BMW E90 DIY Rear Absorber Bump Stop / Damper

DIY Disclaimer: I hold no responsibility should anything goes wrong when you decided to follow my guide. It’s strictly meant as a reference for knowledge sharing purposes.

Been noticing my rear absorber central shaft exposed. The bump stop that’s suppose to hold on to the dust cover has disintegrated due to ageing. The dust cover is very crucial in protecting the absorber from grime and sand which get stuck onto the central shaft. The shaft slides up and down during operation and any dirt on the shaft will damage the oil seal in the absorber and causing it to leak.

PROCEDURE:

1. Open the left and right panel carpet in the trunk.

2. Open the rubber cover on top of the wheel well in the boot area and you will see the nut securing the absorber.

3. Use a size 16mm ring offset spanner for the absorber nut while securing the central shaft with a hex bit wrench.

 

4. Can safely remove all the nuts and washer and we can now slowly jack up the car.

 

5. When the car raise, the wheel will drop and slowly widening wheel fender gap. As soon as you can reach your hands in comfortably, stop jacking and secure the vehicle whichever way you preferred. Slide down the absorber shaft and Voila! Bump stop and dust cover can be removed. From the photo below you will notice we do not even need to remove the wheels.

6. Remove all the seats and washers. Refer to the red box below. Stack them together during installation. Only item 7 is installed from the top. Trust me, I learned the hard way..

7. Release the jack and fasten the top nut. Done! Now do the same to the other wheel..

UPDATE:

Similar procedure for rear absorber replacement:

 

Thank you for reading and please provide feedback or query if any..