Rear wheel bearing R/R DIY

[FrankMstein]

Is there one on here? I can't find here or YouTube. Please direct me.

[sicck_m4]

This is pretty close video and very similar. I’m about to tackle this task this week. I’ll try to follow up with a short write up and photos. I ordered a new flange and rear bearing to make things a little more simple. Pressing them together was very easy and took less than 5 mins with a simple press I bought online.

[Mortis]

Originally Posted by sicck_m4

https://youtu.be/62BydoI6W3c
This is pretty close video and very similar. I’m about to tackle this task this week. I’ll try to follow up with a short write up and photos. I ordered a new flange and rear bearing to make things a little more simple. Pressing them together was very easy and took less than 5 mins with a simple press I bought online.

Look forward to your update. Recently did the front hubs which were super easy but unsure about the rears.

[FrankMstein]

Originally Posted by sicck_m4

This is pretty close video and very similar. I’m about to tackle this task this week. I’ll try to follow up with a short write up and photos. I ordered a new flange and rear bearing to make things a little more simple. Pressing them together was very easy and took less than 5 mins with a simple press I bought online.

Yeah, please tag me if you post it otherwise. I saw this video and it is probably pretty similar. I once changed the water pump in my wife's Acura TL and I used a jack to prop up the other end of the extension like in this video and a 5' long breaker bar pipe and man did that make a pop! Watched another video where someone used a die grinder to get the inner race off...WTF?!? I applaud this guy for working in a tile garage floor. I bet it's all cracked up now. Did you notice his torque wrench bending at the end???

[sicck_m4]

I just tackled the rear hub bearing and it was pretty simple. Very similar to the video I posted earlier but much easier because I was able to push out the axle with my thumb.

Steps:
Jack up the car and take the wheel off.

You will need a 36mm 12 point socket for the axle nut. Loosen the axle nut.

Remove the brake pads by pushing the pins. Both brake pads should slide right out. I marked each pad front/back side I will know which one goes where when I re-assemble.

Use 18mm socket to remove 2 bolts holding the caliper. Secure the caliper to the side.

Use an Allen wrench to remove the 2 bolts holding the rotor to the hub. Release e-brake to pull off rotor. May need to hammer the center to break loose from rust.

Push the axle out of the hub spline. Just needs to go back far enough to get an angle on the 4 Torx bolt holding the bearing.

You will need an E16 Torx socket to remove the 4 bolts behind the hub around the axle. This gets a little tricky and patience to get the correct angle to loosen the Torx bolts.

Once the Torx bolts are removed, hub/bearing assembly slides right out.

To make the process easier for me, I purchased a flange(hub) and bearing and pressed it together the night before.

You will need a puller along with a bearing separator if you plan on using the original hub. I used a simple press to press the hub and bearing together which took me about 5 mins to do.

Put everything back in opposite order. Use loctite on the 4 Torx bolts and a new axle nut. Do not tighten the axle nut until 4 Torx bolts are tighten down. Much easier with the axle slightly out the spline of the hub.

Sorry I wasn’t able to take photos during the process cause I literally got off work and finished it before sun went down. I will try to get photos when I do the other side possibly next week, as a preventative maintenance.

[FrankMstein]

Nice! Thanks! please do a detailed one so everyone knows how!

[Driver407]

Originally Posted by sicck_m4

I just tackled the rear hub bearing and it was pretty simple. Very similar to the video I posted earlier but much easier because I was able to push out the axle with my thumb.

Steps:
Jack up the car and take the wheel off.

You will need a 36mm 12 point socket for the axle nut. Loosen the axle nut.

Remove the brake pads by pushing the pins. Both brake pads should slide right out. I marked each pad front/back side I will know which one goes where when I re-assemble.

Use 18mm socket to remove 2 bolts holding the caliper. Secure the caliper to the side.

Use an Allen wrench to remove the 2 bolts holding the rotor to the hub. Release e-brake to pull off rotor. May need to hammer the center to break loose from rust.

