Wheel bearing shop cost? OEM part only?

[mtthmpsn]

I'm taking my '06 X5 3.0i into the shop (indy) today to get quote on replacing the front right wheel bearing. I'm about 90% sure it's going (play in right wheel when jacked up and heavy road noise that sounds like engine braking even when in neutral but dissipates slightly around right bends).

Anyhow, did a quick search and:
1. Seems like this is not worth a DIY especially since I don't have the necessary tools
2. Costs others have paid seems to vary quite a bit

What can I expect in terms of cost/labor hours (ballpark)? Should I insist on genuine BMW replacement? Pelican parts has the bearing for $95 so I know general cost there. Does the hub usually require replacement as well? Thanks!

[Kristophe]

I've replaced both my front wheel bearings about 18 months apart. The first time my pass side went bad and recently replaced my driver side as a preventive measure since my X has + 200K. I was quoted around $800 (one side) but decided to DIY. I removed the wheel hub and took it and the new Timken bearing to a shop and had the old pressed out new pressed in for $50. I recall I paid around $50 for the bearing at AZ. You can find F.A.G (OEM) online for around the same price.

Both Dave and Ricky Bobby here have delved into a full R&R with good success.

Here's one thread:

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...aring-r-r.html

[jdstrickland]

My X5 made noise in the front when I let off of the gas and coasted. The issue was a worn front differential. When the car is under load, there was no noise at all, but when the throttle is reduced and the load shifts on the pinion gear, the noise would come on loudly.

I see no reason why one would have to use a dealership part when replacing the wheel bearing(s). The shop will use a dealer part because if there is an issue down the road, he's going to have warranty considerations. It's worth it to him to sell you an OE part because 1.) you pay for it, and 2.) he doesn't face the prospect of doing the job again.

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by jdstrickland

My X5 made noise in the front when I let off of the gas and coasted. The issue was a worn front differential. When the car is under load, there was no noise at all, but when the throttle is reduced and the load shifts on the pinion gear, the noise would come on loudly.

I see no reason why one would have to use a dealership part when replacing the wheel bearing(s). The shop will use a dealer part because if there is an issue down the road, he's going to have warranty considerations. It's worth it to him to sell you an OE part because 1.) you pay for it, and 2.) he doesn't face the prospect of doing the job again.

Later BMWs has the exciter ring for the ABS built into the bearing, so unless Timken is manufacturing wheel bearing specifically for BMW, a generic bearing may not work. The bearing is not that expensive compare with the labor to install so if you are DIYing the repair I would just buy an OE BMW bearing

Here's a video on using a hydraulic press to push the bearing with the upright still in the car. I use the same hydraulic press but instead of manufacturing my own pushing plates and cups, I brought a wheel bearing kit from HF and use that in conjunction with the hydraulic press. Total outlay on new tools was under $150.00.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3dgrgmMZw0

Here's a video in which he actually pushed out a bearing but it is on a Scobbie do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZDK4LyTkRg

[Riggodeaux]

A good local indy shop did my front right bearing, charging 87.40 for the OEM bearing, $107 for the diagnosis, $322.13 for the labor. Tech told me it was a PITA to get that old bearing out, even with the proper tools ....

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by Riggodeaux

A good local indy shop did my front right bearing, charging 87.40 for the OEM bearing, $107 for the diagnosis, $322.13 for the labor. Tech told me it was a PITA to get that old bearing out, even with the proper tools ....

Ditto the PITA! I just had a left rear wheel bearing job done back on 5/12/16...and I paid the dealer to do it and after watching them...I'm glad I did.

You need the correct tools...and if the job gets "stubborn" (which mine did)...I saw drills, long special tools, a small sledge hammer, then finally a LARGE sledge hammer. The lift came in handy moving the lift up and down to get a good height for either drilling, using the tools, or beating the hell out of it with the sledge hammers! At one point, there were 3 techs helping.

So unless you have the proper tools and a lift...you may want to suck it up on this one and take it to the dealership or a good Indy that has the proper tools.

BTW, BMW has gone back to selling kits for a lot of these jobs like this. You may want to check the part database (realoem.com or bmwfans.info) and look up the diagram for the front wheel bearing based on your VIN and see if there's a kit. You can google that 11 digit part nbr to check for pricing, then take that info to your local BMW dealerships parts department and see if they will price match (mine did).

The REAR wheel bearing service kit (33 41 2 311 509) for my 2006 4.4 was $88.50 & the labor ran $176.

EDIT: just did a quick check...and BMW does sell an inclusive front wheel bearing "kit": (BMW part # 31 22 2 311 523 )

Click link to see what all comes in the "kit": Service kit for wheel bearing, front 2311523 | BMW 31222311523

[mtthmpsn]

Very helpful feedback. I got the call from the shop this morning. It was indeed the right front wheel bearing. He quoted me $395 total in parts/labor to replace the bearing and an extra $140 if the hub is bad when he pulls it. He also confirmed he'd be using OEM parts as predicted by jdstrickland.

This sounded pretty reasonable compared to the shop quotes from Kristophe ($800) and Riggodeaux (~$500 w/ diagnosis) so I told him to go ahead. I did ask him if in the future when the next one goes if I could just bring him the old hub/bearing and new bearing as suggested by Kristophe. He didn't give me a quote but said they have no problems doing press work only.

I might consider getting the hydraulic press and HF bearing kit and doing the R&R next time - it'll probably just depend on how much time I have. It's usually not hard for me to justify a trip to Harbor Freight to buy some tools. Convincing the wife is a little trickier.

Thanks for the responses.

[Ricky Bobby]

Thanks Kris for posting the thread - yes I did DIY with a total cost of approximately $200 for each including the parts and tools - and I also did both outer CV boots pre-emptively at the same time.

If you were to DIY, please refer to davintosh's and my thread - tons of info in there - however, it is NOT a fun job and not one I'd like to do again.

Just an FYI - your hub 99.9999999% will be fine to be reused, they don't go bad unless he nicks them when slicing the inner race off the hub (they stay on when you pop out the hub off the spindle) - honestly if its $395 total per side, thats actually a damn good price - I got quoted $600 per side back in the day - and I wanted to be done with both so I ended up saving $1k and just DIY - I'm of the mind that I don't like not doing supension bits and driveline stuff piecemeal and would rather do it in pairs

[mtthmpsn]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

You can google that 11 digit part nbr to check for pricing, then take that info to your local BMW dealerships parts department and see if they will price match (mine did).

The REAR wheel bearing service kit (33 41 2 311 509) for my 2006 4.4 was $88.50 & the labor ran $176.

EDIT: just did a quick check...and BMW does sell an inclusive front wheel bearing "kit": (BMW part # 31 22 2 311 523)

Thanks - I'm feeling even better about taking it to a shop (I hope they have a LARGE sledge hammer ). And thanks for digging up the kit part #. Good to know for next time.

[mtthmpsn]

Originally Posted by Ricky Bobby

Just an FYI - your hub 99.9999999% will be fine to be reused, they don't go bad unless he nicks them when slicing the inner race off the hub (they stay on when you pop out the hub off the spindle) - honestly if its $395 total per side, thats actually a damn good price - I got quoted $600 per side back in the day

Good to know on the hub and that I'm getting a good deal on the bearing repair. I just moved to CT so I'm really hoping this indy shop works out. It will be nice to have a reputable one nearby for these types of projects that may not be worth DIYing. He'll also be giving me a 1 year/12,000 mile warranty on the parts/labor which seemed reasonable for an indy shop. I'll update the thread with the final cost when I get the X back.