Rear wheel bearing

[chip-3door]

Im experienced with cars in general, but pretty new to E30 ownership, so not had the pleasure of this one yet.

The old man has just take our E30 for an MOT and its failed on the rear wheel bearing.

Im 150 miles away from the car so cant look at whats involved.

Is it a particularly nasty job on these or pretty straightforward?



CheeRS



Chip

[stonesie]

I think they have to be done in situe, i know that as bearings go they are regarded as "fun" but i have never done 1

[chip-3door]

I think they have to be done in situe, i know that as bearings go they are regarded as "fun" but i have never done 1

Thanks mate.



anyone got any extra detail to add?

someone on here must have done one?

[Cava]

I have just had one replaced on my car - i was told to avoid this job as it can be a pig (specialist tools? etc). Got a local bmw specialist to do it and to be honest i was glad as they had a hell of job with it!

[martinclan]

When I refurbished all the E30 bits for my Kit Car this was the only job I had to resort to a garage for. The problem is that, when you remove the hub, the outer part of the bearing remains in the trailing arm and must be pressed out using a special tool.

[chip-3door]

Can you not just take the trailing arm off and press the bearing outer out of it with a vice and appropriate sized socket?

Thats what ive done on other cars that need the bearing pressing out.

Anyone got an exploded diagram of what im dealing with?

[E30BeemerLad]

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/partgrp.do?m ... g=33&fg=40

[chip-3door]

Thanks BeemerLad



I assume its the outer case of part 3 on that diagram that gets stuck in the trailing arm?

Is it a sealed bearing or is it possible to pull it apart?


Just wondering if as a shortterm fix i could replace the inner and the rollers and leave the other case in place, as ive got away with that before on other cars.

[chip-3door]

Thanks also to beemerlad for PMing me this link, which may be useful to others:

http://www.bmwe30.net/cgi-bin/datacgi/d ... Section=05

[chip-3door]

Article that someone on a ford site i use gave me on the subject:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techart ... earing.htm



Here is the tool that is needed, and which sadly i dont have!




Think im slowly starting to understand why even competent DIY mechanics dont do this one themselves, LOL

[chip-3door]

One of the lads on the passionford site has done a wheelbearing before on the back of a mates E30, and made a puller to make it easier for himself when he was doing the job.

So ive borrowed it off him.

will give it a go this sunday if GSF send the parts in time.

Will post back with wether it is indeed the nightmare you lot make out or wether you are all just a big bunch of girls

[MONSPORT42]

There's been a couple of long threads on this subject recently. Seem to remember a zone member who is a BMW Tech saying that a slide hammer is needed for the job.

[Martinaston]

You could probably get it all apart with a slide hammer but i'd be amazed if you can get it back in as well.
I did mine before Christmas and couldn't be bothered to go any further than pulling the hub off, so off it went (trailing arm) to a BMW specialist who pressed the outer casing out (after i'd destroyed the inner race's with the slide hammer).
When i went to pick it up the hub was loose as fuck and the guy tried to tell me that that would be ok once the shaft was back in it
When i showed him that he'd pushed the inner race out the back of the bearing when he re-fitted the hub i'm sure he blushed but i couldn't tell

[Jamesb318is]

When i showed him that he'd pushed the inner race out the back of the bearing

Thats why the special tools are a huge help. getting the remainder of the bearing out is a hard job even with them (as ive always found them very seized in!) The BMW special tool for pulling the drive flange off is a huge slide hammer which is longer than my arm, and putting the drive flange back in requires compressing on both sides, or as you say, the bearing comes apart.
Probably easiest to get it apart yourself, then take it to a dealer/specialist.

[chip-3door]

Well i will give it a go with this home made tool and see how i get on.

Will post up either way on sunday, assuming the parts arrive.

Its a puller that he has made, he tried making an impact tool first of all, but reckoned the forces involved werent very kind on the bearing.

[Martinaston]

Save yourself the bother and just take the arm to someone with a press, it took the guy less than five minuets. Once he'd taken the circlip off

[TINSNIPS]

i done mine on the drive at home what a job it took me 4 hours with a large socket and a big hammer 1 pack of plasters, next one i do will be at work and not at home.

[Simon13]

It is indeed a sad job!

had one fitted for Ԛ£70 from a BMW specialist so not too bad!

undo the big nut which holds the drive shaft in before u jack the car up. It's about 24mm if i remember correctly. Theres a clip which holds the nut secure and it's often a bit rusty in there and u can't really see it.

just 6 allen key botls which attach the other end of the drive shaft to the diff.

HTH

The rear bearing i have at home seems sealed as one as such.

[stuartgallafant]

i told DAN325iSPORT how to do this about 3-4 months ago...

maybe if you PM him, he might still have the PM i sent him on how to do it. if he doesnt, then let me know and i'll see if i can instruct you. i've done a few of 'em now. im gonna do the n/s/r on my iS soon aswell

whereabouts are you based? or where is the car based?

[chip-3door]

Somerset mate, and yes if you could dig that PM out it would be good.

[chip-3door]

No need now, done it.

Was a twat of a job!


http://www.e30zone.co.uk/modules.php?na ... ic&t=26998