1999 X5 Front Carrier Update
 

Currently updating front end of early build 2000 X5 due to bearing and hub assemblies becoming very hard to. Wanted to know anyone has done this before I think I’ll have to get new axle shafts but unsure if newer one will work.

From memory, the very early cars has slightly smaller diameter front axles, along with different front wheel bearings, CVs etc. so it's possible that parts for the later cars won't fit (almost certain in fact).

Best bet is you use your VIN at RealOEM and determine the exact parts you need.

I’m sure the axels won’t fit but I’m wondering if I bought newer axle shafts, would they fit in the tranfer case, unfortunately realism won’t tell me that. Thinking about switching outer cv joint as the splines are probably the same.

I don't know the answers to your question, but I'm local in South Jersey too. I do know there were a number of design changes between the 2000 and 2001 X5s though.

Definitely work with real OEM to determine which exact part numbers


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So the parts needed for this upgrade will consist of: updated carrier, bearing and hub, new axel shafts and wheel speed sensor. Coding may be required for wheel speed sensor if possible, for larger diameter of read point of sensor (not sure). The whole reason for this inquisition is that the hub is no longer available anywhere. Real oem is only going to point me towards that hub that is no longer availible

1999 X5 Front Carrier Update
 

Supersedes:

31216751731 (03/01/2000 — 09/22/2003), nonexchangeable retrospectively
31211095625 (09/01/1999 — )

Part 31216761575 was found on the following vehicles:
X5 E53   (10/1998 — 09/2006)

Same carrier part on all e53. looks like they did switch in 2003 to the current part. Is your build date before march 2000?

It looks like they beefed up the bearing size after 3/2000 so they list the carrier as non exchangeable however the hub looks like the same part so the inner bearing race is the same.

If the bearing has the same number of abs bumps it will read correctly size doesn't matter just the count of bumps.

The tension strut and control arm are listed as same part entire e53.

So: it looks like the CV is identical the full run of e53.

As long as bearing has the same abs bump count you should be good to go with a hub carrier swap.

I would recommend swapping the bearing carrier (aka knuckle), the hub and bearing of course. CV axle should be compatible. Abs sensor not sure. Betting yes. So that should be some very good news for your project.

I'm not sure that ALL those items are different - the point of RealOEM is to compare part numbers between earlier cars and later ones.

The only obvious difference I can see is the axle shaft diameter - 27mm on the earlier cars and then 29mm on the later ones. Not sure if the splined ends vary in size or only the shaft itself. I had though I'd seen two different sixed for the wheel bearing too but RealOEM says the wheel bearing, hub and carrier are all the same.

Other vendors list two front wheel bearing sizes - 45 x 85 x 41 and 49 x 90 x 45. I'm a little unsure of how accurate any of this is, as the reference part numbers from the alternative vendor's smaller wheel bearing don't early link back on RealOEM to a smaller bearing - it just says it's a superseded part number (replaced by the larger bearing).

All this isn't very helpful sorry... it seems that some real-world measurements are called for. Andrew, are either of your cars fitted with the early axles?

My cars have the newer hardware which started 3/2000 build dates are 7/2000 and 5/2001 but the axle diameter only affects the outer boot size (there is a A and B boot style depending).

The outer CV has only one part number and also the hub.

The hub must be 45mm. The bearings are either 90 or 85 mm OD and the last number must be the width.

So since they apparently don't have a standard order of size for bearing dimension, these are the sizes I've concluded:

Before 3/2000: 85 OD 45 ID 41 W
After 2/2000: 90 OD 45 ID 49 W

Since the bearing is quite different the knuckle is clearly not exchangeable but I see no reason you can't swap both.

The hub is apparently long enough to make up the 8mm difference in width because there is only one hub part listed all e53.


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Realoem is good a little confusing on this particular situation. Wish I had two side by side but....I was comparing parts online and ones receive for pre 4/2000(along with wrong dust shields). The carrier is obviously bigger because the dust shield is about 5-6mmm larger in diameter. Which sorta matches the difference between old and new bearing style.

So I think what this needs is new carrier, bearing and hub, and wheel speed sensor; as they appear to be totally different in design from what I’ve seen online.

Now the problem, the matting surface of the cv joint end appears larger in the newer style, therefore requiring a new axle shaft or (I just found) CV end. Now it would be great to just pop the CV end off and put new style on, but as Wayne said there is a difference in shaft diameters. Guess I’ll be crawling in a junk yard somewhere unless anyone has spare one laying around that could measure the end shaft diameter.