Rear Wheel Bearing Replacement Guide
Posted: Aug 06, 2019 9:32 PM
Since I haven't been able to find a good thread on doing rear wheel bearings and since I've now done 5 rear wheel bearing jobs on e28s, I decided to upload a guide covering the methods I've found to work the best and hopefully it will be of some help to those who are doing this for the first time.
All of the main complaints I've found with this job and from what I went through myself are based on not having the right tools. With the right tools the rear wheel bearings can even be a fun job and relatively quick and easy.
This picture shows all of the special tools you will need to complete the job. Not pictured are the typical ratchets and the not so typical large wrenches, which depending on your bearing tool, will determine the size of those wrenches. The tools are as follows:
1.50-250 Ft Pound torque wrench from Harbor freight. The cheapest I could find and best for the money (still hasn't broken lol)
2. 10-150 Ft Pound torque wrench from O'reilly's. This is smaller and can fit into tighter areas when torquing the CV shaft bolts.
3. Impact gun. This is an Eastwood brand and I'm not sure if they still make them. Mine was only $80 and works great. Capable of 600 ft pounds. Make sure to buy air compressor tool oil with this and lube it before each use. If you don't have access to a cheap (or a friends) compressor then use the breaker bar with the parking brake on and wheels down. I've never had to use the breaker bar.
You can also try a cordless impact gun. Snap on makes a great gun which I've used and works even better and more consistently than my air driven gun. It may come in around the same price as a compressor gun combo and it takes up way less space. There are other brands of cordless you can try as well but I can't comment on quality. Make sure the torque is over a few hundred and the amperage is high along with the volts.
I should add, if you are considering doing a complicated job as rear wheel bearings then you should be considering getting the tools that go with it.
4. 17mm Impact socket
5. 8mm Allen key socket.
6. 5mm Allen key socket.
7. Various adapters for 1/2" to 3/8" and vice versa.
8. 36mm Impact Socket. The non impact next to it in the picture is shorter and easier for torquing leverage. Auto zone sells the impact 36mm socket for $20 and usually in store.
9. Snap ring pliers.
10. The long threaded bar stock with the discs is the Bearing install / removal tool. I have the sir tools version which was very expensive. BavAuto brand has a cheaper version which I have never used and can not comment on quality. ECS tuning has now bought BavAuto brand and according to their website will begin selling this in September of 2019. Both the Sir tools and BavAuto brand come with a horse shoe shaped bracket which I don't think is designed for e28's. If anyone else knows better correct me if I'm wrong, but that bracket has been nothing but a giant paper weight for me. You will need a 24mm on one end and a 1 & 1/16" on the other. Buy a 1 & 1/8" as well. You will see why. It can come in handy later.
11. Gear puller set from Harbor Freight. This little gem of a tool only costs 40 dollars and makes certain tasks a breeze. It removes the inner race off of the stub axle, and the bell shaped CV flange.
12. Last but not least, the tool in the blue box is the real game changer. I can say this because I've installed the rear bearings using all of the methods without this tool and getting the stub axle back into the bearing was a real pain. A type of this tool was mentioned in the Bently manual and that tool is no longer available. This tool is also a BavAuto brand and will be resold through ECS in September. You will need a 24mm open end wrench. I highly recommend getting one with a ratchet on the box end side, as this will give better leverage over a traditional 24mm socket / ratchet set up. I found one at Home Depot for $19. You can also try a giant 12" C clamp rated for 2500 pounds. Home Depot might have this one for cheaper than the $80 clamp I found online, but the CV shaft puller tool is around the same price anyway.
Not pictured and highly recommended are 4 car ramps and 1, 2" x 12' x 16' piece of lumber.
Cut the lumber into 3' sections and Home Depot will do this for you. Take the last section and cut it into 3 even pieces. You should have at least another 1' or so section left over as well. Nail them together like so and place under the ramps of the rear end:
This will give you an extra amount of room to torque or break the 36mm nut free. Placing ramps on the front end keeps it from being tilted too far forward and gives even more living space.
You will also need a jack that can push high enough to slide the entire assembly of wood and 8 & 1/2" high ramp under the tire. I bought mine at harbor freight as well and it has worked great for numerous jobs. It's a bit quick on the release, so be careful when lowering if you buy this brand.
Step 1:
Raise car, apply parking brake, loosen CV axle bolts. You will have to get out from under the car a few times, disengage the brake and spin the shaft to gain access to the bolts on the top of the CV housing as the rubber boot will keep a wrench from getting the top bolts. I like to remove the entire axle as this will keep it out of the way and make you not have to worry about it.
You don't have to remove the wheel at this stage, but it can help get to the CV bolts on top. Make sure the bolts are clean so your 8mm Allen key can get a good bite.
