I think you have a long haul in front of you; you'd better do some homework before getting yourself in too far. I started another thread on the topic of wheel bearings, and so far it's collected some good info; you ought to check it out.
http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...aring-r-r.html
I don't mean to discourage you, but this is a big, big job, and you really need to look into all that's involved before you get too far. Once you start pulling the hub off, there is no turning back and driving it to a mechanic for help. The bearing is destroyed when you pull the hub off, so then you need to either replace the bearing in place, or pull the whole wheel carrier off & take it somewhere to get replaced. Then you have to put it all back together. From memory, here are the steps I took to do the job:
- Raise front end.
- Remove wheel.
- Unstake hub nut and remove.
- Remove brake caliper, hang caliper from frame.
- Remove brake disk retaining bolt, and remove brake disk.
- Remove bolts holding wheel carrier to strut.
- Tap drive axle inward to release from splined hub.
- Temporarily replace bolts holding wheel carrier to strut.
- Use slide hammer to remove hub.
- Remove dust shield/protection plate.
- Remove ABS sensor.
- Remove bearing retainer snap ring.
- Use wheel bearing adapter plates & cups to remove bearing from wheel carrier.
- Use Dremel tool with cutoff wheel to split bearing race clinging to hub spindle.
- Replace dust shield/protection plate.
- Clean up bearing mating surfaces & apply antisieze compound.
- Use wheel bearing adapter plates & cups to press bearing into wheel carrier.
- Reinstall bearing retainer snap ring.
- Reinstall/replace ABS sensor.
- Use wheel bearing adapter plates & cups to press hub spindle into bearing.
- Remove bolts holding wheel carrier to strut to allow wheel carrier to move out far enough to reinsert axle end into splined hub.
- Use special tool to pull axle end into splined hub.
- Replace hub nut, torque to spec, and restake to the axle spindle.
- Reinstall brake disk & retaining bolt.
- Reinstall brake caliper.
- Reinstall wheel.
- Lower front end.
That's probably not an exhaustive list, and it just breezes by some of the struggles I've encountered, and the costs. Many of the tools can be obtained through loaner programs, but some can't, and they can get expensive. The Advance Auto store near me had a slide hammer in their freebie loaner program; your Autozone ought to as well. It'll look like this one -->
http://www.harborfreight.com/media/c...mage_21847.jpg
Then you'll either need to pull the whole wheel carrier off (have to get the control arms and tie rod off for that) and use a hydraulic press to get the bearing out, or leave the carrier in place and use a set of wheel bearing adapters. I have a hydraulic press, but was able to buy a wheel bearing adapter set from another member here who had just done this job on his X5.
I don't think I would've saved much time or effort by pulling the wheel carrier, but for that you need a some tie rod tools. I got a front end service kit from Advance Auto in case I needed it (similar to this one
5 Piece Front End Service Tool Set ).
But before you can even start on pressing/pulling the bearing out, you need to deal with the snap ring. I already had a very nice Channel Lock snap ring pliers, but it was no match for this monster; I ended up spending $40 on a Lisle heavy duty unit.
Bottom-line pricing on Lisle 49200 at ToolTopia.com . Even with that tool, that snap ring was not easy to coax out of there.
And once you get to that point you need to get the ABS sensor out of the way. Mine wouldn't budge. No idea how long it had been in there, but I had to drill it out; another ~$80 for a pair of those (because I know I'll find the same situation on the other side.)
Again, I don't write this to discourage you, just to make sure you know what you're getting into. Do some research & make sure you've got your tools & parts lined up before you start, or this could be a very long, frustrating job for you. If you have any hesitation, at least take the vehicle to a few shops & see what they would charge for the job. Your time and your X5's downtime are worth something.