Any DIY for Center Support Bearing?

[kgorczyn]

For 528i would be best. I did search and came up with nothing

[Jamaican71]

I just did this on my ’98 528i last weekend and it was actually quite easy. Crawling under the car was the most difficult process. Here is how I accomplished it. Please proceed at your own risk.

Needed:

Safety glasses – lots of crud under the car
At least 4 jack stands (Ramps too if possible)
8 & 10 mm socket – for heat shields
18 mm socket & combination wrench – for drive shaft end at Guibo
13 mm socket - for exhaust mounts, center support, and CSB mount
13 mm combination wrench for drive shaft separation and CV/diff connection
PB Blaster or other break free oil
CV Grease
New CSB
New Guibo flex disc

The entire process, for me, took just over 4 hours with a start late in the day and a damn cold front moving in while I was under the car. I started at 72 and it was 40ish when I finished up.

I got the entire car up in the air to give me maximum clearance. I drove the front up on ramps, then jacked it further to place jack stands under the front sub-frame. This gives you needed clearance on the side of the car to crawl under and the ramps act as overkill safety just in case. I then jacked the rear end at the diff to level the car and placed jack stands at the jacking points. I tried shaking the car before I got under and it was solid as a rock. I also left my hydraulic jack under the diff as a back up for the rear.

Spray the front and rear bolts/nuts w/PB blaster and let sit while you remove the heat shields and lower the exhaust. You may need to spray the lower exhaust mount under the center of the exhaust. I loosened and removed all of the screws on the heat shields before I lowered the exhaust. The large heat shield also has the wires for the rear O2 sensors clipped on, so these need to be released and moved out of the way.

On the ’98 there are two exhaust mounts at the rear of the car. The first is directly before the muffler can and the other is on the passenger side just in front of the rear sub-frame, to the right of the diff. Simply remove the two nuts on each mount and slide them off while supporting the exhaust. Do the rear one first, then the next one and put something under the rear of the exhaust to allow it to lower all the way, but still be supported. The heat shields can now be removed with relative ease. Slide the large one down and around the exhaust turning as you take it out being sure to avoid your O2 sensor lines. The smaller one comes out very easily.

From there it’s pretty straight forward. Disconnect the front of the drive shaft at the Guibo to transmission connection (three 18mm bolts/nuts). The other three connect to the drive shaft and can be removed once it is off the car. Disconnect the rear of the drive shaft by removing the six 13 mm nuts attaching it to the diff.
Then disconnect the center support bearing by removing the two 13mm bolts holding it in place. (Break the nuts loose at the front using the breaker bar and 18mm wrench while the car is in gear to give you added leverage. Put the car in neutral to rotate drive shaft for the best angle on each nut/bolt, then in park to break it loose. You should be able to get to three of the nuts at the rear with each rotation and possibly two at the front depending on the orientation. Also break the 13 mm bolt loose at the drive shaft mid-point while it is still on the car for extra leverage)

You will need to wrestle with the drive shaft a bit to get the clearance needed to remove it as there is a centering pin at the front inserted into the transmission and the CV bolts which need to clear the carrier on the diff. I managed to get the front loose first, then moved it forward enough to remove the rear, then take the whole assembly out the rear.


Remove and replace the Guibo disc by removing the other three nuts/bolts. Be sure to orient the new Guibo correctly with the arrows on the attachment points pointing toward the drive shaft. It goes on either way, but you need to make sure the arrows are pointing in the proper direction and the nuts are on the outside of the assembly. (The nuts/bolts are placed opposite on the transmission side when you re-attach)

The following step is very important!!! Do not separate the drive shaft halves until you mark the orientation with a permanent marker or better yet a small metal scribe. This is important to maintain drive shaft balance. Mark each side of the drive shaft at the same point to ensure the splines are lined up identically when reassembled!!!

Use the 13mm box end wrench to release the drive shaft halves. If you did not break it loose on the car, have fun like I did! I used a hammer and screwdriver to carefully knock the old CSB of f the end of the drive shaft, then again to carefully put the new one on. A brass punch or chisel would be better.

Assembly is reverse of removal with the exception of repacking the CV with grease as you will surely have lost some during removal and for good preventative measure. I managed to get the shaft back in by putting the rear in first, then the front. Also don’t tighten up the CSB mounts until after you have the front and rear attached to ensure you have it centered properly. Just attach it loosely, then fully tighten in place last.

If I missed anything, please chime in, but the car has been running smooth as butter since I did this almost 1000 miles ago now.

