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Replacing Front and Rear Shock Absorbers and Rear Control Arm Bushing

Model: BMW Serie 3 E36 - Years 1990-2001
Part: Suspension system

Lift the vehicle on a hydraulic lift and remove the front wheels; disconnect the grommets from the designated slots on the shock absorber and proceed to remove the mounting bolts securing the shock absorber to the hub. Access the engine compartment to remove the shock absorber mount from the body strut tower. Once the shock absorber is removed, use appropriate clamps to compress the spring so it can be installed on the new shock absorber, following the reverse order. For the rear shock absorbers, the process is simpler since the spring is not attached to the damper: just unscrew the mounting bolts. Finally, to replace the bushing of the rear suspension control arm, simply remove the mount and extract the old bushing, even if it gets damaged; to insert the new bushing, use a C-clamp.

Updated on 10 February 2026 by ScegliAuto

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