How To: Replace E39 Touring Trunk Struts (Common Trunk Problems)

Today, we're going to be replacing the failed trunk struts on my E39 M5 Wagon! This is a common failure point on the tourings, and an annoying job to complete. Luckily, with a few common tools and a couple tips/tricks, you can easily change these at home yourself, and avoid having that trunk fall on you again!
Outer Trunk Struts: 51248220072
Inner Trunk Struts: 51248190688
Thanks for watching! Don't forget to check out The Bimmer Barn store to grab some merchandise, and get exclusive access to EXTRA content through our Patreon! :)
thebimmerbarn.com
/ thebimmerbarn

[@hailwood900]

You did fast forward on the exact part of the video we needed to see! Locating the big strut and snapping it down. Helpfulness: zero.

[@dougpadgett857]

Just finished replacing my struts. Your video was a great help. Thanks so much.

[@TheBimmerBarn]

Glad it helped! Thanks for watching Doug 👍

[@E39540iAT]

Thanks Chris. Just replaced mine after watching this and the bimmermerchant cutaway. Just a hint for others. In my case, there was no need for a hammer or socket tool. After trying that approach w/o success (for longer than I'd like to admit), discovered lifting up on the gate with one hand while aligning the strut with the hinge pivot pin does the trick as suggested by Carpetryder. Also did not have remove the gasket trim. With a bit of blue painters tape to protect things, this works perfectly w/o removing headliner and does not damage anything. Now to fix the lock...

[@JorgeAlvarez-ex3vs]

The way to get the glass shock onto the pin is by opening the glass separately from the trunk as it gets higher, and I used the plastic end of a vacuum cleaner as a wedge between the glass and the trunk in order to keep it up

[@marcioreis2648]

Job well done Chris. Thank for the video.

[@Nico_335i_DCT]

Great job Chris. And Stabilus is the original German brand BMW uses on all cars. Thanks for sharing. Dutch regards, Nico.

[@petercampbell1855]

Thanx Buddy.. That made the job MUCH easier, seeing the way to do it. :) (Y) Thanx again. Pete.

[@PomaranczowyKroI]

Thanks! You helped me a lot with this video

[@csabaenyedi281]

Thank you for this! Super handy!

[@davemorrow7651]

Thank you that’s exactly what I needed to see.

[@drewdavis239]

That trunk strut is such a great design. Up out of the way hidden not two but 4 struts.. plus two smuggler's hidy holes.

[@TheBimmerBarn]

I do like the design 👌

[@marcioreis2648]

@@TheBimmerBarn Good morning Chris , I love your channel and how it has helped a lot of BMW enthusiasts. I was wondering if you'd have the wiring diagram and connectors for a late 1997 or 8 E39 Touring trunk and glass ? I thank you in advance.

[@TheBimmerBarn]

@@marcioreis2648 send me an email Marcos and I can try to help you 👍

[@marcin4255]

Your E39 M5 touring is very good and sweet car. I like E39. 😍👍

[@AudhaX]

Thanks a lot for sharing this video. It helped me a lot to change the struts on my e39 touring.

[@TheBimmerBarn]

Glad it helped!

[@dilippatel3268]

excellent video

[@wildessales]

Amazing video! Thanks!

[@TheBimmerBarn]

Thanks for watching 😊

[@TunerSPDiego]

Good job!!🤟🏼

[@iseianussman1274]

Thank you so much

[@vinyleandpat]

Merci beaucoup pour ton tutoriel !

[@crestrok]

Love this video , I appreciate the details. I’m about to try this on my e39; however I ordered parts that are not oem, Will they work out ?

[@christosform6242]

for a moment I thought you are going to cut the roof. 🤣

[@Marttyy]

same stuts fits car with hydraulic trunk, or it needs different one? Mine opens, but needs help at start.

[@wodaybill]

My ball and socket are worn so they slip apart with a loud snap when I lower the hatch. Any ideas?

[@Fradias11]

Great tutorial! But don't slam the trunk like that 🫣 it's a soft close system, you're supposed to lay it manually against the latch, not let it drop 😅

[@TheBimmerBarn]

Ill try to be more gentle, but are you referring to the automatic trunk package? My car doesn't have that or the soft close feature, so I have to firmly close it otherwise I'll get a message on the instrument panel. Thanks for watching! 😊

[@berkasal4526]

just did this yesterday under snow😅 a crowbar worked fine. those plastic cable guides were the worst part. my trick to line up the couplings were to use a smaller allen key in place of the pin. then you just swing it around a radius that puts you in close range.. 1 hr without the cable guide reinstall. not fun

[@csabaenyedi281]

Hi Chris and everybody, I have circuit break in the wires where I opened the dust covers as you suggested. I also noticed that the rear wiper and washer comes on randomly. I guess that is the problem. its great to know, but how can this be fixed, what can I do?

[@TheBimmerBarn]

Your only option is to try to get better access to that chunk of harness, and then solder in some new wires where the breaks are! Hope that helps

[@csabaenyedi281]

@@TheBimmerBarn thank you very much! I will give it a go but it sounds like a bit of a bugger... never mind, lets see! Appreciated!

[@bobbybridgeman2629]

Er why tap the strut when you could just lower the boot a bit ??

[@TheBimmerBarn]

Lowering the boot actually made that gap further apart. I tried pushing it open as much as possible which makes it very close as you saw, but the last 2mm have to be compressed from the strut itself. I wish it were that easy though!

[@Id3nemy]

Im looking so bad for a rust free trunk in germany but almost ervery is rusted as hell its amazing to see that yours has zero rust.

[@TheBimmerBarn]

This makes me sad, hope you have good luck finding one!

[@dennyfuentes8753]

I say the third brake light haven't been able to find any information on how to change it online no videos or forum posts

[@TheBimmerBarn]

lol mine broke and it was dangling so I had to remove it temporarily. Definitely need to fix it and make a video! Thanks for watching Denny :)

[@TheZoonaa]

Remove hinge plastic wire cover on left side, open just the glass, take off plastic cover topside of glass frame. Its done already in this vid. Take off rubber wire clog left side of the third brake lamp. Wigle your wire connectors aut of the glass frame and one of those tiny one connectors is for brake light, if remember correctly its the pne with yellow/black wire. And now ypu can take your light off, when you unscrew two screws on the lamp. Check for wire cuts, mine was cut in a lot places, had to solder a new wire all away from above my rear speaker up to the hinge plastic cover. Ofcourse check the wiring and light itself with multimeter tester and or firing it up by some sor of up to 12V up to your third brake light if it works. My brake light had broken out screw places in the red plastic. I soldered in some cutout peaces of old creditcard and - wuala, it works, it stays at its place. And ofcourse dont forget to assemble it all back. Good luck

[@daviddetweiler7658]

Funny enough my struts open and hold but I think they put the wrong ones on because mine doesn't open that far. It's like cut-off at face height so you have to duck. Looks like I know what to order rnext

[@TheBimmerBarn]

Lol that sounds annoying 😂

[@Carpetryder]

U can just wiggle the trunk up and down to put in the shock instead of using a socket and hammer.

[@SavaCvetanovic]

That trunk struts was bad design from start. Who the hell put struts under roof :D

[@craigmacfarlane403]

SAAB did it too. Form over function.