Step 2:
With parking brake still applied, use a chisel or screw driver to hammer out the retainer ring over the stub axle bolt. Start on the top edge and work your way around, bending the edge down.
Step 3:
Parking brake still applied, use the impact gun, the 36mm socket to break the nut loose.
Step 4:
If you haven't removed the wheel yet do so before this step. Release parking brake, remove caliper and rotor, re bolt on the caliper. Use the gear puller to remove the bell CV flange. You will need a bar stock or a wooden dowel to place in between the shaft of the puller and the stub axle as seen in the picture. If you push out the stub axle in this step great. If not go to the next step.
Note: the orientation of the puller. It will only go on this way because the shock and trailing arm will keep the puller from fitting over the flange in any other direction. You can leave the rotor attached in order to keep the bell Flange from spinning on you to make it easier to put on the puller, but make sure the flange is frozen in the above position.
Step 5:
Re thread the nut onto the stub axle. and use the 36mm impact socket to tap out the axle. Use light to moderate amount of force. Don't hammer too hard or you can damage the threads. The stub axle should come out without too much force.
Step 6:
Use the gear puller set to remove the inner race from the stub axle like so. Again, use something in between the gear puller and the top of the stub.
Step 7:
Remove the snap ring (sorry no picture) and set up the bearing removal tool:
Make sure that the tool is perfectly centered over the hole otherwise it can keep the bearing from being pushed out. If you feel extreme stiff resistance either you need to go to the gym more or the tool is not aligned properly. The bearing should come out pretty easy.
Sorry again for no pic of the back end. Use the smallest disc on the back end, the one wide enough to cover the inner race of the bearing but small enough to fit in the hole of the trailing arm. Set up your 1 & 1/16" wrenches like this:
Step 8:
Clean thoroughly the trailing arm bearing hole front and back. You don't want dirt to fall into the hole because even a small piece of dirt can keep the bearing from seating all the way inside and can keep the snap ring from fitting as well.
Set up the tool like this:
You are only supposed to push on the outer race (or outer shell of the bearing) the copper disc is large enough to cover the entire bearing and will keep the force applied evenly across.
on the back end, you can use the old bearing and any one of the discs wide enough to cover the old bearing.
For the final few millimeters switch to the # 12 disc or equivalent if using another brand for the tool:
I switch to this disc at the very end because the # 12 does not cover the entire outer race and has to be kept perfectly centered which is difficult to do for the entire process and is easier to keep centered for the last few millimeters. After pushed in all the way, reinsert the snap ring. If the ring doesn't fit then you haven't pushed the bearing in all the way. You will know when it's in all the way. The tools bolt can no longer be turned. Be careful not to crush the bearing! I only expect the Hulk to be able to do that anyway.
Step 9:
The most fun and satisfying step because of the years of frustration I felt when trying to put the stub axle back in without this tool. Place the stub axle at the start of the hole as evenly and straight as possible. It should stay in, BUT be careful not to hit it or knock it out because the the inner race of the brand new bearing can be knocked out and the roller balls can be lost etc.
Put two lug bolts into the stub and use the breaker bar or a giant pry bar to keep it from spinning like in the pic above. Use a bar long enough to reach the ground and use the ground not your arm.
Thread the M27 socket onto the back end of the stub axle:
(I took this pic after I had already pulled it through)
Make sure to have the black cylindrical part of the shaft puller tool perfectly centered on the inner race. Mine was not and I accidentally sheared off a little bit of the splines when pulling the stub axle through. Fortunately I was still able to mate the bell shaped CV Flange.
Step 10:
Reattach the bell CV flange to the stub axle.
GENTLY tap the CV bell flange onto the splines. You only need to get it started. Then use the tool to finish it off:
You do it this way because it's easier to line the splines before the puller tool is placed on.
Step 11:
Remove the brake caliper, release parking brake. reattach the rotor, then the caliper again. Reapply parking brake. Reattach the wheel. Tighten bolts as far as you can. Jack up car high enough. Place modified ramps under the wheel. lower. Torque the wheel lugs.
Which is several more steps condensed into one ...
Torque the wheel lugs to the Bently manual specs.
Step 12:
Torque the 36mm nut to specs.
Step 13:
Place the retainer on the nut and line up the 36mm socket as best you can over and gently hammer over the nut. Don't over do this either because the retainer can get stuck on the socket instead of on the nut. If it gets stuck on the socket CAREFULLY tap it off the socket and replace over the nut. It should be grooved a bit with the nut and can be tapped into place with a metal punch. Tap in a circular pattern until nice and snug. Again be careful here because you can distort the retainer and it won't be snug and you'll have to wait a week or so for a new one to arrive.
