Anyone have any pointers for replacing E39 shocks?

The front shocks on "The Warden's" E39 are dead and need replacing. I have 2 new shocks, but man! There is no room to take it out! It is the clamp style where the bottom of the shock slides into the hub and bolts down. There is no room to slide it down and no room to unbolt it from the shock tower and pull it out the side of the fender well.

Any first hand knowledge of these? Planning on attacking it tomorrow or Sunday

I've done it, but I don't remember the fronts. I remember I had to disassemble the entire back half of the car for the rears, though...

I hate replacing those clamp style struts, that is all.

If its like the e46, its a bitch as there is almost no clearance. You might need to pop the bottom balljoint.

In reply to Slippery:

Yea, that's what I've been reading on some BMW sites. I'd need some special BMW tool to do that, have to remove brake calipers, carriers, control arms so I would have just enough clearance to push down on the hub and swing it out of the fender well. My God.

In reply to Slippery:

Yea, that's what I've been reading on some BMW sites. I'd need some special BMW tool to do that, have to remove brake calipers, carriers, control arms so I would have just enough clearance to push down on the hub and swing it out of the fender well. My God.

When I did mine, IIRC I dropped the control arms from the subframe; it's easier to pop out the two bolts per side than to pop out the ball joints. You do have to take the tie rods out by the ball joints, but the calipers and sway bar end links come off easily, then you can just drop the whole thing out. It's far easier to do it that way than trying to press the whole thing down far enough against the bushings to clear the fender.

FWIW, do the wheel bearings while you're in there, since you have to pull the strut to get at the bolts on the back of the bearing/hub assembly.

BTW, the rears are worse. You have to disassemble the rear package shelf to get the speakers out in order to get at the top mounts. And the bottom single-bolt mounts look deceptively easy, but there's so much other stuff nearby that you still have to fight to get the struts in and out.

Thanks 02Pilot. Might be the plan of attack then.