Quote:
Originally Posted by ajsalida
This was a sneaky pothole that they filled badly before winter and I guess the fill collapsed so it is still smooth but deep. It's right at the apex of one of my favorite corners, low light situation, BAM.
Normally I have them all mapped in my head to avoid but I just plain forgot about this nasty guy.
Pretty much resigned to replacing the axle assembly at this point, will take some pics before, during, and after.
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Updating this comment. I finally got around to replacing the driver's side axle. Cured most or all of the funny road noise. The axle had started binding progressively more and more so I really needed to get it done before winter hits up here, which is like Monday!
Some slight steering tightness on that side is gone too. I test drove it on roads where previously the road noise was so bad you could barely hear the stereo, all that is gone and just normal tire noise. I think the bearings in the old axle were about done, and most of the grease had leaked out. Plan to take it apart and see if it can be rebuilt for a spare.
Did not end up being able to take any pics for a DIY, got too jammed with winter coming. Had to do the job over 3 days squeezing it in between other domestic winter house prep stuff. Was fortunate in that not too much was frozen or rusted on, and the spline shaft slipped into the wheel carrier with zero effort. Seating the shaft into the diff was a bit of a headache, as was getting the old one out of the diff and the hub. Just used a 3 jaw gear puller on the latter, using wheel spacers bolted onto the hub to grip it. But no exotic special BMW tools needed. Anyway, it's done!
I also replaced the lower control arm on that side so that may have had something to do with the improved noise situation and steering. Expensive pothole! Glad this is over.