I used this chart for my torque values: http://www.tpub.com/content/filters/...37-13P_105.htm


For reference, my old CSB was completely shot with the rubber completely deteriorated and rotten barely hanging on to the bearing which, in comparison to the new, was quite stiff. My Guibo looked fine while on the car, but once removed was much more pliable than the new one and the bolt carriers were loose/separated on one and cracked on all others. I did this repair to solve a knocking upon acceleration I had noticed that was getting consistently louder. This solved the problem as well as removed a lot of highway vibration in the seats I had only just started to notice. My acceleration off the line is greatly improved also as initial grab seems to be much more evident by the tires breaking loose a bit.

Many say that if your CSB is shot then the entire drive shaft assembly should be replaced as the u-joints are likely the cause of its failure, however due to my high mileage and limited budget, I opted to change the Guibo and CSB alone first as the Guibo is done separately anyway and the CSB was only $35. A used d/s starts at around $200 and a reman unit about $300, plus shipping, etc. I’m happy with my decision.

[cpatstone]

^^^ so you did all this without disconnecting the exhaust from the headers / exhaust manifold? the exhaust just hangs, flexes down enough so that you have clearance?

[bimmerfiver]

Excellant write-up.

I did this several months ago, hoping to eliminate vibration coming from the rear. It turned out my rear end balljoints are the cause afterall, but I am very glad to have replaced my driveshaft center bearing. I'll add that my bearing was about $75.00 if I recall. I bought OEM from www.eactuning.com (where you can also seek advice from Mark or Jared). I would not purchase a cheaper center bearing, go OEM.

It's nice to have blue or red loctite when buttoning up the job, I used red.

There is talk above in the excellant DIY by Jamaican71 about positioning the CSB at final setting...there is talk about pre-loading, pushing the CSB forwards toward the engine just a bit before final torque:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/tech...ft_Bearing.htm

My car is smooth as glass when hitting the gas. Granted I still have vibes over 35mph from my rear end, but the CSB job did offer a noticeable reward (and my CSB that was on my driveshaft truly was not shot at all).

It is brilliant to clean out the southern end of the driveshaft, the CV joint and re-pack with the proper grease.

Again, make certain you use a paint-pen to mark a line where the rear of the shaft connects to the front.

Cracking the bolt hidden in the U-Joint just takes some time and patience. Seperating the two end will require the same patience, rubber mallet, block of wood maybe. When putting the splines back together, place some anti-seize on them, it'll make it easier.

Be careful, use a blunt chisel and hammer to tap the CSB off the shaft and make certain you place the new CSB in the proper direction/orientation and at the same exact spot.

I also suggest you have some heat or torch. Getting the front exhaust nuts loose is not easy. Also, those 4 exhaust bolts up front...I replaced all four AND I DO suggest strongly you replace the exhaust gasket.

I had a thread here:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1531872

Don't get any PB Blaster on your 02 sensors (or maybe it was vibration from hammering out the exhaust that killed one of them, I replaced both while I was down there and if you ever consider replacing your post-cat 02 sensors now is the time).

I had some pics posted of this job, but can't find them.

[Jamaican71]

^^^ so you did all this without disconnecting the exhaust from the headers / exhaust manifold? the exhaust just hangs, flexes down enough so that you have clearance?

Yes, it was a bit close, but I had plenty of room. I was prepared to drop the front if I had to, but thought I'd try this first. Do support the rear of the exhaust rather than just leave it hanging.

Excellant write-up.

I did this several months ago, hoping to eliminate vibration coming from the rear. It turned out my rear end balljoints are the cause afterall, but I am very glad to have replaced my driveshaft center bearing. I'll add that my bearing was about $75.00 if I recall. I bought OEM from www.eactuning.com (where you can also seek advice from Mark or Jared). I would not purchase a cheaper center bearing, go OEM.

I agree about OEM, but there were so many different price ranges for this part OEM or not. Ebay has them for $20 - $100. I use AutohausAZ and got a Lemfoerder CSB for $37.10 ($80.13 list) I'll probably be using EAC in the near future as they, Mark and Jared, come so highly recommended on this forum.

[champaign777]

Many say that if your CSB is shot then the entire drive shaft assembly should be replaced as the u-joints are likely the cause of its failure, however due to my high mileage and limited budget, I opted to change the Guibo and CSB alone first as the Guibo is done separately anyway and the CSB was only $35. A used d/s starts at around $200 and a reman unit about $300, plus shipping, etc. I’m happy with my decision.

+ diff mount b/w drive shaft and diff

[kgorczyn]

Jamaican,

I just want to thank you for taking time to share that information with us. I am going to attempt to do this tomorrow. I will post the outcome. Thanks Again.

