[albelopez]

Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone has attempted to do the Rear Wheel Bearing replacement for the 335i. I haven't found a post that shows all the necessary tools for the job. Im fearing I wont have the necessary tools required for the job. Please help if you have some useful information. thanks!

[KCX_335xi]

Not a DIY in my opinion.... Watched my mechanic do this, and special tools (presses etc.) were required to get the bearing out/in...

[albelopez]

what special tools? Maybe I can get those special tools cheap or find some one that can lend them to me.

[twright]

I have done the rear ones on my 2006 325. Or I should say: I did the left side of mine. I was unable to get the axle loose on the right side and had to pay someone to do that side. Yours should be the same. I used the Utube guide for the E46 models. Its the same as the E90.

[albelopez]

Could you post a link?

[fenixxishot]

You need to take this to a shop as the bearing pullers used to get these out cost more than what you would pay a shop to do it.

[mapleridge]

Heres the video for those who were wondering

[Casca]

Was just looking and trying to figure it out yesterday. I was under the assumption that it would be really difficult, but that video looks pretty straight forward and easy to do.

Of course you'll need a good breaker bar and @$60 of harbor fright pullers/press if you don't already have something to make it work. Sure you can get by with less $$ on pullers if you're not afraid to hammer on it. Read a post by someone else claiming to have done it with no pullers or press.

http://www.harborfreight.com/46-piec...set-37824.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/bearing...set-93980.html

Not even sure you need either one unless you planning on doing it a bunch of other cars too. Probably just takes a little more effort and time without it, but I don't have first hand experience on it yet. Either way, harbor freight is around the corner from me and the lady at the counter always lets me use the 25% off coupon on my whole purchase. Or I'll just do it at my work where we have like "the ultimate set of tools...", including presses and pullers.

Also, be sure to get an actual penetrate spray...regular WD40 does not qualify for this...and spray all the fasteners with it, let sit and spray again. I usually use PB Blaster but hearing a lot of good things about http://www.amazon.com/WD-40-300007-S...enetrant+spray

[Casca]

On that guys install video, I didn't like how he got the bearing the rest of the way in. When you are pressing the bearing into the hub, you're suppose to put pressure on only the outer diameter of the bearing only, otherwise you can do serious damage. Likewise, when you press the spindle through, you're only suppose to put pressure on the inner diameter of the bearing.

Something simple you can do is take your old bearing and gut it and then use it as a part of however you're set up to press the bearing in.

This is my old bearing with the innards out and a bearing driver in the center, sitting on top of the new bearing.



Haven't put the spindle on yet. Maybe tomorrow.

[Maestro]

Here is some feed back on video to remove the wheel bearings. First the nut that holds the axle in place it not a 30mm as he claims it is actually a 36mm, I know since I have the new nuts and went to the store to buy the socket and it far bigger than 30mm.

Next for anyone concern about how he is removing and putting in the bearing it the same way BWM shows in their service manual. They have a special tool to remove and put it back in, but it is use the same method, you are not required to take the hub out and put it in a press like the picture above shows. Also the BMW method actually shows pushing the bearing on the inner part of the bearing metal not just the outside as also been suggested above.

Also, he left out of the video how to remove the axel from the wheel hub, I do not think it just slides out, the service manual says it have to be pressed out. I do not know for sure and I guess I will be finding out soon.

Also note the bearing has a black and red seal and the black as to go in facing the inner of the car the red seal should be facing out. There is a note in the BMW service manual about this so it must matter. I figure I would share this for those others who happen onto this and want to try this themselves. I am about to give it a try and from the video and the BMW service manual it does not look too hard.

The only thing that would help is having a slide hammer tool to pull out the wheel hub from the axle, verse doing the method in the video of using a bearing separator and the wheel bolt since you run the risk of messing up the threads doing his way.

If you interested in buying the BMW specific tools here they are

http://www.baumtools.com/uploads/fil...talog_2012.pdf

or

http://www.sirtools.com/B90.htm


UPDATE:

I have done one side so far and I will share two important things.

First, use a slide hammer axle removal tool verse the method the guy in the video used. He used a bearing separator and used the wheel bolts to push out the wheel hub. First you will need to locate 4" bearing separator which are not easily found at Harbor Freight or borrow from Advance Auto. and it takes too long.

I end up going to Advance Auto and borrowing a slide hammer axle removal tool. As most of you know Advance will loan you tools for free, and using this I had the wheel hub out in 5 minutes. I will also note like in the video part of the bearing will stay attached to the wheel hub so you will still need a bearing separator to remove it, but a smaller one will work.

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/p...m=axle+puller+

Second, putting the wheel hub back into the bearing and video guy's comment about using a 3/4" pipe flare. He never said why you need this exact size. I could not find a 3/4" so I got the "1 which to me made sense since it spanned the bearing hole opening on the back side. The 3/4" one is 3.5 " diameter and the 1" was 4" diameter. I figure you want to pull against something solid verse pulling against the bearing itself. Well this turned out to be a bad decision on my part.

