I removed rear axle nut and flange by hand... huh?

[KFunk]

OK, what's that mean? I've never had the rear axle nuts off since I bought it in Hawaii in 2005... There was now some squeaking from the left rear, and some wheel bearing wobble. Now I've got the new rear wheel bearings in hand and ready with the giant breaker bar and electric impact wrench.. beat out the cotter pin, and sized up my socket.. surprised that the axle nut just slide right off along with the flange... splines look ok to me, but I can post pics if it matters...

I'm still figuring on replacing all rear bearings/seals, but now wondering if some other kinda wear needs to be checked out...

Thanks

[KFunk]

no thoughts on that?

Well, next question.. can't get the stupid stub axle out. ive got a small sledge that im using with a piece of 2x4 in between (with castellated nut on backwards), and can't get it to budge. I'm beatin and beatin, spray on PB blaster, and can't get anywhere. A search found that some people suggest removing the whole traling arm and putting it in a press... don't really want to go that far, and throw in the whole brake bleeding process and delay stuff a few days, but we'll see... i'll do what i gotta do. Next step maybe see if my friend can brign me a giant sledge...

[02tom]

A bigger hammer sounds like the right idea - make sure the car is supported adequately. I think I did my bearing with the whole rear sub removed from the car and placed the other end against a brick wall, so there would be no give when the hammer hit. The threads may get messed up no matter what you do, if it's really in there. So, I'd go slow, and resort to a press if you start deforming the end of the shaft.

From what you've described in your first question, and the previous consensus on the FAQ, you should probably replace the stub axle and the hub, to be safe.

[TobyB]

Rear wheel bearings won't wobble- you've prolly got a chowed hub and stub.

3 lb copper face mallet works best- the 2x4's too spongy.

You could use a brass drift if you wanted, but damn, watch your hands.

You have, of course, taken the halfshaft off?

Once you get it apart, reassemble the stub to the hub- it should

be a tight fit, maybe even need to be tapped together.

Look at the inside face of the hub where it contacts the inner race of the

outer bearing- it should be smooth, with no inner- race sized wear groove...

hth,

t

[Tommy]

Sounds familiar. I had that happen years ago. Splines were gone. New stub axle, hub, nut and bearings with seals and it's good to go. I used old good axle parts. You should be able to swap them without removing the arm. Just get big enough hammer, and you don't need to worry about threads as the shaft is gone anyway.

Tommy

[tjones02]

You do have the diagram for measuring the rear wheel bearing play right?? If not here's the link to Uncle CD's picture....

http://s226.photobucket.com/albums/dd318/cd02md/?action=view&current=02rearwheelbearings02diagramspec.jpg

Most of the shims you may need are available new, and like Toby says but for the inner sleeve between the bearings, the contact surface must be smooth or replace it.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=2213&mospid=47140&btnr=33_0885&hg=33&fg=40

Look at the inside face of the hub where it contacts the inner race of the

outer bearing- it should be smooth, with no inner- race sized wear groove...

HTH

[Mike Self]

your splines--hub & axle--are most likely toast.

To make sure, after you get everything apart, place the stub axle in a vice and torque the hub to maybe 100 ft/lbs. If you can detect any movement while tightening, replace. It's not gonna heal itself!

cheers

mike

[KFunk]

Great... now where can I find a hub and stub axle? Just post a wanted ad in the classifieds here?

[tjones02]

Great... now where can I find a hub and stub axle? Just post a wanted ad in the classifieds here?

NEW... especially since the car sees "heavy duty" action on R-compound "race" tires....

BMW CCA Club Racing used to recommend that '02 stub axles be magnafluxed due to more than a few shearing causing wheel loss....

[KFunk]

Great... now where can I find a hub and stub axle? Just post a wanted ad in the classifieds here?

NEW...

hah, prices don't look within my range at all for those. The old ones got me 200K to 300K miles, so I'm not too concerned.

[c.d.iesel]

order your stub axle and hub from any BMW dealer,

BLUNT here, or if your a racer - find the hardened Special

batch made a few years back - do a search

...this is TOAST!

.......more TOAST!!

. . . . . and this where the TOASTY stub axles BREAK

and then yer wheel passes you

[KFunk]

OK, stub axle is out. I just wailed on it with my little sledge directly, with no care for the threads. It almost screwed me, since I left the big castellated nut on it backwards, and then that couldnt be removed to allow it to release the stub axle. I finally just wedged a line-up bar in the back of the stub axle to hold it still, and beat on the nut with a chisel (since I lack a gigantic 36 mm open-end wrench). It eventually went, after grabbing it with channellock priers. The stub axle and the hub fit together pretty tight on the bench, no noticeable play, but can be popped apart if you drop it spindle forward onto the ground.

In any case, David Christman (JRC) in Boston is sending me a decent set for 40 bucks, I believe. Blunt wanted 140 just for the stub axle alone. I like steve, but can't afford to give that much right now.

I'll investigate stuff a little more as I get the time, and knock the bearings out. It doesn't look like it'll be as difficult as getting the races out of the front hubs.

I just hope nothing is as mangled on the right side... I'm leaving it together for now, in case I run out of time and can only fix the offending side before a short road trip. Nothing is apparently wrong on the right side as far as I know, and I'll hope to preserve the stub axle and just replace the bearings there as a preventative measure.

[austinmf]

older thread... I know... I am trying to get my stub axels out and they are NOT budging...

are the shims marked with a size that are in the car?

I see 6 different sizes....

[mike472]

(nt)Use a puller like this one and have a 1/2 impact gun to use on it. You will break your ass trying to do this with a rachet(it is doable without impact gun) Use lots of heat around the flange before you try pulling. You need a puller that has jaws long enough to get past the bevel under the flange where it is flat and the jaws can get a grip. A good penetrating oil like Corrosion X or Croil the night before is always a good idea. You can see in the picture I had the trailing arm in a vice. You will need it in a vise if its not on the car. You can't do this while its laying on a workbench without a vice to hold it. Some flanges will fall right off, others will really be stuck on. Like others have said here, if it falls off the stub is probably shot.

Just put the shim you found back under the new outside bearing where you found it. Pack the inside area between the two new bearing before you put the outside bearing in. Especially the void around the spacer tube. Needless to say pack the bearings too. I used Mobil 1 synthetic grease.

Mike Katsoris

[austinmf]

Excellent and thank you!!!

I am repacking now using redline synthetic CV-2 grease that I got from amazon.

Verifying one spacer only going on the inside of the outside bearing.

Could not even think of doing this without the support of the board!