Rear axle removal please help!! need a write up?

[Bronzson]

1995 bmw 525i rear axle on the driver side snapped dindnt even know it was bad is it possible for me to remove it i have the part and im ateempting to today please help need a good write up what tools are required

[shogun]

moved to E34 forum

[moroza]

Punctuation, please.

You'll need wheel chocks, a jack, jackstands, small pick tool, hammer, 8mm Allen socket, PB Blaster, and a breaker bar. The axles are bolted to their flanges by 6x 8mm Allen bolts on each side. Chock the front wheels, lift the rear onto jackstands, and release the parking brake. Use the pick to clean out dirt and crud from all the bolts, rotating the wheel by hand to reach them all. When they're clean, spray some of the Blaster on each bolt, and take a quick break. When you come back, engage the parking brake and/or put the trans in Park or first gear, hammer your 8mm Allen socket into a bolt, and loosen it. Make sure the socket is in as deep as it will go and is square and secure in the bolt; they are prone to rounding and that becomes a headache involving cutting tools. If you have access to an impact gun, use that instead of a breaker bar, still ensuring that the socket is as secure in the bolt as possible. Repeat x12.

There is a chance you'll need a Torx socket instead. I don't know the size offhand; all the ones I've ever seen were Allen, but I've heard some using Torx.

Reassembly is the reverse of removal. Make sure the washer plates (you'll see what I mean) are in the correct position, and tighten the bolts around each flange in a star pattern, not a circle, and using hand tools, not an impact gun. Anti-seize may be a good idea on the threads.

Your 525i axle is shared with all 525i, automatic 530i, and later (>1/91) 535i automatics.

When you're done, please upload a photo or three of the broken part, and give us some background. These rarely fail and I'm curious why it did.