Advice on Rear Shock Mount + Shock DIY

[TurnAround]

Looks like either my driver's side rear shock has a defective valve, or the Rear Shock Mount is bad. Probly going to replace both. And, I'm thinking about just doing the work myself. Couple questions for you guys (Search is apparently down btw)

These are Sachs OE replacement shocks that replaced the originals at 85k. If it is indeed the shock that's bad, that means I only got 38k miles out of them (grrr..). I'm thinking I should just go with Bilstein Heavy Duty street shocks this time ($85ea from BavAuto). But I still have the 'good' replacement Sachs front struts on the car and don't want to replace them 'til they're worn out. Is that ok to mix brand designs like that (Sachs 'all gas' front, Bilstein 'combo gas/hydraulic' rear)? Downsides?

Where's the best spots to place the second jack stands under the car? First will go under the rocker panel, right next to the jack lift point. Should the second go somewhere under the metal subframe? Which spot?

The Pelican Tech article I read on doing the work says in the last step, after placing the new shock on the lower mount and bolting it in, to use the hydraulic jack underneath the control arm to jack the whole thing and the shock up into place at the top. Why? When I've replaced shocks before on my Z3s, I just extend the shock piston to full length. Is it because on an X5 that won't be quite enough to reach to the top where you bolt in the RSM? I'm mostly asking because, in addition to using Jack Stands, I usually like to leave my hydraulic jack in place so that its just one more point of protection while the car is up in the air, and I'm under it. With Pelican's advice, it sounds like I have no choice but to use the jack to raise the suspension arm/wheel/spring assembly to get the new shock to fit in. Any experience with this?

Last question; Can I just reuse the rubber boot on the new Bilstein shock? The original boot was already reused on the replacement Sachs shock I'll be taking off. Its just that.. it doesn't look like the Bilstein shock comes with a boot from Bavauto. Also not sure the stock OEM boot will even fit the Bilstein shock. Thoughts?


THanks guys!

[Kristophe]

I replaced both my OE front struts and rear shocks with SACHS OE around 30K ago and I'm happy with them. I understand that the Bilsteins will give you a much more firmer "sport" ride so take that into consideration. The rear shocks were easy to replace and you won't need an additional jack to compress the shock to align the bottom with the control arm; just push it up by hand. My rubber bump guards were fairly deteriorated so you might buy a pair before you change your rear shocks: part number 33536762407

I wish i remember where I placed the jack stand but I think it was right underneath where the coil spring is mounted?

[TurnAround]

Thanks Kirstophe

Hey, do you remember if there's a second shock strut nut that goes underneath the RSM assembly? Put another way... I'm confused by something; I can see where the upper center nut keeps the shock piston from going 'down' through the RSM (works when the wheel is headed down), but what keeps the shock piston shaft from traveling up through the RSM when the car's wheel hits a bump? The RSM just seems to be a 'pass through' passive rubber bushing, but in order for the shock to work in both directions it would need to be solidly nut/bolted into place from both the top of the RSM and the bottom.

All the pics I've seen just show one nut at the top. How the heck is the RSM held firmly in place at the top of the shock shaft??

Put yet another way.. I'm wondering if the noise I'm hearing & feeling in the center of the RSM is simply that there's a loose lower nut that normally sandwiches the RSM plates, and its got play in it, hence the bumping?

Any pics of the total assembly?

Thanks

[Kristophe]

That's what the rubber "bump" guards are for.