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  #1  
Old 04-16-2012, 02:54 PM
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Tight steering-Replace the double joint-photos

Hi there,

After a thorough discussion with some nice members at this thread Tight Steering, thanks to SlickGT1 & petener999, I decided to replace the STEERING DOUBLE UNIVERSAL JOINT no. 2 here


The new part I installed is not really new; it's removed from a crushed X5.

The job itself is easy, however, removing other parts, hoses and pipes to allow access would increase the task time to up to three hours.

No specific material is required, only some grease to unable easier insertion of both hexagonal and astral rod ends of the universal joint. You'll need to refill the cooling fluid as one water hose should be removed.

NOTE: some E53 come with quadruple rod end, not hexagonal.

Here we go. This is the mechanic


My last trial with this faulty joint was to put some grease. This made it tougher as in fact its internal X-link was severely corroded.


Removed


First end


Other end


This rod is coming from the steering wheel




















Got my sweetie washed up


And here we go


Thanks again pals; this is the best forum.

Nezar - Saudi Arabia

NOTE: my odometer reads 260,XXX Km!

Last edited by nezarnuaimat; 04-18-2012 at 08:23 AM.
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  #2  
Old 04-16-2012, 03:07 PM
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Cool stuff dude. So is it much better? Wow is your car all in dust. Holy crap. Is that normal for where you live? I have never seen that. I mean, I never wash my engine, but it looks new compared to yours. I can see how that knuckle would get owned.

How about you put some sort of boot over the knuckle? I can only see it messing up again.
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  #3  
Old 04-16-2012, 04:19 PM
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Great job, buddy! Now, all you need is to wash your engine compartments to look like the rest of the body...
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  #4  
Old 04-16-2012, 05:38 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SlickGT1 View Post
Cool stuff dude. So is it much better? Wow is your car all in dust. Holy crap. Is that normal for where you live? I have never seen that. I mean, I never wash my engine, but it looks new compared to yours. I can see how that knuckle would get owned.

How about you put some sort of boot over the knuckle? I can only see it messing up again.
O yes SlickGT1, my steering wheel is much better now.

Sandstorm is a common show here in Saudi Arabia, this is one



I don't think it's practical to put a cover over the knuckle. Just think about filters

Quote:
Originally Posted by petener999 View Post
Great job, buddy! Now, all you need is to wash your engine compartments to look like the rest of the body...
I think I'll wash it up dear, but this won't help much! In less than a month dust would pile up again.

Last edited by nezarnuaimat; 04-16-2012 at 06:30 PM.
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  #5  
Old 04-18-2012, 08:07 PM
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tight steering

nezarnuaimat, i am going to have to do mine soon. i have a 3.0i so there isnt near as much in the way. is it just a bolt on each end that holds it in place or do i have to take other parts of the shaft loose in order to get the joint section out? any advice is greatly appreciated.
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  #6  
Old 04-19-2012, 10:35 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bakersx5 View Post
nezarnuaimat, i am going to have to do mine soon. i have a 3.0i so there isnt near as much in the way. is it just a bolt on each end that holds it in place or do i have to take other parts of the shaft loose in order to get the joint section out? any advice is greatly appreciated.
No, it's only a bolt on each side. Just remember to straighten the steering wheel (horizontal) to match with wheel's angle (0 degree). This requires that you park her from the beginning with front wheels having zero rotational angle. You'll need some grease on both shafts (the hexagonal and astral) to allow smoother insertion

Remember that some X5s have quadruple rod end, not hexagonal. Take the old part with you before you buy the new one.

Tell us what you've done, and remember to shot some pictures.
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  #7  
Old 04-29-2012, 08:59 AM
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Please tell me if there is any joint that still need to be greased.
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  #8  
Old 04-29-2013, 11:35 PM
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I just replaced the double joint on my X5 (2003 4.4 with duel heater water regulator. Not much room to work, but I took a short cut. Actual job took only 42 minutes, and I was going very slow.

OP, thank you for posting this DIY. Spent hours reading all the posts related to this problem, and more hours staring at the double joint on the X trying to figure out how to remove the lower torx bolt (#10) without having to remove all the hoses like the OP did.

I did not remove any water hoses (hrs of extra work avoided). Here is what I did:

1. (Safety) Waited until the X5 engine compartment was completely cold before starting any work.

2. Jacked the front of the X5 up slightly; put on jack stand (safety). This will allow you to manipulate the steering wheel easily and without putting too much torque on the double joint while the upper torx is removed. Also gave me a little more room to work from the bottom.

3. Dead centered the steering wheel to expose the upper torx bolt.

4. Removed the three 10mm bolts holding the heater regulator against the wall (see pic), and sort of pushed the entire hoses/unit out of the way enough to clear sufficient room to work the upper bolt on the double joint. Removed the upper torx bolt (used long extension). Kept the steering column attached after removing upper bolt.

5. From dead center, turned steering wheel (gently) 180 degrees left or right (BMW logo will be upside down). This will align the bottom torx bolt to the rear of the X5 where it will easily be accessible.

6. Approached the X5 from the front and under. You should be able to access the lower bolt with an extension and remove the bolt. I found it was easiest to position the ratchet extension above the sway bar--the angle of attack was almost perfect. Removed the bolt.

7. Went back up to work from the top. Removed the double joint. Pulled up on the steering column; it easily disengaged from the double joint.

8. Reached down and pulled up the lower part of the double to disengage it from the bottom splines. Took a slightly more force, but came off easily.

9. Gently maneuvered the double joint out.

10. Cleaned the contact points of the steering column and the lower part/spines. Applied a light coat of high temp grease.

11. Installed double joint. Did the lower first; aligned and gently pushed down. (do not force if jammed).

12. Aligned steering column and upper double joint--gently pulled down the column. It should fall in smoothly--did. Had to turn steering wheel slightly to properly align the slots.

13. Went back under the X and installed the torx bolt (must use new bolt). Torqued to spec (I torqued to "yep, that's good and tight"--hard to get a torque wrench in there).

14. Gently turned steering wheel back to dead center.

15. Installed the upper torx bolt (must use new bolt) and torqued to spec.

16. Tested steering wheel with a few turns--silky smooth and felt as new.

17. Removed jack stands and lowered the X.

18. Reinstalled the three 10mm bolts on the water heater regulator. Inspected all hoses/connections, put them all back in their places, and double checked all work. Done!

19. Road tested--WOW! It's new again. No more popping, cracking, clicking. Nice and tight and zero play.

The old double joint was so loose and clunky. The black rubber bushings were deteriorated.
Attached Images
      
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Last edited by MrFixIt; 04-29-2013 at 11:44 PM.
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  #9  
Old 04-30-2013, 02:00 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MrFixIt View Post
I just replaced the double joint on my X5 (2003 4.4 with duel heater water regulator. Not much room to work, but I took a short cut.
Good job Mrfixit. I can see that you're expert in this so let me ask you this: When my car is cold in the morning my steering is very smooth and good, some minutes later it become tighter and tighter. Is this because I use aftermarket lubricant? Thanks
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Old 04-30-2013, 12:19 PM
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MrFixIt, how many miles on your car. Just curious, I am approaching 85k, and mine is starting to click pop. Pissing me off. I don't have time to attack this yet, but I feel I will need to. Thanks.
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