X5 external air temp sensor & a weekend full of work

[armo44]

Hi everyone,

I found this website last week through a DIY CV boot replacement link. I found the information superb for my weekend DIYing!

Background:
I had a slight wobble in my steering when braking from around 50-60mph. I initially thought distorted/warped discs or uneven pad deposits. This had been happening since I bought the X5 a couple of months ago. Put the discs in the lathe and they ran perfectly straight (0.004" variance across disc according to DTI).

After closer inspection the bush on the tension strut looked poor, the balljoint on the control arm had excessive play and my cv boots were heavily cracked and dosed. I decided a front end overhaul was in order.

I budgeted 4hrs a side as I was also pressing out and replacing the bush on the tension strut rather than purchasing an entire arm. Anyway my time scale was slightly elongated after I found the lower balljoints were siezed solid. For a push fit component its amazing what 6 years 70k and Northern Irelands winter salt on the roads can do to such a fitting. With the help of the press I was able to get them removed.

The job is nearly complete, I had a wrung nut on the pinch bolt for the suspension on the LHS (pass side here) so Ive had to order and waiting for it before I have the X5 back on the road.

Questions:
Now I have completed the job I have a few question to see if I could have made things easier for myself.

1st.

I removed the driveshaft/cvjoint from the hub/swivel bearing using a drift and an heavy hammer. Will this have damaged the wheel bearings? I did not damage the end of the shaft on the drivers side but did on the pass side due to a slip however, I had decided to take this slightly more agressive method of removal due to the relatively inexpensive cost of a entire CV joint kit (£30 or around $48). Considering a CV boot and new hub nut were £20 and the CV joint kit came with these also.

I have large pullers which would have removed the hub but would have damaged the dust shield hence why I didnt use. I was going to make an adaptor in work to bolt to the hub (like the bmw tool) however because of the cost of the CV joints it really wasnt worth while. Iam just panicing now incase there may be damage to the bearings?

2nd.
On the LHS (pass side remember!) the bolt head to the tension strut was impeded by the air duct. The RHS involved removing 2 8mm headed screws and it pulled aside, the LHS involved removing these plus a further clip behind the lower grill in the bumper. I popped it through the grill but on the first attempt slipped and cracked the grill (quite minor but still very annoying). The LHS is also the side that houses the external temp sensor. Is there any easier way to remove that clip to allow the air duct to be moved to the side? To me I seem to think the only other way than going through the grill is to remove the bumper?


So all in all I would say that if anyone was thinking of doing this work, provided your balljoints come out a bit easier, it is very achieveable and rewarding but also very time consuming. Total cost was reasonable, my friend works in a very well established motor factors and they sourced me all the OEM parts (different boxes but all stamped the same, GKN boots etc etc). Replaced parts:
Tension strut bushes both sides
Tension strut balljoint both sides
Control arms both sides
CV boot RHS
CV joint kit LHS
New 36mm hub nuts (Dealer part)
New pinch bolt for LHS (Dealer part)
New tie rod end nuts (dealer part)

Total cost was £200 ($320). I thought this was good considering my M3 stung me £560 ($910) for front arms and bushes last year!

Hope this wasnt over kill for my first post! Are there any other users on xoutpost from Ireland/Northern Ireland?

[JBF]

How was the CV joint replacement? I'm getting a rattle from the front (sounds like someone rattling marbles in a jar), can only think its the CV joint gone bad as the boot went in the winter - I had it changed but the joint had probably gotten grit in it for a couple of weeks or more.