could not, for the life of me, get them back in - despite plenty of Zen concentration (or is Zen the opposite of concentration?).

Anyways, I paid the local indy $50 for 1/2 labour and they installed the new struts.
3 Months later - back to a saggin' wagon. The door stays up but slams down instead of the gentler glide it had when the struts were replaced.

They def did something wrong. Could be only replaced one & the other is now dying?

FWIW I'm 'against' using the real tools (not really, but fully easy peasy lemon squeazy w/o them). I did a writeup here but it was crammed into another thread...

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...6#post25569526

[Tampa 735]

I found the best way is position the shock and counter hold on the opposite side with a large long bar. It wants to twist the tool while trying to install, this prevents the tool from rotating and shock moving. Having a little led flashlight really helps!

[Kevinems]

An an even easier way to secure the door shock is simply hold it in place on the tool with a rubber band and then just cut the rubber band off after the shock has been installed.

Sent from my iPhone using BF.com

[tinius]

BTW, in some cases, only one or the other of the small window struts has failed and replacing only them will provide the force needed to keep the tailgate up.
You can do a quick, super-easy swap of the small struts without the tools.
You can get a pair of replacements windows struts on eBay for $20 plus $10 shipping. They're made in Latvia.
Get a 2-foot length of 3/4" copper pipe at Home Depot for $8; it fits exactly over the small strut and functions just like the BMW tool.

3/4" x 2ft copper pipe and $19 struts from eBay


Strut fits exactly in the pipe. After you have removed the plastic hinge covers (requires a Torx 20), remove the c-clip and slide the pipe over the old strut. Press down on the pipe and the cup on the far end will pop off of the ball; pull out the pipe and the old strut.


Measure and mark for the pin on the new strut.


Tape the strut to the pipe - same position as when you marked the pipe.
BE SURE to remove the exterior retaining wire from the cup - it's not needed and will prevent you from seating the strut properly.
There's a wire c-ring inside the cup which will hold it in place.


Look inside, there's the target.


Insert the pipe with the cup of the strut facing down and align the mark with pin. You can feel when the cup is positioned correctly over the ball. Use The Force.


Press up on the pipe until the cup pops over the ball.


Remove the pipe and you're all set.


Replace the c-clip.


As mentioned before, the hardest part is putting the plastic hinge covers back over the wire harnesses.
Regards,

[geargrinder]

^^^ kickass write-up and tool fab. A hunert fitty internet points to you sir.

[Fuddy]

just did my install today with the tools... I don't know how you guys managed without them.

Side one took about 30 mins, side 2 five minutes...

I'll be sending the tools back to the owner this weekend.

[Rich8]

Hi, where is this line? I have two cars that new new rear door shocks.....can someone please contact me to let me know how/when I can get to use the tools.
Fuddy, can you please tell me how to contact the tool owner?