325 compact rear shock replacement

325 compact rear shock replacement

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Discussion

Andy70

Original Poster:

1,113 posts

158 months

Wednesday 24th August 2016
quotequote all
Hi all, does anyone know where the top of the rear shock is located on the above car? I assume its in the boot somewhere? mine are shot and need replacing. cheers

E-bmw

9,075 posts

151 months

Wednesday 24th August 2016
quotequote all
Is that a trick question?

Andy70

Original Poster:

1,113 posts

158 months

Wednesday 24th August 2016
quotequote all
ok, i'll re~phrase the question, I know it will be at the top of the wheel arch in the boot, but I was just wondering what id have to strip out to get to it as the plastic speaker housing is at the top, does that need to come off or will the carpet peel out from underneath? all I just don't want to have to take half the car apart if I don't need to. judging by your response, I assume its really simple? lol

Andy70

Original Poster:

1,113 posts

158 months

Wednesday 24th August 2016
quotequote all
I watched a clip on youtube where a guy was changing one an a saloon and he just pulled the carpet to one side and it was located behind some sort of soundproofing maybe?, but the boot in the hatchback version is different, the carpet is more like a hard plastic mould, with no obvious means of releasing it and on top of that is the speaker housing and without any knowledge of how to remove it, I just don't want to start ripping, or is there a convenient cap somewhere that I just cant see??

E-bmw

9,075 posts

151 months

Wednesday 24th August 2016
quotequote all
Unfortunately, you are right, it is behind the "carpet" although mine is the e36 coupe, I think it is pretty much the same.

It is a bit of a "rive" but it will come, just be careful as you say not to rip it and is it just as bad to get back in place, as it is to remove....... The carpet, that is.

You need to remove the floor carpet, and then you should see how it comes out, oh, and you may need to drop/remove the rear seat backs too.

When you look in you will quite clearly make out the rounded form of the wheel arch in the carpet & a bit of a square-ish box on top, they are behind there.

Edited by E-bmw on Wednesday 24th August 20:24

Andy70

Original Poster:

1,113 posts

158 months

Wednesday 24th August 2016
quotequote all
yeah the compact has some sort of hard, shaped moulding rather than just carpet, I had the carpet off my partners focus at the side and it just pops off, this is a ridged material which seems to fit under and behind body work and trim etc and like I said the speaker mount is on top with no obvious means of removal, so not as obvious as peeling away a soft, fabric carpet, so where is the trick question??

E-bmw

9,075 posts

151 months

Wednesday 24th August 2016
quotequote all
Trick question.

Andy70 said:
Hi all, does anyone know where the top of the rear shock is located on the above car? I assume its in the boot somewhere? mine are shot and need replacing. cheers
Simple answer.

The "top of the rear shock" is on top of the rear shock.

E-bmw

9,075 posts

151 months

Wednesday 24th August 2016
quotequote all
Andy70 said:
yeah the compact has some sort of hard, shaped moulding rather than just carpet, I had the carpet off my partners focus at the side and it just pops off, this is a ridged material which seems to fit under and behind body work and trim etc and like I said the speaker mount is on top with no obvious means of removal, so not as obvious as peeling away a soft, fabric carpet, so where is the trick question??
Oh, I have google imaged the compact boot & all the images I can find show something similar to the normal one in the coupe/saloon but in a different shape.

E-bmw

9,075 posts

151 months

Wednesday 24th August 2016
quotequote all
The boot "carpet" on the normal 3 er is far from soft carpet by the way, it is very stiff & moulded into shape.

Andy70

Original Poster:

1,113 posts

158 months

Wednesday 24th August 2016
quotequote all
the guy on the youtube clip was undoing screws, pulling off poppers etc, I cant see any of those on my car, there seems there is nothing holding it in only the fact that it seems to be fitted into the bodywork so to speak, difficult to explain really, I just didn't want to be ripping anything off without some knowledge of where to start, like I said also it seems to go right up under the speaker cover and ive no idea how that would come off, it appears it may need to unless it peels off underneath, but I don't se how it could

E-bmw

9,075 posts

151 months

Wednesday 24th August 2016
quotequote all
Can you find a google image showing it?

IIRC when I took mine off, with the boot floor carpet off, and the rear seat backs removed, the "carpet" was then able to be pulled (not easy as I said it is stiff stuff) out from it's fixing points in/behind the bodywork/trim/seat backs/floor.

To be honest although it looks like carpet, I would call it a liner rather than a carpet.

This is what it looks like when removed from the coupe, and you can see the edges that are pushed in behind/under the carpet/bodywork/trim.

https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NjQwWDk2MA==/z/6kQAAOSw...

Edited by E-bmw on Wednesday 24th August 20:53

Andy70

Original Poster:

1,113 posts

158 months

Wednesday 24th August 2016
quotequote all
its such an easy job to do, so therefore begrudge paying a garage to do it, but no idea how to get to it lol

E-bmw

9,075 posts

151 months

Wednesday 24th August 2016
quotequote all
Like I say, if you remove the floor carpet/liner, remove/drop the rear seats & start by pulling out the front & then bottom, I think you will find the liner/carpet molding comes away & it just clips in place into some channels in the trim/bodywork.

Andy70

Original Poster:

1,113 posts

158 months

Wednesday 24th August 2016
quotequote all
ok, cheers, ill have a closer look, not sure how to attach links (never done it) but if you google it, there are a few pics without looking too hard, you can see the base carpet overlapping the side, but take that away and the side carrys on into the car even further if you know what I mean, so no idea where to start grabbing it from as there is no obvious edge to pick up, i'll drop the seats tomorrow and see if there is an edge there I can get a screwdriver behind to leaver it out

Collectingbrass

2,191 posts

194 months

Wednesday 24th August 2016
quotequote all
Pelican Parts do the best how to guides I've ever seen

http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/techarticles/BMW-3...

Andy70

Original Poster:

1,113 posts

158 months

Wednesday 24th August 2016
quotequote all
Collectingbrass said:
Pelican Parts do the best how to guides I've ever seen

http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/techarticles/BMW-3...
thank for your help, just had a quick look, but that is a saloon/coupe boot, there are no clips/screws in the compact, that's why im struggling, ive no idea where to start peeling, tugging or pulling without doing damage, the shell of the carpet moulding folds or tucks into the sides and base of the boot with no obvious means of levering it out. but still, I appreciate everyone's help and input

Collectingbrass

2,191 posts

194 months

Thursday 25th August 2016
quotequote all
I'd start by removing the access panels to the rear light clusters, and the boot sill cover. It may also be that you have to remove the back seat out first. Photograph each step before you remove anything so you know how to put it back.

Have a look around realoem.com, this will give you exploded view diagrammes of the various parts in your way.

eg: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=AT32-...

Andy70

Original Poster:

1,113 posts

158 months

Thursday 25th August 2016
quotequote all
Brilliant, I'll have a go at that cheers