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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > All-Wheel-Drive (Xi / xDrive) Talk > Front Axle Issue!



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      02-05-2015, 07:19 PM   #1
UsedF10M5
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Front Axle Issue!

Tried searching but couldn't find anything E90 specific.

I'm having an issue where my Right front axle won't stay seated! It keeps working its way out about an inch and I'm afraid it's going to fail again.

Short version of the story, outer boot started leaking grease, ordered up an an axle assembly, put it in. Back out of the driveway, about 20feet down the street I hear a binding and the obvious noise of something breaking; the inner joint is pulled totally out of the housing and the shaft along with the rest of the inner joint is still seated. Figuring I fucked something up I decided to just take it to a shop. Get the car towed to a local brakes plus who put in another axle, align the car and they told me the axle started to come out but after seating it one more time and driving it again, it seemed like it was holding up and not coming out. Picked up the car and the axle is coming out again!

What gives?! This isn't my first axle install and I know it's not their first axle install either. However my past experiences are with my E46 330xi and I thought that was the end of my replacing front axle days. Guess not.

Anyways if anyone can give any insight as to why it may not be staying seated it would be awesome!


Edit: It may be worth noting that on my initial axle install the axle didn't want to go back into its seated position without a little elbow grease, I'm afraid if I try to "re-seat" the axle it will just fail again like it did in front of the house.
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Last edited by UsedF10M5; 02-05-2015 at 07:35 PM..
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      02-06-2015, 09:01 AM   #2
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I haven't done drive axles on E90 yet, but it sounds like the circlip/snapring isn't seating properly. On other cars I've had to BFH the outer end of the axle once or twice to get proper seat of the snap ring. Just thread the axle nut on 1/2 way first so you don't mar any threads.
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      02-06-2015, 12:52 PM   #3
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I had always been taught never to hammer on the axle to make it go it and that it would most likely damage the joints. Did the one you do hold up afterwards?
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      02-06-2015, 02:50 PM   #4
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Never had any issues but these were also Auto zone remans. so I wasn't overly concerned. I remember one other time having an issue on a Maxima passenger side axle not wanting to seat. I messed with it for probably a couple hours by myself and no dice. I had a dude that worked w/ me come over the next day, I wiggled the shaft (no homo) while he pushed in towards the trans on it and it pretty much went right in like that, and it was obvious when it did. Maybe it was luck.
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      02-06-2015, 03:40 PM   #5
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I'm going to pull the axle and see if the clip is even in there, give it another shot and hopefully not destroy the axle. Will update when I can.

I'm surprised no one else is having this issue. I guess it's a good thing.
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      02-06-2015, 06:04 PM   #6
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Ha, got back in there and it's completely missing the carrier bearing from the housing. Plenty of lateral movement.

Went back to the shop that installed the axle and the tech did the whole "there's no bearing that goes there" "You need a new front diff, it has internal damage" I told the service manager that if I was anyone else I would have probably believed their story but unfortunately I put in my time at Brakes Plus and Pep Boys and I know how it works and how techs won't own up to their mistakes. The store manager who knew me from when I worked for another brakes plus has the carrier bearing on order and now.

Awesome.
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      02-08-2015, 09:07 PM   #7
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if you were running without a carrier bearing, the axle would be free to bend about in the spline. could that have damaged the spline in the dif (or axle)?
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      02-21-2015, 10:53 PM   #8
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So the bearing was fine, the axle kept popping out of the diff and was moving around laterally.

When I installed the axle myself the first time I made sure it was seated properly in the diff, and the inner joint came apart. The axle that the shop had put in, was the same brand, and kept coming out of the diff, so I shoved it back into the diff, got it secured and the inner joint came apart again. This time I went with a world pac reman axle and its holding up just fine.

Final Fix

Pretty much don't install a Surtrack axle, it's too short. Especially if you're lowered. The Surtrack kept pulling out of the diff and once it was secured it would just come apart at the inner joint.

You guys get the idea. Lesson learned.
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      03-09-2015, 12:30 AM   #9
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I take that back, that world pac reman axle was a pos, had a crazy vibration. Shelled out for an oem axle, put it in myself and car drives perfect.
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      03-13-2015, 05:37 PM   #10
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Ive had my share of questionable performance with reman axles. I have gotten lucky, though, after inital vibration or noises or boot clamps that were not tight enough or seated right or not enough grease put in or..........you name it...remans are a luck of the draw thing....Dont get one that was put together on Friday afternoon!

there are one or two companies that guarantee their work and take your old axles as a core deposit...these guys are the best type of replacement if youre not going with factory replacements.

just my 2 cents.

JP
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