Step 14:
Reattach the CV axle, torque.
I hope this helps please leave questions, comments or suggestions for better methods below.
All of the main complaints I've found with this job and from what I went through myself are based on not having the right tools. With the right tools the rear wheel bearings can even be a fun job and relatively quick and easy.
This picture shows all of the special tools you will need to complete the job. Not pictured are the typical ratchets and the not so typical large wrenches, which depending on your bearing tool, will determine the size of those wrenches. The tools are as follows:
1.50-250 Ft Pound torque wrench from Harbor freight. The cheapest I could find and best for the money (still hasn't broken lol)
2. 10-150 Ft Pound torque wrench from O'reilly's. This is smaller and can fit into tighter areas when torquing the CV shaft bolts.
3. Impact gun. This is an Eastwood brand and I'm not sure if they still make them. Mine was only $80 and works great. Capable of 600 ft pounds. Make sure to buy air compressor tool oil with this and lube it before each use. If you don't have access to a cheap (or a friends) compressor then use the breaker bar with the parking brake on and wheels down. I've never had to use the breaker bar.
You can also try a cordless impact gun. Snap on makes a great gun which I've used and works even better and more consistently than my air driven gun. It may come in around the same price as a compressor gun combo and it takes up way less space. There are other brands of cordless you can try as well but I can't comment on quality. Make sure the torque is over a few hundred and the amperage is high along with the volts.
I should add, if you are considering doing a complicated job as rear wheel bearings then you should be considering getting the tools that go with it.
4. 17mm Impact socket
5. 8mm Allen key socket.
6. 5mm Allen key socket.
7. Various adapters for 1/2" to 3/8" and vice versa.
8. 36mm Impact Socket. The non impact next to it in the picture is shorter and easier for torquing leverage. Auto zone sells the impact 36mm socket for $20 and usually in store.
9. Snap ring pliers.
10. The long threaded bar stock with the discs is the Bearing install / removal tool. I have the sir tools version which was very expensive. BavAuto brand has a cheaper version which I have never used and can not comment on quality. ECS tuning has now bought BavAuto brand and according to their website will begin selling this in September of 2019. Both the Sir tools and BavAuto brand come with a horse shoe shaped bracket which I don't think is designed for e28's. If anyone else knows better correct me if I'm wrong, but that bracket has been nothing but a giant paper weight for me. You will need a 24mm on one end and a 1 & 1/16" on the other. Buy a 1 & 1/8" as well. You will see why. It can come in handy later.
11. Gear puller set from Harbor Freight. This little gem of a tool only costs 40 dollars and makes certain tasks a breeze. It removes the inner race off of the stub axle, and the bell shaped CV flange.
12. Last but not least, the tool in the blue box is the real game changer. I can say this because I've installed the rear bearings using all of the methods without this tool and getting the stub axle back into the bearing was a real pain. A type of this tool was mentioned in the Bently manual and that tool is no longer available. This tool is also a BavAuto brand and will be resold through ECS in September. You will need a 24mm open end wrench. I highly recommend getting one with a ratchet on the box end side, as this will give better leverage over a traditional 24mm socket / ratchet set up. I found one at Home Depot for $19. You can also try a giant 12" C clamp rated for 2500 pounds. Home Depot might have this one for cheaper than the $80 clamp I found online, but the CV shaft puller tool is around the same price anyway.
Not pictured and highly recommended are 4 car ramps and 1, 2" x 12' x 16' piece of lumber.
Cut the lumber into 3' sections and Home Depot will do this for you. Take the last section and cut it into 3 even pieces. You should have at least another 1' or so section left over as well. Nail them together like so and place under the ramps of the rear end:
This will give you an extra amount of room to torque or break the 36mm nut free. Placing ramps on the front end keeps it from being tilted too far forward and gives even more living space.
You will also need a jack that can push high enough to slide the entire assembly of wood and 8 & 1/2" high ramp under the tire. I bought mine at harbor freight as well and it has worked great for numerous jobs. It's a bit quick on the release, so be careful when lowering if you buy this brand.
Step 1:
Raise car, apply parking brake, loosen CV axle bolts. You will have to get out from under the car a few times, disengage the brake and spin the shaft to gain access to the bolts on the top of the CV housing as the rubber boot will keep a wrench from getting the top bolts. I like to remove the entire axle as this will keep it out of the way and make you not have to worry about it.
You don't have to remove the wheel at this stage, but it can help get to the CV bolts on top. Make sure the bolts are clean so your 8mm Allen key can get a good bite.
Step 2:
With parking brake still applied, use a chisel or screw driver to hammer out the retainer ring over the stub axle bolt. Start on the top edge and work your way around, bending the edge down.
