You may not need the puller because you can usually remove the axle shaft easily with gentle force as some other posters have said but if you really want to use a puller then this method is shown in the very first post of this thread , in the link to the thread by hayaku
http://www.xoutpost.com/articles/x5/...mw-x5-e53.html

Yes I saw that puller, but i thought that dislodged the dust bowl, though I am not sure why pulling in the threaded holes or on the outside with this claw would be any different. I just can't seem to find the official bmw tool.

OEM/FWD Hub Puller (27037) | | AutoZone.com

How about this autozone one, its only 25 dollars. would it work.

You don`t need a hub puller to push out an axle shaft and you really should not misuse the tool like that .

As it has already been said , you can tap it out using a drift if it is too tight to remove pulling by hand .

Kindly excuse my stupidity. What is a drift?
Since I am not good at using heavy hammers and tend
To smash a finger I was hoping to use some kind of puller or pusher
I see what u sayin and if find out what a drift is
I can whack it with a hammer.

Yep thats basically how i have done it. No need to remove rotor

daneshfar

I believe this thread has over 160 replies. If you noticed I referred my
comments to those who decided to DIY. I didn't mention your name.
But if my 2 cents matters both outer front boots lasted about 85K.
I just didn't have time to tackle this repair

A drift is any tool , such as a socket set extension bar which can be placed on the end of the axle shaft and you can tap on the drift with a light hammer .
Use a drift which is smaller than the axle shaft to avoid damaging the threads on the axle shaft .

One definition of drift - A tool for ramming or driving something down.
b. A tapered steel pin for enlarging and aligning holes

I personally think the boots can be effected by many repeated tight turns that one might encounter on a regular basis in a tight space, that would not otherwise occur when just driving around. That you original boots went bad at 45K, getting 30K might not really not that bad. Also $590 for the job does not sound too crazy though obviously one does not want to incur the cost often. I recently had torn front boots and just replaced the axles with Cardone Select. The job is not at all fun, but doable. I picked up a Harbor Freight Rotary hammer, and used it in hammer only mode, and it pushed out the axles from the hub, using a bull point chisel rather easily (rather than manually hammer on it.) One of the reasons I replaced the axles, rather than the boots, is replacing the boots is a real mess...also, if the boots were torn for a while, the worry of contamination and pre-mature wear is obviously a consideration.

If you have worry that the CV joints are worn and making noise, the replacement axles might be the best option if you are unsure. I first was going to save my original factory axles, and put new boots on them once they were out, at my leisure, and keep them as spares, but ultimately decided to toss them.

+1 Although I like to DIY as much as I can I'm glad I opted to get it done also by my indie.

It's called a PUNCH by us Americans (AKA Yanks). You got to own an English car (LOTUS) to understand some of the posters on this forum. This is the WORLD WIDE WEB not your grand daddy neighborhood

You can probably rent that tool from Autozone instead of buying it.

Mileage is NOT a major factor in CV boot failure, severe steering angles (city parking in tight spaces) and exposure to severe thermal cycle combined with harsh de-icing products (magnesium chloride on roads spread prior to/during/after snow & icing, this stuff dries out rubber/plastic and accelerates corrossion on every item of a vehicle with the exception of glass, EVERY vehicle manufacturer states in their owners manual that this crud needs to be removed after EVERY exposure, most owners don't even do it every spring. ). Electric motors in a garage where you park will also produce ozone that will dry out rubber.

Many in the market for a used vehicle will avoid snow/rust belt vehicles like the plague due to the destructive elements applied to their roads.

My X will be 10 yrs old in 6 months, TX and FL use, NEVER seen snow in over 160k miles and looks 6 month old underneath.

FWIW, still running the ORIGINAL CV boots/air suspension bags. Even with thousands of miles towing trailers (5000 to 7500 lbs) between TX and FL.