Push the axle out of the hub spline. Just needs to go back far enough to get an angle on the 4 Torx bolt holding the bearing.

You will need an E16 Torx socket to remove the 4 bolts behind the hub around the axle. This gets a little tricky and patience to get the correct angle to loosen the Torx bolts.

Once the Torx bolts are removed, hub/bearing assembly slides right out.

To make the process easier for me, I purchased a flange(hub) and bearing and pressed it together the night before.

You will need a puller along with a bearing separator if you plan on using the original hub. I used a simple press to press the hub and bearing together which took me about 5 mins to do.

Put everything back in opposite order. Use loctite on the 4 Torx bolts and a new axle nut. Do not tighten the axle nut until 4 Torx bolts are tighten down. Much easier with the axle slightly out the spline of the hub.

Sorry I wasn’t able to take photos during the process cause I literally got off work and finished it before sun went down. I will try to get photos when I do the other side possibly next week, as a preventative maintenance.

I need to swap my hub and bearing much like you did.
Wanted to clarify a few points to your steps outlined. As I have never done a rear bearing before and f8X info is lite around this.

1) The rear axle does not need to be removed? (It stays in diff?)
1b) Use a axle puller tool to push the axle out of hub slightly (.5-1 inch?). Simply to reach the four bearing bolts on the inside easier?

2) Are you saying no other special tools are really needed for the rear? (outside of pressing the bearing into hub beforehand and simple sockets?)
No bearing pullers/hammer slides/etc for this method?

3) No suspension arms need to be removed or dropped to get to anything?

I figured you needed to remove the axle fully and pull the bearings vs just removing them. Seems much simpler than i anticipated.

[sicck_m4]

Originally Posted by Driver407

I need to swap my hub and bearing much like you did.
Wanted to clarify a few points to your steps outlined. As I have never done a rear bearing before and f8X info is lite around this.

1) The rear axle does not need to be removed? (It stays in diff?)
1b) Use a axle puller tool to push the axle out of hub slightly (.5-1 inch?). Simply to reach the four bearing bolts on the inside easier?

2) Are you saying no other special tools are really needed for the rear? (outside of pressing the bearing into hub beforehand and simple sockets?)
No bearing pullers/hammer slides/etc for this method?

3) No suspension arms need to be removed or dropped to get to anything?

I figured you needed to remove the axle fully and pull the bearings vs just removing them. Seems much simpler than i anticipated.

The axle stays on the differential. You only need to slide the axle off the bearing hub. Luckily mine was not frozen with the bearing. 4 bolts on the backside and axle nut. The 4 bolts is a little tricky to get an angle but be patient. Of course pressing the new bearing in/out the old hub. Hardest part was pressing out the race bearing. I ended up cutting off the race with a dremel tool.

[Driver407]

Originally Posted by sicck_m4

The axle stays on the differential. You only need to slide the axle off the bearing hub. Luckily mine was not frozen with the bearing. 4 bolts on the backside and axle nut. The 4 bolts is a little tricky to get an angle but be patient. Of course pressing the new bearing in/out the old hub. Hardest part was pressing out the race bearing. I ended up cutting off the race with a dremel tool.

Thanks. Going to order my parts this week. Been putting it off for a while thinking it was more complex.

[sicck_m4]

Originally Posted by Driver407

Thanks. Going to order my parts this week. Been putting it off for a while thinking it was more complex.

Same. I put it off but got it done in time cause the bearing started to get really loud and start to hum right before the parts came in. Luckily it was surprisingly very easy. Take your time. Make things easier also if you buy a new hub so you won't have to pull off the old bearing and race. All you would need to do is press the new bearing onto the new hub and install.

[Driver407]

Originally Posted by sicck_m4

Same. I put it off but got it done in time cause the bearing started to get really loud and start to hum right before the parts came in. Luckily it was surprisingly very easy. Take your time. Make things easier also if you buy a new hub so you won't have to pull off the old bearing and race. All you would need to do is press the new bearing onto the new hub and install.

