Member
2003 325Xi
On the way to work this morning started to hear a strange noise start from I think the RF. It happened as I slowed down and took a left hand turn (possibly of importance since the RF of the car was under load taking that corner) and the noise came out of nowhere.
It sounds kind of like when I wheel bearing has gone bad, that repeating humming of a hmmm...hmmm...hmmm...hmmm... put the sound it's making is more of a tick/light clunk. Increases on acceleration and more noticeable the faster I go.
When I got to work I tried wiggling the RF tire back and forth to see if I could feel a loose wheel bearing or any play there and I felt nothing.
Any ideas?
Jbird
Depending which way you are turning your either loading or unloading the bearing. loading bearing noisy unloading nois is less. You would need to raise up the car spin the wheels if you want to check for looseness.
Member
How many miles on the car? It does sound (pun intended) like the wheel bearing is a likely suspect. Typically a failing wheel bearing won't exhibit play. As it's an awd car replacing the wheel bearing will require a fair amount of work as the half shaft and the constant velocity joint (CVJ) will have to removed. A good time to replace the CVJ boot. If the RF is going than the LF probably isn't far behind.
Member
144k
Are you saying that when I replace the wheel bearing to replace the half shaft too, or just the boot?
Fast
More than likely the shaft is toast if its never been replaced before. Do not buy cheap, buy OEM GKN or you'll be replacing them again in 5k.
Member
Parts on the way, looks like my weekend is booked up.
Member
Day 1 repair update: Did not do enough research prior to pretending to be mechanic tonight...
Xi model wheel bearing replacement is much different than 2wd models (duh!) Will be taking the whole spindle assy to the dealership for them to pop the old bearing out and put the new bearing in- I'm not buying a special tool or press for this.
On to axles: Replacement from Pelican has quite a bit different design.
20170915_210833.jpg
Old axle/boots in surprisingly good shape.
20170915_221815.jpg
No signs of torn boot or leakage anywhere which leads to me wonder if I should just try the bearing replacement......... (wheel bearing was noticeably bad by feel)
20170915_210842.jpg
I am curious about the amount of grease around the spindle though- if not coming from the axle boot then where?
Last edited by H00sier; 09-15-2017 at 11:06 PM.
Fast
The XI axles wear on the inner CV. Even if there are no rips in the boot, the "tripod" bearings begin to wear a groove on the race and develop radial play. That play is then transmitted to the chassis as drivetrain vibration/noise at certain speeds when the throttle is applied.
Those XI front wheel bearings are a bitch.
BTW for those who dont know how to tell if their front axles are bad:
1. Lift the front of the car up one wheel at a time (safely)
2. Lay on your back with one palm gripping the inner CV housing and the other rotating the tire back and forth. Do this slowly to feel accurately.
3. The tire should only rotate 1/8" - 1/4" back and forth before you feel the axle try to turn the inner CV.
4. Any more rotation than that and they're on their way out.
Member
Any thoughts on where the grease is coming from if not the boot?
Fast
How long have you had the car?
Member
3 weeks
Long story short. Picked up the car for practically nothing because a u-joint failed on the front driveshaft and it literally fell out of the car at 75mph. When it did, it jarred the car so suddenly and hard it set all the airbags off. Guy didn't want to fix it so I bought it, put a driveshaft and airbags in it and started driving it.
Last edited by H00sier; 09-16-2017 at 10:46 AM.
Fast
Reason I ask is a boot could have been replaced before you got it and that was just residual grease.
Member
I took the spindle in to the dealership today and they replaced the wheel bearing for me. Brought it home tonight and got the tranny side of the axle installed no problem, but when it came time to get the spindle side seated back on the splines and mated I absolutely could NOT get them together. How hard should that press together? I did have a little axle/wheel bearing grease on both sides before attempted assembly.
Since I had the tranny end installed already I first tried the common sense way of just putting the spindle back on the lower control arm and then jacking it up a bit to get it level and the axle going in to the hub straight. I made sure the splines aligned between the two and then whacked the hub a few times with a rubber mallet. It didn't seat at all. So I hit it a little harder than I'd like to admit, still nothing. It came apart easily by hand and hadn't seated at all.
Next I pulled the axle back out of the tranny and then tried putting the hub on to the axle first. I put the hub on the ground face down and then put the axle on top of it and tried beating it together from the transmission side of the axle driving it straight down in to the hub. Still didn't seat even the tiniest amount.
Whats going on here?!
Purchased parts:
wheel bearing: T#: 397603
axle: T#: 360426
Last edited by H00sier; 09-18-2017 at 07:54 PM.
Fast
It is next to impossible. I had to disconnect the strut and slam the spindle inwards over and over as hard as I could Hulk Hogan style just to get enough threads to poke through to get a nut on it.
But yes its a bitch DIY
Member
Okay, I feel a little better now knowing I'm not the only one who struggled. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't fubar'ing it up by missing some aspect of the job.
Member
I have done the full 4 axle and 4 wheel bearing replacment on my xi. its a hard job for sure.
Member
Fuck it. Back to the dealer it goes. Maybe they'll take pity on me and will do it on the cheap.
Member
when i installed the front cv axles i inserted the inner axle rod into the front differential first. giving a small rotation on the cv axle to align the inner splines properly. having the lower ball joint seperated on the hub assembely give enough movment to insert the outer cv slpines to the inside of the hub. giving the push to set the cir clip and outer spline in the hub. making sure cir clip is not damaged before inserting into front diff. making sure both inner and out splines are clean with a little oil or grease rubbed in.
Member
I replaced the left front axle on my '02 325xi and it went together easy-peasy, no problems at all. I was actually a little surprised the job went smoothly.
Don't know why yours is not cooperating. Makes me think that there is a burr or something on either the male splined end (which would be easy to see) or the dealership munged up the female spline(s) in the hub (which would not be so easy to determine).
Going back to the dealer and asking howcum may enlighten you or your wallet, but it could turn out the dealer's tech somehow screwed the pooch and you should recover costs. Lotsa luck, but you gotta try.
Charlie
Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to add value to these threads, either by pictures or by descriptions, so the next person with the same or similar problem stands on your shoulders.
Member
So frustrated with this job.
Instead of taking axle and hub to dealer to get them fit together I just bought a reman axle from a parts shop. I wanted a comparison incase there was just something off on the brand new axle, maybe a once in a million spline out of tolerance or something. Anything to help explain why I couldn't get them together.
Reman axle is same thing. I can get it seated on the diff side so easily the clip/detent pops in place just by pushing it hard.
On the hub side it will absolutely not go together. Here is the reallllllllllly weird thing though: if I put it in the hub backwards, it goes no problem.
Does anything look off to you guys on the hub?
20170923_141209.jpg
20170923_141224.jpg
Son of a bitch will go right together this way:
20170923_141241.jpg
Theres just gotta be something wrong with the splines inside the hub.....
Last edited by H00sier; 09-23-2017 at 03:01 PM.
Member
I don't know what that looks like to say yes or noOriginally Posted by Junglenut
Member
Maybe check for a taper on the hub and stub.
Fast
Nothing is wrong. The axles are designed to be a TIGHT fit on the inside. Think "impossible", but its not.
Member
Then why does it go on backwards (tight) but fine?
Fast
No idea why. If youre using grease, dont. It takes up too much space in the splines and creates a suction. Soak the splines in penetrating oil, then remove the excess.
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