E46 Front Wheel Bearing Diy

[danewilson77]

So....Just did the front wheel bearings. Truly rewarding.....and oh by the way....eff the $300.00 bearing reset tool.

TIME: 3 hours....with meticulous cleaning and degreasing.

MATERIAL LIST:

051-6020X2 1 BMW E36 Front Wheel Hub Hubs 1992-1999 (Pair) $202.00 $119.00 $119.00


31211128336 2 Axle Nut $6.55 $4.99 $9.98


31206777788 2 31206777788 Dust Cap $3.00 $6.00


31206777789 2 31206777789 Dust Cap $3.00 $6.00


Torque Wrench http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...Itemnumber=808

Socket set http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=5494

3 jaw puller at my local NAPA ran about $24.00

So....order all necessary parts. Wheel bearing, inner and outer dust boot, and bearing nut. Some good anti-seize or grease also would be required.



Next, ensure you have the proper tools. Other than common hand tools, you will need a large socket set and a 0-300ft-lb torque wrench. Purchased online for a total of $130.00.



I am assuming all of you can jack up and properly secure the car....so I'll skip pics of that.

Initial look.




Remove brake caliper bracket.....and properly suspend the caliper outta the way.

Next...remove rotor.





Next, lightly tap off outer dust cover....and tap out notched area on the bearing nut...then remove bearing nut.






Next......just pull the old hub off by hand. If you can't get it....just mechanically agitate it a little. The race is still on the shaft, in the picture below.



Now on one side...the bearing race came off with the hub....but on the other side the hub came off and the bearing race was left on the shaft. This required the use of a 3 jaw puller that I picked up a NAPA.

Old hub without race.



The last two things you have to pull off now are the inner dust shield, and brake dust shield.



Then you're ready to re-install everything with your new hub and bearing assembly.

Place brake dust shield back on and fasten using three bolts removed.



Then tap on the inner dust shield.



When you have the two above items on, above, and the shaft is lubricated, tap on the new bearing and hub assembly using a 36mm socket and 6" extension.



After you get the bearing properly seated, install the new bearing nut and torque to 214 ft-lbs.



Ensure you peen over the nut edge for safety, and then install your new outer dust shield.

Install the tire, unjack, and take for a test drive.

[tps7c]

Nice! So how did the test drive go?

[danewilson77]

Perfect...of course....lol

My sh!t could be laying in the ditch right now and I wouldn't tell ya...lol....j/k

[sk8rpirate]

nice write up

just curious....what exactly do the wheel bearings do?
how do you know if they go bad?

[BimmersGarage]

@danewilson77
Nice write up! Great photos.

@sk8rpirate
That's what allows your wheels to spin
And, here's how you can tell if your bearings are bad:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf3k21QiQxs[/ame]

[bimmerlifestyle]

nice write up

just curious....what exactly do the wheel bearings do?
how do you know if they go bad?

your sig is gay

[danewilson77]

Lol....ernie be nice

[nathancarter]

Nice work! I'm hoping I don't have to do this any time soon, but you made it look pretty easy. Good excuse to buy a couple of tools, too.

the shaft is lubricated

[danewilson77]

Yeah.....I knew someone would say something about that comment. Didn't think it would be you though Nathan....

[Rutly]

Thanks for the DIY! After reading Bentley I was considering giving up (special tool . . .). This makes it seem quite reasonable and I'm going to try it.

I have a question about the different 'goops' to use. You mention anti-seize, did you use on the axle or threads or both? I was thinking of using grease on the axle and anti-seize on the threads, but perhaps best to leave threads as dry as possible. I hate to have this rust and seize on if ever needs to be replaced again, but also hate to have it fall of if I over lubricate. Also thought greasing the threads might alter the torque on the nut?

Also, Bentley mentions 'caulking' the threads and using loctite on the dust cap. Last time I repacked bearings on a car (long time ago) you just packed it up with grease and pounded the cap in. Seems like that stuff might be overkill, but wondered if you had an opinion. I don't even know what one would use to caulk the threads.

Thanks for any input!

[danewilson77]

Yeah...I mean seriously....how much running torque do you think grease adds. I would say noy mor than 5 ft-lbs.

I did not use caulk or anti-seize. Only the anti seize and grease....

[Rutly]

Yeah...I mean seriously....how much running torque do you think grease adds. I would say noy mor than 5 ft-lbs.

I did not use caulk or anti-seize. Only the anti seize and grease....

Appreciate it, that was pretty much what I thought. Just wanted to be sure I wasn't missing some point everyone else thought was obvious. If I have any great revelations when I replace these I'll let you know.

[pimpin325ci]

Nice work, thanks for the write up. Maybe someday I'll use it, hopefully not though

[Benny Z]

that you in the pics?

nice kicks...

[nathancarter]

that you in the pics?

nice kicks...

no, Dane just takes the pictures and shouts orders, he makes his kids do all the physical labor

[Benny Z]

i was thinking along those lines until i saw the wedding ring...

[TC535i]

Got a stripped thread on a front wheel, gonna have to do this soon. Thanks for the writeup!

[danewilson77]

Anything for you TC...

[TC535i]

Anything for you TC...

[viperocco]

nice write up

just curious....what exactly do the wheel bearings do?
how do you know if they go bad?

yes what bimmergarages said..also in the cabin you will h ear a whaw whaw whaw proportional to speed

[Rutly]

yes what bimmergarages said..also in the cabin you will h ear a whaw whaw whaw proportional to speed

Just a note on the 'whaw whaw' sound. I've had this sound for a few months and was CERTAIN it was the bearings. When I spun the wheel freely I had just a tiny bit of the sound that is shown in the video. Just replaced my bearings yesterday and no change in the 'whaw whaw' sound whatsoever.
I'm now thinking it's the tire. So just wanted to caution that you may want to search a bit more before assuming it's the bearing so you don't waste time (like me).

This writeup among others made it incredibly straightforward to do, though!

[genuity]

Just a note on the 'whaw whaw' sound. I've had this sound for a few months and was CERTAIN it was the bearings. When I spun the wheel freely I had just a tiny bit of the sound that is shown in the video. Just replaced my bearings yesterday and no change in the 'whaw whaw' sound whatsoever.
I'm now thinking it's the tire. So just wanted to caution that you may want to search a bit more before assuming it's the bearing so you don't waste time (like me).

This writeup among others made it incredibly straightforward to do, though!

that is because it is probably your rear wheel bearings!

[danewilson77]

Just a note on the 'whaw whaw' sound. I've had this sound for a few months and was CERTAIN it was the bearings. When I spun the wheel freely I had just a tiny bit of the sound that is shown in the video. Just replaced my bearings yesterday and no change in the 'whaw whaw' sound whatsoever.
I'm now thinking it's the tire. So just wanted to caution that you may want to search a bit more before assuming it's the bearing so you don't waste time (like me).

This writeup among others made it incredibly straightforward to do, though!

You didnt waste time...you did whats known as preventative maintenance. Fixing something before it breaks. Kinda like changing your oil. Could be the tire is cupped....or unbalanced. Why you wouldnt verify this first is beyond me....

[BimmersGarage]

^
+1 Agreed.

@Rutly
Did you just guess at the problem or did you bring it into a shop to diagnose? (for a second opinion.)

Well, at least you have new front bearings in the front... Because for an '02, it's definitely time to refresh those bearings!

[golforcars325i]

Great write up...... a definite bookmark!

Just curious what your symptoms were? I regularly hear a 'whirring' sound between 55-65 mph, but I never hear it at any other speeds..... kinda weird. I often wonder if it's the bearings.