[Groovemaster]

I'm trying to install a B8 Bilstein under my car. But I can't figure out how deep the front strut must go into the knuckle. It seems there is no stop for it? So how do I figure out how deep it should go? I'm at a loss.

[Pussiwillow]

Originally Posted by Groovemaster

I'm trying to install a B8 Bilstein under my car. But I can't figure out how deep the front strut must go into the knuckle. It seems there is no stop for it? So how do I figure out how deep it should go? I'm at a loss.

It should have a stopping point for it, I believe it's tapered, I did b14 til they stopped and both sides are equal and adjusted equally, so I know they're seated in

[Groovemaster]

Thanks for your reaction. Should the stopping point be on the strut itself? I only see a notch which has to slide in the slid of the knuckle. But I'm not seeing a stop anywhere. Neither does the strut look tapered

[Pussiwillow]

Originally Posted by Groovemaster

Thanks for your reaction. Should the stopping point be on the strut itself? I only see a notch which has to slide in the slid of the knuckle. But I'm not seeing a stop anywhere. Neither does the strut look tapered

I'm not exactly sure as I've only been into it once but recently, the little nub on the strut where the knuckle clamps to that keeps it from rotating inside the knuckle, goes about half way down, the knuckle should have an imprint of the previous, either way, my b14s dropped right in and stopped and wouldn't go further, so I'm assuming something is tapered stopping it. I do know the strut has the ability to through the knuckle completely if you hit a hard pot hole. So I'm not sure if there something wrong or what, hopefully someone chimes in with more info

[Groovemaster]

I took at the Bilstein and checked the knuckle better. There is indeed a bump at the bottom of the knuckle. But somehow the Bilstein can pass that bump. So maybe I should try it again with the spreader tool opened a bit less?

Would the knuckle be strong enough to hold the Bilstein in place this way is the next question.

[Pussiwillow]

Originally Posted by Groovemaster

I took at the Bilstein and checked the knuckle better. There is indeed a bump at the bottom of the knuckle. But somehow the Bilstein can pass that bump. So maybe I should try it again with the spreader tool opened a bit less?

Would the knuckle be strong enough to hold the Bilstein in place this way is the next question.

I would install without the spreader
I didn't use a spreader when I installed, it was just enough to slide in and call it good, if you open it too far you can damage the knuckle from what I heard.

[tj_g]

Keen to hear any more on this.

I eventually got to the bottom of an alignment issue with my front suspension when I worked out that the OEM strut had dropped down in the knuckle, so the rider height was lower on one side than the other.

How it was able to drop down and wasn’t held in by a locator / collar / shoulder - I have no idea. This was for the stock hardware, not aftermarket.

[Groovemaster]

Only thing I know at this point is that when te spreader tool is used, the knuckle is wide enough to push through the strut over the bump. The strut is going from a small diameter to a larger diameter over a distance of 8 mm. So it's getting gradually wider. I guess that's why it's able to go over the little bump when the strut isn't bolted shut. I have a feeling that it is where they want to be the point of failure under high load/stress? I'm just baffled that this little bump is supposed to hold the strut in place.

[skier_du]

Ya, I have experience with exactly this issue. I've attached a photo of the front B8, next to a factory shock, I installed on my 2014 335i xDrive back in 2017. You'll notice at the bottom of the shocks there's a narrower diameter that has an angle taper to the full body diameter. That angle is supposed to sit on the tab in the carrier, previously mentioned and circled in the picture earlier in the thread. The point of that tab is not to support the shock so much as to precisely position the shock depth/height in the carrier. The pin fits in the split and orientates the shock so the sway-bar end-links line up correctly. If you separate the carrier too ouch, the shock will go too deep. Yes, I've made that mistake before.
If you don't toque the tension bolt and nut of the carrier around the shock body enough, the shock will push down through the carrier, and past the lip on some bumps/pot holes. You'll see this when you notice one front side seems lower than the other all of a sudden. And yea, I've had that problem too. I don't know what the factory toque spec is, but I just toque them as much as I can. Probably 100ft/lbs or more, though I've never measured what I toque them too. The tension bolt and nut can take it since they're grade 12.9 I believe. Could be grade 10.9. Not sure which rating, but either is enough for substantial torque. I replace them every few uses just to be sure they don't fail.
As long as I set the depth right and am careful to toque the tension bolt and nut enough, I don't have problems with the shocks slipping down or ride height variances.

[shiftdnb]

Here is a video from FaRKle! putting his back in. Starts @15:13

[u2b]

[/u2b]

[casualDIYer]

Check out this DIY where I cover the OP's question on depth the shock body should go into the knuckle.

https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1870061

Tip: Replace the pinch collar bolt.