e36 rear wheel bearing replacement.

[mitch23]

as always the inner race is stuck, how are people pressing these out from using a washer on the backside, or even the proper tools, I don't see a lip to pull from on the backside, it is just all part of the trailing arm, or am I suppose to be pulling from the lip in the middle of the bearing?

The job started out as a snapped off bolt on the axle but the hub assembly was very loose so I decided to investigate to find that the outer races where all busted up and falling apart.

[sealersd2]

I did this job myself and this video helped me out a great deal. Once I had the proper tools was not too bad of a job. Hope it helps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4PK1jXhppE

[Smoky540i]

^I used this video too. Stripped the threaded rod on one but got them both out. If I remember correctly, once I had one out I used its outer race to press/pull the second race out. If you're stuck I can try and find the pieces I used in my garage and take some pics.

[Smoky540i]

^threaded rod on the jig I made got stripped on the first removal.

[spyderg0d]

Ive done probably ten of these btwn my failures and friends. I dont even pull bearing anyore. I get a new trailing arm with bearing from yard.. Lol..
But.. To answer.. What i found was that if you hit the back side of the arm, the inside race, evenly descently hard but not really hard you can work the whole bearing out slowly. But if the bearing is shot and the middle falls out before complete removal, hit theiddle race with a flat tipped air chizel. It should work out ifbyou work around. And if its really siezed i found a small grind wheel on a dremel to be the way out. I grind down from the edge of the outer bearing race just enouph to get a small pry in. Then i work around the race bending it until i pretty much have cut through the entire thing. Just have to try not to mar the bearing houseing surface as it may mess up bearing installation.

[sluggo]

[QUOTE=spyderg0d;29025896]Ive done probably ten of these btwn my failures and friends. I dont even pull bearing anyore. I get a new trailing arm with bearing from yard.. Lol..

So it's much easier to pull the trailing arm than the bearing? My coupe parts car has 79k miles and I'm wondering if I should just pull the trailing arms from it and put them on my sedan (220k miles). Pulling the bearings looks like low-fun but I guess if I do trailing arms then I need to deal with alignment?

[z25is]

Yes swapping the trailing arm is far easier I've learned besides the need for another alignment. I did one bearing job on somebody's car, while I succeeded one side, the other side refused to let go of the axle, we took it to a press and ended up breaking the trailing arm after applying so much pressure to the axle, that shit was welded in there like volcano rock. Since then I've just done trailing arm swaps instead, I refuse to do bearing jobs.

[spyderg0d]

ya.. it depends what you have time for... firstly id let a shop do just the bearing, the insurance of return is needed when it comes to new cheap bearings. (i once had 5 of them go, 1 every 4 months) and let them pay for it. but if you have a good arm with good rtab, its 20 times easier to swap arms. and realisitcally you can find the alihnment easy by only messing with that one wheel. just make slight adjustments until your car goes straight and your steering wheel goes straight also.. no need for 1 wheel alihnment.

[Mklock]

I'm not so sure about changing the arm is easier...all you have to do is remove Axel, parking brake, circlip, then pull the bearing with a harbor freight fwd bearing removal kit. I recommend getting a grade8 3/4" bolt though. Chinese threads just never hold. As for the inner race use some heat or dremel tool.

[DotBeta]

I need to replace both of my rear wheel bearings and I'm dreading it, they are starting to get noisy and I can hear them in the car. It might just be one but I rather do both at the same time for my own satisfaction. Thanks for that youtube video link it is very helpful and gives me a little confidence at tackling them, I'm just really worried theyre gonna be seized up in there or something and I'll have to pull the trailing arm off anyways to have someone get it out for me lol.

[E36328Coupe]

as always the inner race is stuck, how are people pressing these out from using a washer on the backside, or even the proper tools, I don't see a lip to pull from on the backside, it is just all part of the trailing arm, or am I suppose to be pulling from the lip in the middle of the bearing?

The job started out as a snapped off bolt on the axle but the hub assembly was very loose so I decided to investigate to find that the outer races where all busted up and falling apart.When people pull the hub the outside inner race comes off with the hub BUT the inside inner race is still in position, and seeing as that can't pull through the middle people pull on that

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http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj6jpnSiJHLAhWHPhQKHUN0CkkQFggjMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bimmerfest.com%2Fforums%2Fatt achment.php%3Fattachmentid%3D311532%26d%3D13287244 99&usg=AFQjCNEywnSs5gOMUO5dVZz2Oh72GczKkw

[Ratinoff]

I'm not so sure about changing the arm is easier...all you have to do is remove Axel, parking brake, circlip, then pull the bearing with a harbor freight fwd bearing removal kit. I recommend getting a grade8 3/4" bolt though. Chinese threads just never hold. As for the inner race use some heat or dremel tool.

