I have rented this slide hammer from autozone to get the rear hub off so I can change the bearing. Is it ok to use the factory wheel bolts like this to remove this or will I damage them or the hub threads?
Completely fine. Try to get as many threads as you can engaged.
I've done dozens of E36 and really all series of BMW wheel bearings, and it seems as though the slide hammer approach works the best while on the car. When the hub comes out, you'll see the race is stuck to the back side. Take a dremel or a angle grinder and start to cut a notch into it. Just take down as much metal in a straight (or angled) line as you can without cutting into the hub, and then give it some whacks with a chisel or hammer. Eventually the race will literally crack under its own stress and you'll be able to take it off with a pair of pliers or flathead. You can also try heating it up and cooling it after cutting. Trust me, it always cracks.5800344_f520.jpg
Great reference:
https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...cement-insight
Make sure the hub bore is very clean, use a flat head or pick and clean the inside lip.
To press it back in, I use a 1/2" threaded rod from home depot or lowes, about 12" long, and some different sized washers and thick plates. The bearing gets pressed in first, then the c-clip, then the hub. (God I can't tell you how many bearings I've ruined by forgetting the clip...)
Seems obvious, but make sure the rear side of the inner race is where the washer is pressing against when pressing the hub through.
Some light amount of anti-seize helps slide in the bearing and hub too.
Best of luck.
Last edited by Hova; 01-17-2019 at 10:53 PM.
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thank you for the guidance, I am actually doing this off of the car though so I forsee some extra difficulty using the slide hammer. THe whole drailing arm/axle assembly is sitting on the ground so I will have to brace it best I can with my legs or another method.
When installing the bearing, you apply force to the outside race so that the entire bearing will go into the trailing arm. When reinstalling the hub into the bearing, you want the pressure on the inner race so that the hub can go inside of it. If you don't, you will tear the bearing and the hub will actually push that part out. Just think about it. Since the hub GOES INSIDE the bearing, you need to make sure there is enough opposite force to make sure the hub slides inside of it....makes sense?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pvu69zCxiFk&t=2s
Last edited by BMWManiac; 01-18-2019 at 09:24 AM.
1997 Arctic Silver/Black M3
CES Stage IV (651rwhp/615rwtq @ 24 psi)
1999 Techno Violet/Dove M3
Auto/Convertible and staying stock!
excellent video, cleared things up. I went out and bought that same Maddox kit, with the 20% any single item coupon they had at Harbor Freight it was only $96. I had been trying to rent something but the auto parts stores were giving me the run around so I just bought it.
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