The front strut top bearings on my '86 745 are slightly asymmetric: there are two studs, one a bit farther from the center of the bearing than the other one. The side with the farther stud also has a pair of small holes outboard from the center bearing. The old parts also had this configuration. When the old parts came out, the small holes were forward of the bearing, relative to the car. With the new parts in place, the bearings seem less centered in the strut tower hole than the old part position. Is this my imagination? Or did I put the bearings in backwards?

Thanks for the help.
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-- Bruce / '82 244 (323k miles!), '86 745, '87 760Ti, '94 854

Note that there was a service bulletin on adjusting camber that involved drilling a new mounting hole(s) for the two strut bearing housing studs. So if your tower has more then one set of mounting holes all bets are off and you'll have to guess which set to use and then check the wheel alignment.

Fortunately, the mounting holes can be easily switched at the alignment shop (don't need a compressor) if you select wrong....

My car had only one set of holes. Good!

And that nut is clearly aft of the center of the cutout, so that sounds right, too.

Thanks for the help.
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-- Bruce / '82 244 (323k miles!), '86 745, '87 760Ti, '94 854

First, you can only put the bearing in upside down. I believe the yellow or white side goes up.
Next, it's the strut mount that you're questioning and it is normal for the mount to "seem less centered in the strut tower hole".
How are the struts performing?
Do you still have your old mounts? Can you tell the orientation of the new mounts from the marks and wear on your old ones?

Yep. That's how I figured out the orientation for the new ones. Still looks a little odd, though.

However, the alignment shop's computer says that, as it happens, I had the strut towers in pretty much the correct place. They didn't have to move them much.

Thanks!
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-- Bruce / '82 244 (323k miles!), '86 745, '87 760Ti, '94 854