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Just gone to halfords and bought two sockets to undo the top bolt of my front shocks.
I got an injector and a oxygen sensor socket (21 and 22mm).
Bloody things won't go in the top mounts.
I can either grind away at my own sockets to get two flats for a spanner or spend the morning going round the shops to get spark plug sockets.

What has everyone else used?

I used a impact gun. Where are you based?

synthedup wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2017 8:06 pm I used a impact gun. Where are you based?

Brighton.
It's the top bolt I need to undo. I need to keep the shaft still while I undo the bolt. A friend helped me replace front springs with an impact driver once and the shocks leaked afterwards.
I've been putting plusgas on the pinch bolt all week just to be on the safe side.

synthedup wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2017 8:06 pm I used a impact gun. Where are you based?

I should say thanks for the offer.

dhobbs wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2017 8:14 pm

synthedup wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2017 8:06 pm I used a impact gun. Where are you based?

I should say thanks for the offer.

I'm in Horsham and I have an impact gun, I also have the tools if you are worried about using an impact gun

Did this very job on my //M last year, undid the old with the gun, did up the new with hand tools.

You shouldn't be using a socket if you want to do it by hand, use a swan neck spanner and whatever fitting is in the top of the shock.

My swan neck spanner wasn't deep enough so I bought a set of box spanners from Toolstation (which I held with Stilsons) and used extensions on my 1/4" sockets to hold the shaft. In the end I ran out of hands and couldn't use a torque wrench anyway so I resorted to an impact driver.

I'd really like to know what happened to my O2 sensor socket!

Incidently OP, the M is a 24mm, sure you have bought the right size???

VRSteve wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2017 9:18 pm Incidently OP, the M is a 24mm, sure you have bought the right size???

Yeah, I measured both old and new with existing sockets. Old is 21, new (bilstein) is 22. It's just the outer diameter doesn't fit in the top mount recess. The M has different shocks, I assume more beefy!

VRSteve wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2017 8:28 pm

dhobbs wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2017 8:14 pm

synthedup wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2017 8:06 pm I used a impact gun. Where are you based?

I should say thanks for the offer.

I'm in Horsham and I have an impact gun, I also have the tools if you are worried about using an impact gun

Did this very job on my //M last year, undid the old with the gun, did up the new with hand tools.

You shouldn't be using a socket if you want to do it by hand, use a swan neck spanner and whatever fitting is in the top of the shock.

I did the rears with a spanner but the nuts were all exposed. I also have studied YouTube videos to prepare myself and they used a socket with an Allen key. They also made it look simple.

I use a thin walled tubular box spanner for this; only for tightening. For loosening it I use an impact.

Of course I need to get a complete socket in there because I have stiffness adjustable coilovers (they have a hex stud instead of allen hex insert), but before I had coilovers I used a T handle allen key or an allen bit:

Dunno why you guys make it so hard, just buy a swan neck!!!

I'd post an image of mine, but don't have anywhere to host it!!

I've gone and bought a 21mm spark plug socket and that's fine. I also got a tap socket (not sure about the quality though) but it's similar to Guidok's one above.
Given up for this weekend and been finishing off my garden decking!
Oh, I looked at a swan neck spanner and it was too big to fit in the top mount. Maybe I'll look at some more.

If you can get the shocks off the car, and bring them up then I'll happily have a go at them for you.

If you are replacing the shocks why won't you use an impact gun on them??

I chopped up one of my sockets, only took about 20 mins with a dremel

VRSteve wrote: ↑Sat Sep 09, 2017 3:11 pm If you can get the shocks off the car, and bring them up then I'll happily have a go at them for you.

If you are replacing the shocks why won't you use an impact gun on them??

I suppose I'm being a bit cautious, it my daily drive so if I bugger it up then I'll have to borrow the missus's car (and that's boring).
I think I have everything now, apart from the time. I'm going to give it a go next Friday.
Thanks for the offer though, much appreciated.