BMW E61 Rear Shock Replacement – 2006-2010 5 Series Touring Wagon

Before removing the BMW E61 rear shocks from underneath the vehicle, the top shock mounts must be accessed. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the top shock mounts in the BMW E61 touring wagon are buried underneath plastic trim that requires time and patience to remove. We cannot stress enough using patience during this section - if a piece of trim will not come loose DO NOT FORCE IT or it will break. If a piece of trim will not easily pull free it means you have missed a fastener.

1. Open up the trunk compartment and identify the general location of the upper rear shock mounts.
2. Starting on the left side of the vehicle, remove the storage compartment cover.
3. Remove the spare tire compartment cover by fully raising it and disconnecting its gas spring mechanism. Remove the cover from the vehicle.
4. Raise the cover on the forward storage compartment. Grasp the storage trunk floor and remove it from the vehicle.
5. Using a T20 torx bit, remove the trim screw anchoring the left lateral trim component to the body of the vehicle.
6. Use a 10mm nut driver to remove the two plastic nuts anchoring the left plastic storage tray to the floor of the trunk.
7. Remove the small plastic cover from inside the plastic storage tray and locate the 8mm screw hidden inside of it. Remove the screw with an 8mm nut driver.
8. Using a trim removal tool, remove the plastic rivet anchoring the bottom of the lateral trunk trim.
9. Use a trim removal tool to remove the plastic cover off of the rear seat locking bar.
10. Grasp the rear seat side cushion and pull it free from the vehicle.
11. Using an 8mm nut driver, remove the screw anchoring the front of the rear window trim.
12. Grasp the side airbag trim cover and remove it from the vehicle.
13. Remove the “Airbag” cover cap from the rear C pillar piece so the mounting bolt can be accessed.
14.  Remove the C pillar mounting bolt with a T20 torx bit. Remove the rear portion of the C pillar trim.
15. In order to remove the lateral trim panel so the top shock mount can be accessed, the side airbag must be unbolted and swung out of the work area. First, use a T27 torx bit to remove the bolt anchoring the side window trim.
16. Using an 8mm nut driver, remove the screw anchoring the window trim to the C pillar as shown below.
17. Carefully lift the side window trim until the side airbag anchor bolt can be accessed. Use a T30 torx bit to remove the bolt.
18. With the bolt removed, carefully swing the side airbag and window trim out of the work area.
19. Next, remove the cover off of the forward trunk storage compartment. Use a trim tool to pry the gas spring off then use a phillips screwdriver to remove the hinges. Remove the cover from the vehicle.
20. Using a trim tool, remove the plastic rivet from the front of the lateral trim.
21. The final plastic rivet securing the lateral trim to the vehicle is located on the top. It is difficult to see...you will need to position yourself over the top of the trim to see it. Use a trim removal tool to remove the plastic rivet.
22. With the lateral panel now completely loose, grasp the side storage tray trim and carefully remove it from the work area. Remember...if the trim does not not remove easily without resistance then you most likely have missed a fastener.
23. You can now access the top shock mount.
24. The right side of the vehicle is exactly the same as above except for removing the battery storage tray. It is simply held in place with two plastic 10mm nuts as shown below.

Now that the interior trim has been removed, removing the rear shock is simple. It is important that the rear wheel hub is firmly supported with a floor jack when the top shock mount is unbolted. This will keep the wheel hub from dropping abruptly and possibly damaging brake lines or suspension parts.

1. Jack and support the rear of the vehicle. Remove the rear wheels. Position a floor jack under the wheel hub and raise it enough so the suspension does not fall when the top shock mount is unbolted in the next step.
2. Using an 18mm open end wrench and a 6mm hex bit, remove the top mounting nut from the rear shock.
3. Slowly lower the floor jack until the top of the shock is clear of the vehicle. The rear shock is anchored to the wheel hub with one M14 bolt.
4.  Use an 18mm socket wrench to remove the lower mounting bolt.
5. Remove the shock from the vehicle.
6. Assemble the new shocks using new bump stops and foam mounts as shown below. Make sure the support cups are installed correctly...the flat side of the cup should always be pressed against the foam mount (see images below and schematic diagram in Section 3).

Reassembly of the vehicle is very straightforward with no special procedures. Always install new foam shock mounts (two per shock) and bump stops when performing a BMW E61 rear shock replacement. Please see our parts list above if you require assistance. The following diagram shows the correct way to install the rear shock parts on the e61 5 series touring wagon. We have also included a handy checklist below with required torque values to aid in reassembly.