When you pulling the wheel hub back in, you actually want to pull against the back of the bearing itself. Reason being as the wheel hub is being pulled in, it tends to want to push the other side of the bearing out. The center of the bearing where the hub rides is not solid it is actually split in two and the other half will tend to push out. If you do this make sure when you pulling the hub in, you place something solid against the back side of the bearing.

I have the Bentley shop manual and no where does it tells you need to do this.

I hope this helps anyone else who decides to take this on. I spend a good 6 hours on one wheel figuring out what to do and running around finding the right tools. I happen to own flywheel puller as well a universal ball joint removal and install tool and this came in handy doing this work.

[DR-JEKL]

Is it ok to reuse the circlip and axle nut?

[Maestro]

Originally Posted by DR-JEKL

Is it ok to reuse the circlip and axle nut?

I would not recommend it, it was extremely hard to get out and I ended up bending mine. Mine was rusted in place plus the bearning was pressed up against it so it took lots of effort to get it loose.

[Maestro]

The guy who did the video actually made another video this time he did what I did to get the bearing out, I did not use the exact same tool, but it worked the same way. I still recommend using a slide hammer to get the axial hub out of the bearing.

Also you do not need a long 3/4" ratchet and stocket to get the nut off, I was able to use my Air impact and it came right off.

[335ivin]

Copy and paste on your browser, this link will guide you thu all the steps of changing wheel bearings


http://blog.bavauto.com/2814/bmw-rea...x3-and-others/

[Maestro]

Originally Posted by 335ivin

Copy and paste on your browser, this link will guide you thu all the steps of changing wheel bearings


http://blog.bavauto.com/2814/bmw-rea...x3-and-others/

This method requires the $400 BMW special tool, otherwise the method above is more cost effective.

[335ivin]

I agree this is not a DIY, I just tackled removing the bearings and belive me dont do it take if from someome that does all the mechanic work on his 3 cars. I disassemble half the car (lol) but got it done, if I had to do it again I would pay someone. The shop quote me $1,100 bucks and I ended up spending just over $550 for the parts and extra tools I had to buy. Saving the extra 500 bucks came with lots of headaches and long work days and lots of beer (worked on the car just on the evenings)

[Maestro]

Originally Posted by 335ivin

I agree this is not a DIY, I just tackled removing the bearings and belive me dont do it take if from someome that does all the mechanic work on his 3 cars. I disassemble half the car (lol) but got it done, if I had to do it again I would pay someone. The shop quote me $1,100 bucks and I ended up spending just over $550 for the parts and extra tools I had to buy. Saving the extra 500 bucks came with lots of headaches and long work days and lots of beer (worked on the car just on the evenings)

I would agree if you never done something like this and not have the tools, it costly.

So happens I had to do one of my bearings a second time, I believe it was damage I did putting it back in since it did not last a year. It was the point I was making about putting the wheel hub back in, it pushes the bearing apart. Since I knew what to do this time I did the entire thing in under 2 hours, including dropping the exhaust in the back to get the axel out.

[DRock3d]

http://www.harborfreight.com/fwd-fro...ers-66829.html

This is the kit you need. I've never done it on any of my BMWs but I did two on my Audi.

Removal is biggest plate that fits on the back with a ring and plate on the front large enough for the bearing to fit into when pressed through.

Pressing the bearing in requires a ring the exact size of the outer race on the front and a plate big enough to sit on the spindle on the back and not touch the bearing.

[Maestro]

Originally Posted by DRock3d

http://www.harborfreight.com/fwd-fro...ers-66829.html

This is the kit you need. I've never done it on any of my BMWs but I did two on my Audi.

Removal is biggest plate that fits on the back with a ring and plate on the front large enough for the bearing to fit into when pressed through.

Pressing the bearing in requires a ring the exact size of the outer race on the front and a plate big enough to sit on the spindle on the back and not touch the bearing.

I wish I saw that before, however, they do not call out the sizes of the rings, the big ring need to be almost 4" in OD to allow the rear bearing to come out.

[ludvball]

Would it be easier to press the bearing to the hub, then press the whole assembly into the spindle?

[TheeGovernor]

Originally Posted by ludvball

Would it be easier to press the bearing to the hub, then press the whole assembly into the spindle?

Definitely not. Put the bearing in the spindle and then the hub into the bearing.

[nolaman1970]

Nolaman704 minutes ago (edited)

I just removed Rear bearings on an E93 M3 today. It was not this easy having the right tools really does help. Luckily you can borrow all of the tools need from Autozone for 90 days. I had the wrong jaw puller at first "5 ton jaw puller" I went back and got the "7 ton reversible puller" that worked for me. There is no way I could knock the shaft out with a hammer or pull out, it was really stuck in there. If the 7 ton does not work Harbor Freight sells a 12 Ton 3 Jaw Hydraulic Gear Puller, this will work. The other thing I had issues with was the cir-clip, it would not budge, take the new clip with you to a Hardware or Auto Parts store to get a tool that can squeeze it. Also make sure you have the ball bearings in the bearing removal/install kit, mine did not I think it will be less stressful on the system. Still pending the install of the new bearings but it looks like cake compared to the removal, I hope... This video really helped me. youtube.com/watch?v=q_kenFE248U&t=211s