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Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: FEBEST 1910-X5 Outer CV Joint

2002 BMX X5 4.4 outer cv boot.
Here is my experience doing this work.
0) Only removed the control arm bolt.
1) I tried vice grips/bar and banging options to pull the outer joint with no success (even rotated rotor a few times).
2) Opted for inner boot alternative but had to order it (GKN). Also ordered snap ring pliers. I had to wait for part but this option worked very well as others have done it (only messier).
3) I had a hard time using the clamp plier tool under car (no good leverage). So ended up ordering 'OTC 4722 Stinger Heavy-Duty CV Boot Clamp Installer’ from Amazon and the tool worked great. I strongly recommend it.
4) I was unable to torque the control arm nut/lug with wheels on floor. So I got a hold of a couple of 4x4 blocks that gave me enough space and leverage for the torque wrench.
5) I reused the control arm bolt and nut. I’ve driven the car for some time now and checked it a few times and looks OK. I should have installed a new one for peace of mind but just wanted to get the work done.

I spent a week on this including time spent waiting for the parts/tools and googling for options/ideas. Now that I know what to do and have the proper tools, I think I can do this in a couple of hours.

The net is... Order both inner and outer boots, buy control arm nut and bolt, and get the right tools. Job should be done in a couple of hours.

Does it make a differnce to the process if you have air suspension???

No

Hi guys!

I have a couple of questions having read through this, and now have my X5 jacked up with the wheel off etc...

1) How do you remove the driveshaft spindle from the gearbox? Are there any clips etc holding it in place, or does it just pull straight out? I have a slide hammer which will assist me, but don't want to start hammering it back if there's something that holds it in place?

2) When the driveshaft is popped out of the gearbox, does the gearbox leak oil and need to be topped up again after refitting? Or is it literally just a socket? I ask as I did this similar job on my Volvo V50 a while back and that leaks gearbox fluid from the hole and must be refilled!!!

3) I'm having trouble finding an INNER front CV gaitor at a sensible price. Outer, easy. Inner, not so. I bought one from Euro Car Parts which they state is inner https://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/B...94ebe87&000445 However, looking inside it once it arrived did not have the three moulded parts around the inner edge that fit around the tripod. So I sent it back. But now I'm wondering if they make this oversized to completely emcompass the tripod joint??? Did the one you used have the three moulded parts on the inside edge to fit around the trpod?

Really need some help, and much appreciated!

Hi mate - not sure if you've got this sorted yet - but it "levers/taps" out and is held in by a clip, much like the outer cv joint. There's a guy on You Tube - The 50s Kid - who has a range of excellent tutorials on the E46 and also the E53 - and he shows how to remove the whole shaft. No oil trickles out - and lots of people seem to just reinsert when they're done - would have thought it's worth replacing the seal amd c clip though... and for some stuff/parts I really think you need to bite the bullet and go BMW - so I'd advise to get the boots from there. The quality is much better. On my car I had an original bmw boot just starting to crack and a replacement boot - which had collapsed. Bmw part was twice as thick - and you know it will fit properly and last.

I've just replaced the outer boots on both sides and cleaned out and regreased the joints. Thank you to the original posters and all those who contributed. Really helped me.

My method was to remove the straight control arm from the subframe. Remove the brake assembly (while I don't think it's necessary for the repair - it does make the hub lighter to man-handle around) then the two bolts holding the strut onto the hub. Turn the wheel into the car and tap out the axle (after removing the axle nut....). Then slot one bolt back into the hub and strut to hold it in place. To remove the outer cv joint, cut away the boot and clean the grease a bit so you can see the centre star part where you have to whack it, as per the guides earlier. I used a foot long, pretty ancient masonary chisel and a medium sized metal mallet - pointed the axle and cv joint out and towards the rear of the car (as far round as it would go) and lay at the front of car and hit the star part of the joint. You don't need to beat the sht out of it. Hit it "solidly". So more than a tap, but not like you're at the fair ground trying to get the bell to ring. If it won't come off then rotate the axle slightly - as I think there's a sweet spot for the c-clip holding it together to pop out. Someone else mentioned this somewhere I think - pops off very easily when it's rotated to the correct spot. To reassemble I used the advice given earlier to ise a hose clip over the c clip. Not mega tight or it wont slide off - and also - make sure it can be completely opened so you can remove it after the axle is on!

I'm an experienced, albeit amateur diy-er - I am very slow and methodical and clean stuff as I go etc - but took me 5 hours a side including tidying up!

Thank you for the reply.

I actually did the work now. In the end I left the driveshaft in situ (I wish I'd heard from you sooner however as I may well have removed it!!!)

I stripped down the caliper/carrier and pushed the driveshaft out of the hib (I have a proper hub puller thankfully to push it out with as it would never have come out otherwise!!!)

I disconnected the straight lower suspension arm at the engine side which allows enough room for the driveshaft to be removed from the hub.

I then installed a stretch boot gaitor which goes on with the cv joint in situ using a cone. They are silicone rather than rubber so very stretchy. They're used a LOT these days so they must be pretty decent.

Agreed the BMW genuine one is probably better quality, but also six times the price (!!!)

The job was not too tricky TBH as long as you have a hub puller (pusher) tool. Without it I honestly don't think the driveshaft would have come out of the hub, and smashing it with a hammer would take so much work and likely damage things.

Also, a air compressor with DECENT air gun is recommended for the hub nut. It's 420nm so ridiculously tight. To tighten basically keep it going until it stops on the gun and is flush with the hub, then impress the outer edges with a hammer a flat screwdriver to ensure it stays put.

Thankfully I had access to those tools as the way I did it would have been a NIGHTMARE without decent tools, but not too bad with them :-)

Ah well done. Yeah - I’d seen the stretch kits but wasn’t sure how good they were - would you mind posting a link to the kit and the boots you used, as I’m interested in seeing what they’re like/how much they cost etc.

Agreed re smashing the axles out - I did use a three jaw puller to push one side out now I come to think of it/break it loose - but it then pulled out by hand pretty easily.

I have a draper 36mm impact socket - and it just slips off when tightening by hand - so I used a Clarke impact gun (electric/plug into the mains jobbie) supposedly rated to 450nm and it undid them easily and did them up nice and tight.

Cheers!

Yes, no problem. I bought the kit from a (very) well respected supplier on eBay that manufacture lots of their own driveshafts and joints which are generally very well rated.

The stretch CV gaitor kit was £5.49 delivered:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-X5-CV-...72.m2749.l2649

My drive shaft was in REALLY tight. I was worried that it may be rusted in at first as the hammer had NO effect. But the proper tool did the job. This is not the exact one I have, but almost identical (min has a few more accessories than this one):

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UK-Heavy-...oAAOSwq9lZiKp9

Yes, any decent meaty impact gun should get that nut off. You can't really tighten stuff effectively to 420nm by hand as that's a lot!!! Unless you're hanging off of the end of a 1.5 meter bar (nice and safe of course!)

Found it! This is my exact hub puller set - a bargain for what you get (the same kit from Sealey is £300+):

B#Professional Wheel Hub Puller Set 30 pcs Multi Autos Bolts Heavy Duty | eBay

As you can see, £75. Great bit of kit. You can find video's on YouTube etc on how to use them to 'push' the driveshaft out. No hammering involved, although you get a slide hammer set in this kit as well which I think is for inner joints or rear shafts??? Depends on the car I guess.