[pleiades]

Jamaican,

I just want to thank you for taking time to share that information with us. I am going to attempt to do this tomorrow. I will post the outcome. Thanks Again.

How'd it all turn out? This is another future DIY on my growing list.....

[kgorczyn]

How'd it all turn out? This is another future DIY on my growing list.....

Thanks for the reminder to post an update :-)

My initial symptoms were a “hesitation / shudder / violent shaking” under moderate load / high torque in high gears (4th and OD, I have a steptronic tranny). I also had a low “growl” coming from the back of the car when the car would be in 4th great or higher, only under moderate load. This was a loud growl. I had a shop tell me I should start with the CSB and take it from there.

It turned out OK. Not having a lift, I drove the front end up on ramps and then placed the rear end on jack stands.

Having 215k+ miles on the clock, the exhaust was a B**** to remove. As a matter of fact, one of the bolts completely broke (the head) and the stud is still in there, tried drilling it out to no avail. Have to take this to a shop to get it done, but exhaust seems to be fine with the remainder of the bolts.
Like bimmerfiver, I still have a shake here and there but it is 98% better. I have a feeling my CSB was fine, but my CV is on its way out. I repacked it with grease and that’s why I think my car drives better, not because of the CSB. So unfortunately, when I get some more $$$, I will be replacing the CV. And if that doesn’t fix it 100%, then it’s the differential I would guess. Anyone have any opinions on this?

Make sure you mark the orientation of the driveshaft when you take the two ends apart. Also, remember to break the bolt holding the halves of the driveshaft while it’s still on the car, because it’s a B**** to do it once it’s off the car, ask me how I know….

Other than that, take your time and be careful and work slowly. Make sure you torque everything to their proper values.

Btw, what are your symptoms?

[pleiades]

Btw, what are your symptoms?

LOL, just age. Nothing obvious yet, no noises or vibrations, just a little "slack" feeling in the drivetrain, particularly in the lower gears.

Since I'm planning to do the flex disc it just seems silly not to pull the whole DS and replace all the other replaceables "while there"....

Good point about the bolt in the U-joint, I was wondering how everyone holds the DS down when torquing on that thing....

[jamesdc4]

I just did this on my ’98 528i last weekend and it was actually quite easy. Crawling under the car was the most difficult process. Here is how I accomplished it. Please proceed at your own risk.

Needed:

Safety glasses – lots of crud under the car
At least 4 jack stands (Ramps too if possible)
8 & 10 mm socket – for heat shields
18 mm socket & combination wrench – for drive shaft end at Guibo
13 mm socket - for exhaust mounts, center support, and CSB mount
13 mm combination wrench for drive shaft separation and CV/diff connection
PB Blaster or other break free oil
CV Grease
New CSB
New Guibo flex disc

The entire process, for me, took just over 4 hours with a start late in the day and a damn cold front moving in while I was under the car. I started at 72 and it was 40ish when I finished up.

I got the entire car up in the air to give me maximum clearance. I drove the front up on ramps, then jacked it further to place jack stands under the front sub-frame. This gives you needed clearance on the side of the car to crawl under and the ramps act as overkill safety just in case. I then jacked the rear end at the diff to level the car and placed jack stands at the jacking points. I tried shaking the car before I got under and it was solid as a rock. I also left my hydraulic jack under the diff as a back up for the rear.

Spray the front and rear bolts/nuts w/PB blaster and let sit while you remove the heat shields and lower the exhaust. You may need to spray the lower exhaust mount under the center of the exhaust. I loosened and removed all of the screws on the heat shields before I lowered the exhaust. The large heat shield also has the wires for the rear O2 sensors clipped on, so these need to be released and moved out of the way.

On the ’98 there are two exhaust mounts at the rear of the car. The first is directly before the muffler can and the other is on the passenger side just in front of the rear sub-frame, to the right of the diff. Simply remove the two nuts on each mount and slide them off while supporting the exhaust. Do the rear one first, then the next one and put something under the rear of the exhaust to allow it to lower all the way, but still be supported. The heat shields can now be removed with relative ease. Slide the large one down and around the exhaust turning as you take it out being sure to avoid your O2 sensor lines. The smaller one comes out very easily.

