Rear Wheel Bearings = new (with pics)

[Petes540i6]

Awesome! Subscribed.

[champaign777]

when you disconnect axle drive from differential you can move it up / down so you will have better access to remove 4 bearing bolts

[htran]

Great thread very informative thanks! Subscribed.

I will be changing out my rear bearing soon, fingers crossed.

[webdesigner]

Excellent write up, beer, and fish

Seriously, nice catch...

[cnn]

For purpose of cross reference, I just did my REAR Bearings the simple way (no need to remove drive shaft).

I just replaced by REAR Bearings using TIMKEN 512225 Bearing (it was a Koyo bearing inside a Timken Box).

Below is the DIY that I posted on bimmerforums and bimmerfest using standard tools plus a few special tools that you can rent, instead of buying them. Advance Autoparts rent them for free (Gear Puller: 2- and 3-jaw types; Bearing Separator).

The key things are:

1- The special 1/4" drive (not 3/8" drive) E14 socket...$6 online. Thjis tool is a life saver.
2- Wobble extensions
3- Angle Grinder to make grooves on the Inner Race so the Bearing Separator can bite on it.
4- Bearing Separator (rent it, don't buy it).
5. The "AmPro" 36-mm socket, I happened to buy it a few years from Advance Autoparts for engine oil change, as it turned out, it was a life-saving tool when pressing the Outer Race from the Hub!

6- Spray the 36-mm nut with WD-40/PB Blaster etc. 3-4 days before doing the job.

So if you are a serious Saturday mechanic, you probably have all the tools already. All you need are additional items #1-5 above.


DIY: 1998 528i REAR Bearing the Easy Way!
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...php?p=22673996


DIY: 1998 528i REAR Bearing the Easy Way!
(Delete hyphens to see thread below):
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=566786


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4). Then placed new wheel bearings on, Red-Loctite the 4 bolts, torqued them down (surprisingly the torque specs for them is less than you'd expect)...

Yeah,

I think mmm635 mentioned 30 Nm for the E14 bolts, but he forgot (or got the incomplete info from Bentley) the important part of this TTY (Torque To Yield) bolt: the 90-degree turn.

As I mentioned above, my 1998 Volvo V70 FRONT Bearing (The drive axle) has the exact same setup as E39 REAR Bearing:
- Same axle made by GKN-Lobro
- Same E14 bolts
- Same 36-mm nut

And yet Volvo (and many other makers using the same E14 bolts) specifies 45Nm, followed by 60-degree turn, which brings the torque to about 70-80 Nm. So this made me think quite a bit before doing this job.

I am glad I have fixed enough cars to realize that this was an error somewhere. It simply did not sound correct. So my instinct was right.

And guess what, people all along miss the key instruction: turn another 90 degrees after 30 Nm!:

http://tis.spaghetticoder.org/s/view.pl?1/03/70/50

[RAZ1777]

Do the F.A.G. wheel berrings come pre-greased? Any recommendations if they have to be greased?


Thanks,
BobZ