Would you provide info on the Harbor Freight FWD bearing removal kit?

Also, BMW TIS requires the following BMW proprietary tool, BMW Tool Number 33-3-240, be used to press the used bearing from the hub.

BMW TIS requires the following BMW proprietary tools to press the new bearing into the hub:

1.) BMW Tool Number 33-3-261
2.) BMW Tool Number 33-3-262
3.) BMW Tool Number 33-3-263

When I attempt to look up these tools by tool number using the GetBMWparts.com part search; search yields no results. Does anyone know the 11-digit BMW tool numbers that replace 6-digit numbers listed above?

[spyderg0d]

I think trailing arm replace is easier but sometimes its not the option. I dont mind undoing the parking brake and shock. In terms of pulling a crappy bearing, could take much longer than undoing a few more bolts.

I find the best way to remove the bearing, first remove the retaining clip.. youd be suprised how many ppl miss it..use like a random beat up socket, i tgink like a 18 if i remember, you can just hammer out the hub, its most likely bad, if its not it will be very soon after you shove it in a new bearing. using the slide hammer making sure its pulling the bearing straight. Some heat on the arm will make this 1000x easier. Useing a press usually ends up jaring the bearing. Leaving it having to be cut or air chizeld.

[Ratinoff]

use like a random beat up socket, i tgink like a 18 if i remember, you can just hammer out the hub, its most likely bad, if its not it will be very soon after you shove it in a new bearing.

Hammering on an 18mm socket to remove the rear wheel bearing from the rear wheel hub seems like it would require a tremendous amount of care not to damage the inner-bore of the rear wheel hub. You still would also need an installation tool or a arbor press to install the new bearing into the wheel hub.

[sealersd2]

You can get the stuck race off the old hub using the harbor freight large bearing separator. It isn't easy but I have done it. On this last go around I put a new hub in avoiding the stuck race. Depending on the age of the car may be a good Idea to use a new hub as they tend to get buggered up by bad bearings everything has to be good and smooth and balanced or leads to more problems down the road. The axle bolts are another story, had to grind 3 off due to age and stripping and a poorly engineered e-torx bolt setup, but just used a cheap jab saw with a good metal blade from tractor supply co. Someone had been in there before who knows how many times. Each took about 20 mins with jab saw and surprisingly once I grinded/cut the heads off the shafts came out very easily once worked past the 2 hole washer just using good pair of vice grips to pinch the tip of the cut off shaft. Then bought 6 brand new from bmw about 2.50 each and torqued to 45ft lbs.

[Ratinoff]

Depending on the age of the car may be a good Idea to use a new hub as they tend to get buggered up by bad bearings everything has to be good and smooth and balanced or leads to more problems down the road.

If replacing the entire rear wheel hub and bearing assembly, do you also advocate for replacing both rear CV shafts?

[Eric93se]

Hey spider, when pulling the rear trailing arm can the axle stay in place? At least on the drivers side pulling the arm is better than having to drop the exhaust/muffler to get that out of the way.

[spyderg0d]

Yea, the axle can stay attached to the diff. But its almost worse. I just loosen the nuts on the diff a little
bit and pull the axle flange out of the diff. So all you have to do is the three rtab bolts, the bolts for top spring perch and bottom camber arm. The shock bolt. Loosen the diff flang axle bolts. Pull the rotor and undo the ebrake cable. Pull it out.

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Then i pull the axle nut on a vice, change the arm. Thow new nut on and crimp it. Change the diff flange over. Shove the diff flange back in the diff. Do the spring perch bolt. Do the trab bolts. Do the camber arm, then shock ebrake ect. Screw messin with the wxhaust and sway links,.

[Eric93se]

This guy pulls the rear trailing arm from a 2000 e46 (looks the same as ours). Guy is a real dumbo letting the rear brake caliper dangle. He's doing the job becuase his 'friend' pressed out the rear bearing and screwed up the parking break hardware on the car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmMaE_qu4p8

[spyderg0d]

Sounds interesting. I let calipers hang.. I use the horrible justification that if the line cracks or breaks, its time for a new line anyway. Unless you got a bbk, those can get pretty large.