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Thread: X3 Rear axle shaft removal??

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Kingsland GA
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    122
    My Cars
    14 X3 35i

    X3 Rear axle shaft removal??

    2014 X3 35i
    So... Right rear wheel bearing is getting noisy.
    Looking at service manual and it's showing fancy hydraulic on car press to push and pull axle shaft in and out of bearing. It also mentions special tool at differential end.

    Can this job be done without these special tools or will i screw myself after using a slide hammer to pull out hub and then not be able to get stub shaft out of the inner??

    Thanks Mike

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Renton, WA
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    464
    My Cars
    03 540i, 04 X3, 00 328i
    The axle shaft end is connected to the wheel hub, not the bearing.
    After removing the axle nut, you need to be able to push the shaft end out of the wheel hub. It can sometimes be done very easily, but typically those two things are corroded together and will be hard to separate. I would not buy a special tool for that. Look for a generic “hub puller” and get as sturdy one as your budget allows.

    You don’t normally need to take out the whole axle to replace a bearing. You can let the other end be connected to the differential and just push it out of the way to the side. After that, you use the slide hammer to break the bearing to separate the wheel hub.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Renton, WA
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    464
    My Cars
    03 540i, 04 X3, 00 328i
    After the old bearing is out, you will need some kind of a puller to get the inner race out of the old wheel hub, or sometimes one can just chisel it out. You also need some kind of a press to push the wheel hub to the new bearing. However, it does not require that much force that a hydraulic press would be needed. I have often improvised with a long bolt from a spring compressor, and something tube or disc like whose diameter matches the inner race.

    All in all special tools are nice, but not absolutely necessary if you can improvise with other tools you have available.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Kingsland GA
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    122
    My Cars
    14 X3 35i
    Great, thanks..
    Didn't look like i explained it as clear as i wanted.
    Thought about it.. manual shows really cool high tech hydraulic pump that can be mimicked with a regular 3 jaw puller.
    It's a far stretch from doing my e38 bushings with threaded rod and exhaust pipe adapter s.

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