[syenisch]

Just installed Dinan Camber Plates to complete my suspension overhaul for my '09 135i. No pictures for this one. It's pretty self-explanatory.

1) Make sure your e-brake is fully engaged and the car is in gear. Get the front of the car up on jack stands, and put some chocks in place behind the rear tires. Remove the front wheels using an 18mm socket, and slide them under the doors so if the jackstands failed the car would fall on the wheels. You can never be too safe!!

2) If working on the passenger side, skip this step. If working on the driver's side, uninstall the Headlight Regulating Rod from the Lower Control Arm. This requires either an 11mm or a 12mm wrench (I forgot which size). You will have to hold the bolt while you remove the nut, otherwise it will just spin.

3) Uninstall the Sway Bar Endlink from the shock. I believe this requires a 16mm socket. You will need to hold the bolt on the endlink in this step also. I just used a set of vice grips.

4) Use a set of spring compressors to compress the springs. You don't need them totally compressed. Only an inch or two.

4) If working on the passenger side, turn the steering wheel all the way to the left. If working on the driver side, turn the steering wheel all the way to the right. Jack up the brake rotor slightly to take the weight off the hub. Pop the hood and remove the three flanged nuts on the top of the strut assembly.

5) With a hand on the strut assembly, slowly lower the jack. If you don't have a hand on the strut assembly, it will fall violently and could damage your fender or fenderliner. Let the jack all the way down until it's no longer supporting the hub.

6) Swing the strut assembly out from under the fender. You will need to push down on the hub some. The three studs on the top of the strut tower that can make getting the strut assembly out from under the fender difficult. Luckily they're on a bearing. I was able to get them out from under the fender by getting one out, then rotating the top hat, getting the second out, and then rotating the top hat again to get the last one out. If you're really having no luck, compress the spring some more. You will likely need to reinstall one of the flanged nuts to hold the strut assembly in place while you compress the springs if you have to come back to do that. The strut assembly will be slightly taller after installing the Dinan Camber Plates, so if it's REALLY difficult, you probably should compress the springs more in anticipation of reassembly.

NOTE: I had Performance Suspension installed already, and I believe I could have gotten them out without using spring compressors at all.

7) Take a hammer and bang out the 3 studs in the top hat. Install the Dinan Camber Plates on top of the OEM top hat as described in the manufacturer-supplied instructions.

8) Swing the strut assembly back into fender well. Once inside, use your jack to lift the hub (and the strut assembly) into position. Be sure to turn the top hat so that the camber plates are oriented properly -- letter facing in, arrow pointing forward. Once aligned and raised into position, reinstall the 3 flanged nuts until they are touching the body, but do not tighten them.

9) Reinstall the Sway Bar Endlink. Tighten until the nut is touching the bracket on the shock, but do not tighten.

10) Raise the jack until the corner of the car you are working on just starts to raise off the jack, lower the car back down until the car sits back on the jack, and then freeze the jack. These essentially preloads the suspension to conditions close to what it will see on the street. Now you can torque the 3 flanged nuts on the top and the Sway Bar End Links. Lower the jack back down fully and place it aside.

10) On the driver's side only, reinstall the Headlight Regulating Rod. Torque this lightly.

11) Put your wheels back on, get the car off the jack stands and back on the ground, and torque your lugs.

12) Go to an alignment shop immediately.

13) Have some fun!