[rothwem]

So I have a rare rear CV axle failure occurring--I've got a clacking sound on light accel and engine braking which is a textbook CV axle issue. I bought a wheel hub and bearing in case I find that the wheel bearing is fucked or the axle is seized to the hub splines, I figured I can return them if everything is mint when I get in there.

Any words of wisdom from someone who has done the repair? Any weird tools required besides a puller? This seems to be something that rarely fails on these cars, and I'm thinking that the previous owner of my car put a non-oem axle on at some point because the right and the left axles look a little different.

[Brian86]

Left and right are different lengths.

I've had a set of Cardone rears on mine for 75k+. And GSP fronts for about 90k. They are fine so far. It's pretty hilarious how much smaller the diameter of the cardons are compared to the OEM... but on a piddly little 325 isn't going to break them.

If it's been removed before this job should be a breeze. It's only a nightmare the first time. And only sometimes. If it's any consolation my rears had the cherry broken at 290k and they came apart with a large screw type 3 jaw gear puller and the the 'on-car' stud puller kit from harbor freight.

[e91Owner]

I had to replace the axle due to the CV boot having a tear on my e60 x-drive. There was no getting it out. The axle nut had turned into dust and the hub was too deep to get anything in there to chisel it out either. Had to replace the whole knuckle with a used one off eBay. This actually made the repair quite a bit easier in the end as I was able to much of it on a bench and didn’t have to wrestle with getting everything in/out while on the car.

That being said, if you’re lucky and can get it pushed out easily, the rest is easy. I used GKN (OE), but like Brian86 said, the diameter was less than the originals. They must have changed the spec at some point. Just an odd look.

[Efthreeoh]

I've done CV axle replacements on 3 of my BMWs over the years. I've done both sides on the E90. If removing the bearing, by design the bearing will separate, leaving the inner race stuck on the wheel hub flange.

You need special tools. A hub puller that bolts onto the hub via the wheel bolts and pushes the shaft out of the hub. You need a bearing removal and installation tool set to remove the rear bearings. Harbor Freight has a decent set. You need a large bearing race removal tool to remove the inner bearing race from the hub flange. And you'll need a bench vice.

If you are removing the left side, you will need to remove the exhaust system. By this age the exhaust flange bolts will be AFU'd by rust. You will most likely need to cut off the studs on the nut side, then drill the studs out. BMW does not sell replacement studs, so you'll need to convert to thru bolts. My advice is have an exaust shop do that work for you. It will be far cheaper than the hours you will spend fucking with the exhaust flange. So buy new exhaust flange gaskets, you will need them. I drilled mine out with industrial grade drills and it was a serious PIA, and I have a lift. On your back, trying to drill the studs will frustrate you beyond tolerance levels any human possesses. If you do it yourself, use hardened stell bolts and nuts as replacement studs.

Also, for some reason the left rear wheel hub is prone to corrosion vs. the right side. My theory is the exhaust heats the left side and accelerates the corrosion process. My left CV axle was rusted in place inside, which makes it very difficult to get the axle out of the hub.

If it's the right side, it's a piece of cake because no exhaust work is required.

The reason the replacement shaft is smaller diameter than the OE shaft is because GKN made it smaller to better clear the exhaust system. I've had my small Dia. shaft in the left side for over 100,000 miles with zero issues.

[rothwem]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

I've done CV axle replacements on 3 of my BMWs over the years. I've done both sides on the E90. If removing the bearing, by design the bearing will separate, leaving the inner race stuck on the wheel hub flange.

You need special tools. A hub puller that bolts onto the hub via the wheel bolts and pushes the shaft out of the hub. You need a bearing removal and installation tool set to remove the rear bearings. Harbor Freight has a decent set. You need a large bearing race removal tool to remove the inner bearing race from the hub flange. And you'll need a bench vice.

If you are removing the left side, you will need to remove the exhaust system. By this age the exhaust flange bolts will be AFU'd by rust. You will most likely need to cut off the studs on the nut side, then drill the studs out. BMW does not sell replacement studs, so you'll need to convert to thru bolts. My advice is have an exaust shop do that work for you. It will be far cheaper than the hours you will spend fucking with the exhaust flange. So buy new exhaust flange gaskets, you will need them. I drilled mine out with industrial grade drills and it was a serious PIA, and I have a lift. On your back, trying to drill the studs will frustrate you beyond tolerance levels any human possesses. If you do it yourself, use hardened stell bolts and nuts as replacement studs.

Also, for some reason the left rear wheel hub is prone to corrosion vs. the right side. My theory is the exhaust heats the left side and accelerates the corrosion process. My left CV axle was rusted in place inside, which makes it very difficult to get the axle out of the hub.

If it's the right side, it's a piece of cake because no exhaust work is required.

The reason the replacement shaft is smaller diameter than the OE shaft is because GKN made it smaller to better clear the exhaust system. I've had my small Dia. shaft in the left side for over 100,000 miles with zero issues.

Ah, thankfully this is on the passenger side of the car, no exhaust to deal with.

I've got a bearing press for bike stuff, I wonder if it'll be heavy-enough duty to do a wheel bearing. I guess I can see if it'll work and if it doesn't I can go rent one.

Good looking out on the hub puller, don't have one of those.

It's also good to know that you've done a few of those--the indy I typically take my car to when I don't have time to mess with fixing something said that a worn out rear axle on these cars is incredibly rare.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by rothwem

Ah, thankfully this is on the passenger side of the car, no exhaust to deal with.

I've got a bearing press for bike stuff, I wonder if it'll be heavy-enough duty to do a wheel bearing. I guess I can see if it'll work and if it doesn't I can go rent one.

Good looking out on the hub puller, don't have one of those.

It's also good to know that you've done a few of those--the indy I typically take my car to when I don't have time to mess with fixing something said that a worn out rear axle on these cars is incredibly rare.

This is the hub puller type I have. You need a tool such as this to push the axle out of the hub flange or use a 3-pound sledge hammer. The only reason I had to replace my left side axle is I mushroomed the threads using the 2-sledge hammer method. The m'effer just wouldn't budge. The right side came out with just two hits. The right side axle has 421,000 thousand miles on it. Harbor freight bearing tool set and race tools. I bought the tools because I have three (3) 3-series cars dating from 1997 thru 2008. BMW uses the same axle/hub design from the E30 thru the E90, so the tools work on all of them.

[e91Owner]

You can also get the same tools at almost all auto parts stores on loan for free. Just go nuts and get everything you’ll thing you could possibly need (slide hammer, etc).

[Brian86]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

On your back, trying to drill the studs will frustrate you beyond tolerance levels any human possesses.

Achievement Unlocked!

Yes, that's a broken drill bit in one of the stud heads.

[rothwem]

Well, we’re gonna need a bigga breaka bar! </Australian accent>

I managed to bend a 3/4” breaker bar trying to get the axle nut off. Fortunately, loosening the axle nut is the *first* step, so my car is still driveable and able to ferry me to the store to get a torch.

One thing that’s a little worrying is that the axle nut tabs had been fooled with and weren’t bent in when I took the hub cover off the wheel. I keep finding evidence of shitty PO work and I’m hoping this isn’t indicative of something worse to come.