2000 323 rear wheel bearing replacement - BMW Forum

will415 · 09-12-2011, 06:41 PM

Anyone know if there is a thread to replacing the wheel bearing. I am going to be changing mine here in the next day or so cause when i am driving the car it sounds like it is coming from the rear right side a noise that as the car goes faster the sound increases and sounds like its the wheel bearings. I have tried to see if i could find a thread for it but i cant and i think i will need it for i have never done this before. If anyonecan help me out with that, that would be cool.

Jack Dabsy · 09-13-2011, 02:11 PM

Test the wheel first by jacking it up (Chock the front wheels, parking brake off) and grabbing the wheel at 3o'clock and 9o'clock positions...
Shake it to feel for movement, also spin it and listen for "Grating" or "Dryness" If all seems pretty ok then you could get away with repacking with grease...

Generally similar to all cars...
Lets start with the obvious - Remove the wheel (car on stands for your safety), drop the caliper but don't let it hang free...
Parking brake off, there may be a large screw on the disc/rotor, remove this, prise the small centre cap from the disc to reveal the bearing, remove the split-pin and castle-cap then unscrew the nut, the disc should be removable with the outer bearing falling out too... The inner bearing is pressed inside the rear of this disc, get a "puller" of some kind (hub or bush puller) and draw the inner bearing from the disc...
If the bearings are shot then you would have noticed excessive play and/or dryness.
Refitting the inner bearing is easier as you can "Drift" it into place using a large enough socket to cover the outer sleeve of the inner bearing and gently tap it into place until it goes no further !!
Refit with new outer bearing and grease that mother... Be sure NOT to over tighten the locknut...

After this advice and it's still the same then it could be a differential bearing! But we'll cross that bridge later...
Keep me informed Buddy...

will415 · 09-14-2011, 09:33 PM

K well i got the bearing off right now after beating myself up on the Slide Hammer but it worked. But i got a issue, the Hub itself has a peice of the bearing on it you know the front metal plastic idk if you know what i am talking about and now i dont know how to take that off.

will415 · 09-15-2011, 05:45 PM

k the job is done and ya it was tuff had to take it to some guy last night to take the part of the innner bearing off the hub we both tried and tired and got it off. Took like 30 min or more to get that one little thing off. But overall if it was not for that the job would had taken me about 3 hours maybe total time. I rented the Slide hammer from Autozone for 30 bucks and they gave it back when i turned it in today and the bearings from the part store was 36 dollars so it was really not that bad. I did have to go to a hardware store and get some kind of plumming tool to put on the slide hammer to help me get the bearing off. But honestly it worked out great i took the part back this morning and told them i did not need it anymore lol so i got my 5 dollars back from that and went to go buy some starbucks with it lol. But also check out on Youtube look up e46 wheel bearings and there is some helpfull info and videos there that i was able to find also for if you ever do this or if you know anyone or if anyone finds this thread. Signing off.

Jack Dabsy · 09-16-2011, 03:02 PM

ANOTHER CRIME SOLVED BY --- Sherlock Dabsy !!
Well done Will !!