Step 3:
Parking brake still applied, use the impact gun, the 36mm socket to break the nut loose.
Step 4:
If you haven't removed the wheel yet do so before this step. Release parking brake, remove caliper and rotor, re bolt on the caliper. Use the gear puller to remove the bell CV flange. You will need a bar stock or a wooden dowel to place in between the shaft of the puller and the stub axle as seen in the picture. If you push out the stub axle in this step great. If not go to the next step.
Note: the orientation of the puller. It will only go on this way because the shock and trailing arm will keep the puller from fitting over the flange in any other direction. You can leave the rotor attached in order to keep the bell Flange from spinning on you to make it easier to put on the puller, but make sure the flange is frozen in the above position.
Step 5:
Re thread the nut onto the stub axle. and use the 36mm impact socket to tap out the axle. Use light to moderate amount of force. Don't hammer too hard or you can damage the threads. The stub axle should come out without too much force.
Step 6:
Use the gear puller set to remove the inner race from the stub axle like so. Again, use something in between the gear puller and the top of the stub.
Step 7:
Remove the snap ring (sorry no picture) and set up the bearing removal tool:
Make sure that the tool is perfectly centered over the hole otherwise it can keep the bearing from being pushed out. If you feel extreme stiff resistance either you need to go to the gym more or the tool is not aligned properly. The bearing should come out pretty easy.
Sorry again for no pic of the back end. Use the smallest disc on the back end, the one wide enough to cover the inner race of the bearing but small enough to fit in the hole of the trailing arm. Set up your 1 & 1/16" wrenches like this:
Step 8:
Clean thoroughly the trailing arm bearing hole front and back. You don't want dirt to fall into the hole because even a small piece of dirt can keep the bearing from seating all the way inside and can keep the snap ring from fitting as well.
Set up the tool like this:
You are only supposed to push on the outer race (or outer shell of the bearing) the copper disc is large enough to cover the entire bearing and will keep the force applied evenly across.
on the back end, you can use the old bearing and any one of the discs wide enough to cover the old bearing.
For the final few millimeters switch to the # 12 disc or equivalent if using another brand for the tool:
I switch to this disc at the very end because the # 12 does not cover the entire outer race and has to be kept perfectly centered which is difficult to do for the entire process and is easier to keep centered for the last few millimeters. After pushed in all the way, reinsert the snap ring. If the ring doesn't fit then you haven't pushed the bearing in all the way. You will know when it's in all the way. The tools bolt can no longer be turned. Be careful not to crush the bearing! I only expect the Hulk to be able to do that anyway.
Step 9:
The most fun and satisfying step because of the years of frustration I felt when trying to put the stub axle back in without this tool. Place the stub axle at the start of the hole as evenly and straight as possible. It should stay in, BUT be careful not to hit it or knock it out because the the inner race of the brand new bearing can be knocked out and the roller balls can be lost etc.
Put two lug bolts into the stub and use the breaker bar or a giant pry bar to keep it from spinning like in the pic above. Use a bar long enough to reach the ground and use the ground not your arm.
Thread the M27 socket onto the back end of the stub axle:
(I took this pic after I had already pulled it through)
Make sure to have the black cylindrical part of the shaft puller tool perfectly centered on the inner race. Mine was not and I accidentally sheared off a little bit of the splines when pulling the stub axle through. Fortunately I was still able to mate the bell shaped CV Flange.
Step 10:
Reattach the bell CV flange to the stub axle.
GENTLY tap the CV bell flange onto the splines. You only need to get it started. Then use the tool to finish it off:
You do it this way because it's easier to line the splines before the puller tool is placed on.
Step 11:
Remove the brake caliper, release parking brake. reattach the rotor, then the caliper again. Reapply parking brake. Reattach the wheel. Tighten bolts as far as you can. Jack up car high enough. Place modified ramps under the wheel. lower. Torque the wheel lugs.
Which is several more steps condensed into one ...
Torque the wheel lugs to the Bently manual specs.
Step 12:
Torque the 36mm nut to specs.
Step 13:
Place the retainer on the nut and line up the 36mm socket as best you can over and gently hammer over the nut. Don't over do this either because the retainer can get stuck on the socket instead of on the nut. If it gets stuck on the socket CAREFULLY tap it off the socket and replace over the nut. It should be grooved a bit with the nut and can be tapped into place with a metal punch. Tap in a circular pattern until nice and snug. Again be careful here because you can distort the retainer and it won't be snug and you'll have to wait a week or so for a new one to arrive.
Step 14:
Reattach the CV axle, torque.
I hope this helps please leave questions, comments or suggestions for better methods below.
