Thanks!

What about the wrench to hold the ball joint from spinning, 18mm? - but needs to be thin.
first of all 18mm is an odd ball - doesn't come in the standard "wrench set", PLUS its got to be so thin - another BMW "special tool"

I HATE buying these "one time" tools, defeats the purpose of DIY......
Another Harbor Freight trip, I plain on buying a cheep 18mm wrench and grinding it down

Didn't mean to grab the working part of the shaft-- but can do that on the old strut. I was suggesting to latch on to the very top of the shaft and use an open end wrench to back the nut off. My struts are fitted with an allen wrench on the top of the shaft.

When you torque the shaft nut to 45 ft/lbs with a standard socket during installation, the only accessable area of the shaft is the precision ground area below the hat. Not a fan of directing DIYers to do that when the correct tool costs so much less then the strut.

Those with access to a wire EDM machine could cut a window in a deep reach 22mm socket, If the special tool was too pricey I was prepared to do this.

I'm completely in favor of having the right tools and since I expect to continue to drive BMWs I am going to purchase that socket the next time I do struts.

As for using vice grips, as you noted, that was the shade tree way in the good ol' days. For me, that was when there was no way I would buy a special tool. I either made what I needed, borrowed it or found a home grown workaround. I shouldn't have mentioned it at all--oopsie.

As you know, X5 struts take an allen wrench in the top of the shaft. I use an allen wrench to hold the shaft and an open end wrench to remove the nut. Same way for the install. You ask how do I torque it--Since it is a locking nut I use Kentucky windage torque imbedded in my pea brain byt tightening the nut before I remove it to see how much effort it takes to get it to move so I know how it should feel when I tighten the new one.

The only reason I mentioned it at all is that sometimes DIY is a budget necessity and/or special tools will never be used again so an optional workaround can have merit.

Oh right, i was just thinking for taking it off

:thumbup:

Been doing it this way all my life, except for major safety components. :D

I agree and used to do the exact same thing for years.

Now I always follow the torque specs because I have the tools/data on hand. I like doing it because I don't have to wonder if something I worked on was over/under torqued in the event of a suspicious noise after a DIYing.

As you have no doubt seen by my posts in prior threads, I always stress that new DIYers torque items properly because many item are not very tight at all on BMWs. The poster in this thread that snapped the threaded end off the strut shaft is a good example.

I use a torque wrench whenever I can. That click is erotic and I feel like a real BMW tech.

Hahaha, so true.