Installing a lowering kit, remove the backseat?

[Espen]

Do i have to remove the backseat to get to the top mount for the rear shocks/springs?

When I installed my leather interior i used about 2 hours to fastend the rear seat, the headrest bolts are a real pain to get to.

[BigKriss]

Yes, you have to remove the backseat and the rear parcel shelf to get access to the top mount.

[632 Regal]

or just the back of the seat and bend the parcel shelf and risk busting it.

[Espen]

Aww.. Damnit.. That is a real stupid construction on the mounting of the backseat through the headrests. You need like very thin and very long arms to get up there.

I guess leaving the rear suspension stock, and just lower the front is not a good idea?

[Alexlind123]

removing the rear shelf isnt that difficult...

[Espen]

maybe not, but Ill have to remove the seatback first right?

[NY535iManual]

As I recall, there are only 4 nuts at the bottom edge holding the rear seat back in place - Is your car different?

By using a small 1/4" drive ratchet on the upper mount nuts it is possible to avoid removing the rear parcel shelf. Not hard to take out the shelf, but as that fabric gets older it is all to easy to separate it from the shelf, create snags/bubbles etc. If the shelf has any bubbles/separation you might as well take it out and re-stretch the fabric.

[joshua43214]

4 nuts hold the rear seat rest on, not any effort at all compared to replacing the springs.

[The Melmaan]

Do i have to remove the backseat to get to the top mount for the rear shocks/springs?

When I installed my leather interior i used about 2 hours to fastend the rear seat, the headrest bolts are a real pain to get to.
What I did on mine is remove the seats so you can get to the clips that holds the rear speaker panel and then you can reach the bolts and nuts.

[tgrandahl]

what are these headrests you speak of as far as i know putting headrests in the rear does not need any bolts.

[Espen]

what are these headrests you speak of as far as i know putting headrests in the rear does not need any bolts.

I allready have headrest, they are mounted with three bolts in the upper part of the seat back. To get the seat out i have to undo the 4 bolts at the bottom -easy.

And then 6 bolts under the headrests, wich is impossible to get at, you have to bend the seat out as much as you can, and still there is hard to reach them.



What I did on mine is remove the seats so you can get to the clips that holds the rear speaker panel and then you can reach the bolts and nuts.

Can I reach the bolts though the speaker panel, in that case my cover is so loose that i dont need to remove the seat to get it out.


As I recall, there are only 4 nuts at the bottom edge holding the rear seat back in place - Is your car different?

Yes I also have 6 bolts that is holding the headrest.

[NY535iManual]

I've never seen how head-rests install, but it seems very odd and un-BMW like to require that the seat be bent in order to install anything. Maybe you would get better access if you removed the trunk "bulkhead" panel, and inserted your head-rest bolts from that side? (Of course, you would need to bend the seat again to take the head rests out at this point.) The panel I'm talking about is pressboard and is held in place by only 2 or 4 plastic connectors...

[Kalevera]

The factory manual head rests mount to the rear firewall with brackets; As they mount through the top of the rear seat, it's smart to remove them (pull UP), otherwise the rear seat back can't be removed.

Rest of the rears is written up here: http://www.bmw4life.com/suspensionLowellRA.htm

best, whit

[Espen]

Thanks that link had some pictures that really helped me understand where the upper strut mount is.