Wheel bearing time? HMMMMMMMMM

[X5chemist]

I'm hearing a hum at 40 MPH+. I can't pin point it yet. Are the bearings ball type on X5s? With open diffs, I should be able to check for slack and noise. I have a mechanic stethoscope. I have two front FAG bearings sitting on a shelf. If it's a rear one, hubs and bearings will be replaced as a unit. Why fight extra work to save a hub.

The fronts seem to require removing the knuckle. I've seen two different ways to remove the rear assemblies. All four shafts are new. Corrosion has not set in so shafts should slide out easily.

What are y'alls short cuts? : The alignment is perfect. A cousin working at a BMW dealership did a great job. I would hate to mess with a new alignment if not necessary.

[80stech]

The stethoscope would work but then you need (should) to set the hoist up so that the wheels aren't hanging all the down when your spinning it up. You could get yourself "chassis ears" much more better and safer, a bit of money out of your pocket but good excuse to buy another tool! The bearing could go for a looong time before it's bad enough that you can tell for sure what/where it is without doing something to pin it down.

[Effduration]

See AWR’s DIY for rear wheel bearing. He came up with a way to get to the pesky four torx bolts that hold the rear bearings to carrier WITHOUT removing exhaust or most of the rear suspension as BMW says..

New hubs are great but I don’t think it saves you much time on the rear bearing job..

Please keep us informed.

[andrewwynn]

No removal of *any* exhaust or suspension parts.

You do need to push the axle stub out of the hub though before you can double u-joint around the outer CV joint.

Best way on e53 to confirm which bearing is to put on a different width wheel. Eg if you have 255s put the 235 spare on the suspect wheel.

The next best way is figure 8 in a big parking lot and have someone ride along side each corner during both left and right curve. (I use my Segway, most people would use a bicycle)

The reason option one works so well is that there are two races in the bearing and the center of lift on 255/235 flips from one set of races to the opposite (also why a bearing can be silent until you go thru a corner that pushes the wheel to the opposite races)

Example: in my case my bearing was silent until i put on my spare then it went immediately to full growl.

The 255s push up on the outer race and down on the inner race. The 235s push up on the inner race and down on the outer race.

In the 4-5 e35 bearings I've replaced this test was 100% effective to rule out any other corner.

Often without load on the wheel the bearing will be silent. Think of it like this: not only is the weight only pulling down it's 16 to 21x more force when the car is on the bearing vs. holding the weight of the tire.

Spray the hub splines the day before just to make sure it's a breeze to push out the axle even if they are fairly new.

If front, leave all ball joints and control arms attached just remove the two bolts for theb strut tower to get the hub far enough away to get the spline out.

When putting the spline back in leave the bolts out of the strut tower until you get the axle back in.

I learned this the hard way spent 90 minutes trying to get the axle in and when I loosened the bolts the rubber boot on the outer joint acted like a spring and shot the axle right through.

You can confirm your alignment is still good with some landscaping string and drill bits.

Wrap string at the centerline of the tires you can go all the way around the car. You may have to cheat down from center if body work gets in the way.

Then take a 3/32 drill bit and put under the string on the front edge at fattest part of the sidewall. At BMW spec for toe that should make the string just barely touch the sidewall at the rear of the tire. Lots of people use less toe. Spec will slowly wear out theb outer edges. (front and back spec the same so it's normal the back string won't touch the front of the back tires).

Even if you don't keep the rear hub, I would pull it off with slide hammer so you have more access example to slot the bolt tips to turn them out with flat blade screwdriver.

Option 3 to find especially if rear wheel is to use an FFT sound program to take a snapshot of the sound profile. There should be a distinct difference in the one corner.

–awr–

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[andrewwynn]

My brothers Ranger Over has a bad bearing. I'll see if i can get an FFT reading to post what to look for.


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[Clavurion]

If you have steel springs you can try turning the wheel with finger on the spring to feel it there's any vibration.

[andrewwynn]

You mean rotate the wheel not turn left/right, correct? I like that idea. Also you can use a long screwdriver or stick vs. mechanic stethoscope.


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[Clavurion]

Originally Posted by andrewwynn

You mean rotate the wheel not turn left/right, correct? I like that idea. Also you can use a long screwdriver or stick vs. mechanic stethoscope.

Yes, rotating. A stethoscope or long screwdriver against ear is is even more sensitive than just feeling with the finger. Push brake caliper slightly so pads are not scraping and messing noises.

[X5chemist]

Home made rear bearing replacement on an E70. Similar to E53s. So it is possible to remove the rear bearing without disconnecting suspension parts. Other videos do remove parts only for easy access to the E14 bolts. So if it's a rear bearing, I can replace them in a few hours. I like his steel plate home made press. I can take parts to a local shop. The shop has pressed stuff for $20.

I owe lunch to a transmission shop crew. The shop didn't charge me to check transmission and transfer case oil levels. I towed my X5 there since it spilled 8 quarts once and probably 2 more due to oil cooler fitting. I didn't want to risk driving it until it was properly checked. The shop added one quart of oil at no charge. A few hundred miles later, no leaks. The other day though, I did notice the shifter linkage seal had oil on it. I cleaned it. I'll check again for oil. If it's wet, I'll take to the shop for a seal replacement. While it's on the lift, I'll ask if they can pin point the bad bearing. I'll use lunch as a bribe.
I've ordered one rear hub incase I damage one. The RockAuto discount section had 1 hub left on sale. Super cheap too.

Now, I'm looking for front bearing info. Thanks andrewynn and effduration. I'll link the info here when I find it.

[workingonit]

Originally Posted by X5chemist

...I owe lunch to a transmission shop crew. The shop didn't charge me to check transmission and transfer case oil levels. I towed my X5 there since it spilled 8 quarts once and probably 2 more due to oil cooler fitting. I didn't want to risk driving it until it was properly checked. The shop added one quart of oil at no charge....

Wow, you must've found a shop like there used to be, around where I grew up (Oak Cliff, a sub-section of Dalls, but still called "Dallas") in the 50's and 60's. Some mechanics would check stuff for free, for most everyone. They were:

• 1) especially helpful for my Mother, while us kids were fighting in the back seat at a gas station/garage, after she had sheared off a cotter pin on the shifter of her '54 Ford Customline...one Mechanic fixed it for free, while another corralled my younger brothers, to quiet them down,and
  
  
• 2) lifesavers, like when one local shop let me help pin the rocker arm studs on my '56 Chevy 210, in '65, when I went to them for a diagnosis (without asking my Dad or Grandad, who might've taken the car away, after I had broken it...rocker arms not working is trouble...); it was the closest shop, and they let me work on it (at 15), learning skills as I went, and letting me drop by on weekends, to help out a bit, to pay off the bill...no charge.

I hesitate to even take a car to a shop anymore, and have only done so once in the past 30 years (ridiculous pricing on everything, but it was a job that would've been near impossible for me to do, working on sand, under the truck, without a lift, at 74 y.o., at the time).

you found a good place to trust your car, so patronize their business.