Access/Removal of Intermediate Joint Assembly (Steering)

[Zrtyler]

I've picked around this part for months now and can't figure out for the life of me how to get at the top Torx bolt attaching it to the steering column.
There's a youtube video floating around of it being done on a Right-Handed drive car but that doesn't apply here...
e46 intermediate shaft.PNG
I circled the bolt that I can't access. Anyone know how to get to it? It can't be done from the Driver-side foot-well can it?

The following snip is from an older thread describing the procedure, but it doesn't make sense to me since you can't "reach down: to it.
e46 intermediate shaft2.PNG
(ref: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=634699)

Any ideas?

much love

[dhurley34]

Should be relatively easy access from above after you remove the intake bellows.

[90turbo1]

I think that bolt is at base of steering column, to get that one you will need to get under dash, and turn wheel to approx 3 o'clock or 9 youll have to look. you can then see the head of the bolt pointing straight down, use an extension and torx socket to remove. it will have lock tite on it so it will be a pain the first turn or so.

[dhurley34]

I think that bolt is at base of steering column, to get that one you will need to get under dash, and turn wheel to approx 3 o'clock or 9 youll have to look. you can then see the head of the bolt pointing straight down, use an extension and torx socket to remove. it will have lock tite on it so it will be a pain the first turn or so.

That joint is on the engine side of the firewall in the proximity of the bottom side of the brake booster.

[90turbo1]

That joint is on the engine side of the firewall in the proximity of the bottom side of the brake booster.

gotcha i was thinking of e9x colums.. Hate those.

[Honolulu]

To add to your joy, sometimes that bold fits in a groove in the shaft, so you have to fully remove it in order to change the universal joint. This is my experience on older bimmers (most all of my experience is) but may well be your situation as well, considering the habits of manufacture that BMW continues to employ.

I've had to loosen the nut, hammer on the bolt enough to get it started moving out of the ujoint, remove the nut and drive the bolt out. Reassembly is made a tiny fraction easier if you jam a screwdriver in the ujoint slot and widen it just a skosh (technical term). After you've done it a couple times, you'll still have trouble, curse BMW, and (horrors) ponder whether this happens to toyota owners, or it's just a special level of hell for bimmerheads.