dropped adjustment nut, shock tower access?

Seaneezy

Corporal
Mar 12, 2018
133
34
0
Ride
e90 LCI 335i
This is really embarrasing. I was changing my rebound stiffness on my ohlins and dropped BOTH adjustment nuts in the shock tower housing, I was fishing in there with a magnet and couldn't grab it, so I took off the wheel and wheel well housing but I can't access the shock tower housing from the well. These fuckers are like $50 each, anybody have any idea how I can reach these? My suspension is at the softest rebound at the moment, feels like a Cadillac but my skirts are scraping the roads after bumps
 

Rob09msport

Major
Oct 28, 2017
1,929
664
0
Monroe CT
Ride
09 335i msport le mans 18 x5
Can you try blowing compressed air in their to get them to move around and get an idea where they are?
 

fmorelli

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Aug 11, 2017
3,748
3,592
0
57
Virginia
Ride
E89 Z4 35i, F10 535d
Pick tools. Cheap at your local parts store but I have to say I keep going back to the o-ring hook and scribe set I bought from Harbor Freight. Really good feel, nice reach, etc. Specific to feel, you hold it metal on hand (instead of a plastic handle) so you can really sense what is going on at the tip.

And if you are having a hard time seeing, recommend buying a borescope. This one works well and has good resolution. Stupid crap like this is always and excuse to equip myself with more tools.

Filippo
 

doublespaces

Administrator
Oct 18, 2016
9,303
4,331
0
AZ
Ride
2009 E93 335i
Oh boy, good luck. These moments are quite frustrating, and never in the DIYs.
 

Seaneezy

Corporal
Mar 12, 2018
133
34
0
Ride
e90 LCI 335i
Oh boy, good luck. These moments are quite frustrating, and never in the DIYs.

Can you try blowing compressed air in their to get them to move around and get an idea where they are?

Pick tools. Cheap at your local parts store but I have to say I keep going back to the o-ring hook and scribe set I bought from Harbor Freight. Really good feel, nice reach, etc. Specific to feel, you hold it metal on hand (instead of a plastic handle) so you can really sense what is going on at the tip.

And if you are having a hard time seeing, recommend buying a borescope. This one works well and has good resolution. Stupid crap like this is always and excuse to equip myself with more tools.

Filippo


Update: I bought a flexible magnetic stick from my local hardware store. Took about 30 minutes but I got one of them out. The magnet is not strong enough to completely lift it out of the housing, so I had to do some hand gymnastics. Have not found the other two yet, they are really dug down there.
 

fmorelli

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Aug 11, 2017
3,748
3,592
0
57
Virginia
Ride
E89 Z4 35i, F10 535d
I keep a stock of KJ Magnetics N52 magnets around. You've never seen magnets this strong. They are sold with plastic separators as the only way to take them apart is to sheer them apart if they are touching one another.

Filippo
 
Last edited:

Rob09msport

Major
Oct 28, 2017
1,929
664
0
Monroe CT
Ride
09 335i msport le mans 18 x5
Could try balling up gorilla tape sticky side out around a long rod curved or if you have flex spring grabbers something like that and roll it around in their will almost def grab if you manage to touch it
 

dyezak

Major
May 4, 2017
1,768
1,518
0
Plano TX
Ride
335is
Amazon has some cheap iphone bore-scopes. Tiny cameras that are meant to go into spark plug holes with an LED light so you can inspect combustion chambers.

I bet you can use one to find these nuts. (they are $30 for the cam last I looked).
 

fmorelli

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Aug 11, 2017
3,748
3,592
0
57
Virginia
Ride
E89 Z4 35i, F10 535d
Amazon has some cheap iphone bore-scopes. Tiny cameras that are meant to go into spark plug holes with an LED light so you can inspect combustion chambers.

I bet you can use one to find these nuts. (they are $30 for the cam last I looked).
Ya'll really need to be reading the Buy This Not That! thread started by @NoQuarter :grimacing:. We got a recommendation for that.

Filippo
 

NoQuarter

Major
Nov 24, 2017
1,662
1,066
0
Indiana, USA
Ride
Z4 35is, 535xi, X5 35i
yep! I added that to my shopping list. There are some optional attachments for it that includes a magnet, a hook, and mirrors of different angles.