From there it’s pretty straight forward. Disconnect the front of the drive shaft at the Guibo to transmission connection (three 18mm bolts/nuts). The other three connect to the drive shaft and can be removed once it is off the car. Disconnect the rear of the drive shaft by removing the six 13 mm nuts attaching it to the diff.
Then disconnect the center support bearing by removing the two 13mm bolts holding it in place. (Break the nuts loose at the front using the breaker bar and 18mm wrench while the car is in gear to give you added leverage. Put the car in neutral to rotate drive shaft for the best angle on each nut/bolt, then in park to break it loose. You should be able to get to three of the nuts at the rear with each rotation and possibly two at the front depending on the orientation. Also break the 13 mm bolt loose at the drive shaft mid-point while it is still on the car for extra leverage)

You will need to wrestle with the drive shaft a bit to get the clearance needed to remove it as there is a centering pin at the front inserted into the transmission and the CV bolts which need to clear the carrier on the diff. I managed to get the front loose first, then moved it forward enough to remove the rear, then take the whole assembly out the rear.


Remove and replace the Guibo disc by removing the other three nuts/bolts. Be sure to orient the new Guibo correctly with the arrows on the attachment points pointing toward the drive shaft. It goes on either way, but you need to make sure the arrows are pointing in the proper direction and the nuts are on the outside of the assembly. (The nuts/bolts are placed opposite on the transmission side when you re-attach)

The following step is very important!!! Do not separate the drive shaft halves until you mark the orientation with a permanent marker or better yet a small metal scribe. This is important to maintain drive shaft balance. Mark each side of the drive shaft at the same point to ensure the splines are lined up identically when reassembled!!!

Use the 13mm box end wrench to release the drive shaft halves. If you did not break it loose on the car, have fun like I did! I used a hammer and screwdriver to carefully knock the old CSB of f the end of the drive shaft, then again to carefully put the new one on. A brass punch or chisel would be better.

Assembly is reverse of removal with the exception of repacking the CV with grease as you will surely have lost some during removal and for good preventative measure. I managed to get the shaft back in by putting the rear in first, then the front. Also don’t tighten up the CSB mounts until after you have the front and rear attached to ensure you have it centered properly. Just attach it loosely, then fully tighten in place last.

If I missed anything, please chime in, but the car has been running smooth as butter since I did this almost 1000 miles ago now.

I used this chart for my torque values: http://www.tpub.com/content/filters/...37-13P_105.htm


For reference, my old CSB was completely shot with the rubber completely deteriorated and rotten barely hanging on to the bearing which, in comparison to the new, was quite stiff. My Guibo looked fine while on the car, but once removed was much more pliable than the new one and the bolt carriers were loose/separated on one and cracked on all others. I did this repair to solve a knocking upon acceleration I had noticed that was getting consistently louder. This solved the problem as well as removed a lot of highway vibration in the seats I had only just started to notice. My acceleration off the line is greatly improved also as initial grab seems to be much more evident by the tires breaking loose a bit.

Many say that if your CSB is shot then the entire drive shaft assembly should be replaced as the u-joints are likely the cause of its failure, however due to my high mileage and limited budget, I opted to change the Guibo and CSB alone first as the Guibo is done separately anyway and the CSB was only $35. A used d/s starts at around $200 and a reman unit about $300, plus shipping, etc. I’m happy with my decision.

Thanks for the excellent write-up. I'm going to place this in the DIY section, but if you feel so inclined to add pics at some point, it'd be much appreciated.

[JoeH]

Just did this on a 97 528i w/ 210k, figured Id add some more pointers.

The bolt holding the 2 half shafts together is 18mm and mine was tight almost the whole way out. Alot of quarter turns! Worst part imo.

The diff flange wanted to hold the cv and pulling from front may damage it, lightly pry/push the bolts foward to help loosen/remove. Dont forget to clean and pack the cv with fresh grease. Mine had loose metal shards in it, not good!

Check csb mounting points before removal to get an idea of where to preload to etc.

Arrows on guibo point towards attachment points, easy enough. The bolts on mine all pointed towards the trans, nuts were all on trans side???

Buy bolts, washers, and nuts for exhaust and heat shields. Mine fell apart and held up the job. Another note; AzAutohaus sent me a hamburg CSB yet I ordered oem Lemforder and the receipt says lemforder, now the lemforder csb isnt available thru them. I should have said something but the parts were sitting and went unnoticed for months.

I havent drove it to see if it helped my 0 to 25mph accel vibes and shift to reverse clank but it should help some, the cv was pretty dry. The csb was worn but not shot, the guibo had cracks and was hard/dry. The new csb is stiffer and smoother rolling, the new guibo is more pliable/fresh rubber. HTH

Thanks for the writeup Jamaican71, helped alot...

[motion]

When changing the Guibo, it's good practice to also change the centering sleeve (insert depth is important).