Replacing Rear wheel bearings - BMW Forum

foxrace8 · 07-26-2007, 02:16 PM

I am replacing my rear wheel bearings on my 93 325is. Does the drive axle need to come out before pulling off the wheel flange (or drive flange whatever its called)? Cause the axle wont budge! Ive pounded at it for a while. Anyone done this before?

Kissner · 07-26-2007, 04:38 PM

I've done a rear wheel bearing once and i'm in the process of doing it again, tonight hopefully. Are you doing the whole thing yourself? If your car is like my M3, the bearing has to be pressed into the hub, which requires the use of a huge press. It's a pain in the ass and really easy to fuck up, or maybe i'm just stupid. If you can afford to do it, take it to a shop and have them replace it. BMW shops can replace the bearing without tearing the whole rear end apart, they have some fancy machine. As for your question, post some pics and i'll tell you what i did, i'm not positive on what your asking

bimmerguy82 · 07-26-2007, 05:00 PM

Hey, unless you've done it before or you have all the right tools I think it's best to take it to a shop. Like Kissner said it's pretty easy to screw something up, but shops have the right tools to do it. I did my rear wheel bearing at a shop and I think it was like a two hour job plus the $70 bearing, so it was about $200 in the end. Not too bad and if something else happens with it, it's the shops fault. just my 2 cents.

Kissner · 07-26-2007, 06:06 PM

I had having it replaced at a BMW shop quoted and they said $650 for parts and labor. That's including a new hub, which costs around a hundo, and prolly a hundo in labor. I'd say 400 would cover it at a BMW dealer. If you mess it up it's gonna be another 100 on a bearing until you get it right, in the end it would end up being cheaper to have the shop do it

foxrace8 · 07-27-2007, 01:05 AM

Yeah, ive heard alot a few people say that but i live in a small college town in Idaho and there isn't really anywhere to take it and its already apart. Ive done quite a bit of car work and restoration so i decided to try this. We'll see what happens. Ive also talked to some people that have done it and say its a pain but not too bad. Can't post pics right now my see what i can post tomorrow. Ive gotten to the point where i need to pull off the drive flange with a impact pull and take the axle out and i will be at the wheel bearing.

P.S. The closest BMW shop is about 90 miles away.

thekid · 07-29-2007, 05:07 PM

It's not that bad. If you don't have a press you can "make" one using a long thick bolt, something a little bigger than the wheel bearing, a nut and a large wing nut. Or once you get it in a bit by hand, you can get someone to carefully hold it one the inside and take a 2x4, press it up against the wheel bearing and hit it with a large hammer... The bolt on the press I was using was stripped so we had to use the 2x4 method. I broke 2 sections of 2x4 before I got the wheel bearing in.

Starmavin · 07-29-2007, 10:24 PM

Beating the bearing in halves the life span of the bearing. (even by with my skilled hands) Obviously best thing is a bearing press, often called a hub shark, it's the only safe way to install a wheel bearing with out damaging the bearing or the car. Some parts stores have a loan-a-tool program and rent these, just ask if they have a on the car bearing press. Even a ball joint press can be used to install them in some cases.

theruss1an1 · 07-31-2007, 10:22 PM

I could write up the way shops do it but you wont have most of the tools.

-Serge

Kissner · 08-03-2007, 09:19 PM

I just did mine a few nights ago and it went pretty well. We have a 20,000 press in our shop which makes it alot easier. I would suggest finding a press somewhere, they aren't that rare. The hardest part is getting the bearing pressed in without having it go crooked and without pushing on the actual bearing too hard. I found that using the old bearing to press the new one in is the easiest way. If u can get to a press, just line the new bearing up where it needs to be and set the old bearing right on top of it. Put a piece of scrap metal across the old bearing and press it down. It distributes the pressure over the entire bearing that way. If you need me to describe the whole process better just let me know, i can only help you out if u get to a press though

mitch.smith · 08-13-2007, 05:05 PM

At what miles should you look at replacing them?

Kissner · 08-13-2007, 06:00 PM

Don't look to replace them ever, it's kind a do it if you have to thing. You'll know when they need to be replaced, it's not a good sound

mitch.smith · 08-14-2007, 08:45 AM

Thanks!!!