Yep, doing both. The hub is actually why I am replacing the parts. Had an issue with the thread pitch and was cracking studs in half every track event.

Think im going to make a youtube tutorial on my page for how to swap the bearing and hub, as there arnt any out there for m3/m4/m2 specifically.

[EDMJAY]

sub

Going to be doing this soon! Thanks for the info guys!!

[Driver407]

sicck_m4
Do you know the torque spec for the bolts?
Seems most BMW also have a torque angle once set too?

Did nearly all the job today but needed to order an axle puller to get it all back together.

[Driver407]

Finally put ISTA to use and was able to pull the page. Didnt see this listed anywhere on the internet related to F8X

[Driver407]

Finished up my bearing install yesterday. I do highly recommend buying a axle shaft puller and extractor.

I owned the puller before hand but on assembly it was going to be nearly impossible without the extractor to pull the axle through the hub. It was not going to happen with muscle or a hammer. This made the entire ordeal painless as it could be.

Extractor is ~$40 on ebay and other is $20 or so. That will be the best 60$ you ever spend if this job is in your future.

[jfritz27]

Great info here, thx everyone

[FrankMstein]

Yes, THANKS!

[jfritz27]

Originally Posted by Driver407

Finished up my bearing install yesterday. I do highly recommend buying a axle shaft puller and extractor.

I owned the puller before hand but on assembly it was going to be nearly impossible without the extractor to pull the axle through the hub. It was not going to happen with muscle or a hammer. This made the entire ordeal painless as it could be.

Extractor is ~$40 on ebay and other is $20 or so. That will be the best 60$ you ever spend if this job is in your future.

Follow-up question, the bear paw-looking piece is to pull the hub assembly off the axle, correct? If one already has a 3-leg jaw puller, that would do same thing, no?

[7tune]

Originally Posted by sicck_m4

Same. I put it off but got it done in time cause the bearing started to get really loud and start to hum right before the parts came in. Luckily it was surprisingly very easy. Take your time. Make things easier also if you buy a new hub so you won't have to pull off the old bearing and race. All you would need to do is press the new bearing onto the new hub and install.

Bump. You, sir, are an absolute legend. I searched literally everywhere and was getting so frustrated by how many dead ends there were looking for rear hub replacement DIY info and/or videos.

I was dreading doing the rears for my F87 but was going to go new hub and bearing combo anyway and thought they came bundled together like the fronts but noooo... you gotta buy them separately. The pressing is a POC!

The way you explain it makes it sound and look like a walk in the park mechanically and now I'm not worried about getting this done properly for the next 80,000 miles!

Thank you!

[Driver407]

Originally Posted by jfritz27

Follow-up question, the bear paw-looking piece is to pull the hub assembly off the axle, correct? If one already has a 3-leg jaw puller, that would do same thing, no?

I know this is late, never saw the notification. Yes, a normal 2-3 jaw puller should work the same. The one i posted works with studs/wheel bolts. Anything that can get a good grip on the hub plating should suffice.

[jfritz27]

Originally Posted by Driver407

I know this is late, never saw the notification. Yes, a normal 2-3 jaw puller should work the same. The one i posted works with studs/wheel bolts. Anything that can get a good grip on the hub plating should suffice.

No prob -- thx!

[7tune]

Originally Posted by Driver407

I know this is late, never saw the notification. Yes, a normal 2-3 jaw puller should work the same. The one i posted works with studs/wheel bolts. Anything that can get a good grip on the hub plating should suffice.

I'm wondering about tools as well but if I'm throwing the garbage hub design out anyway... why should I care?

Nothing is too late with these cars. I'm just glad the problems are being given airtime because it is weird to me how little info there is regarding what the "F87" has on this when (maybe i should be frequenting 3 and 4 forums more often but the point is moot ) they are all the exact same cars in this exact area with the same issue.

And so I have to say that I just went with Bimmerworld on a reinforced hub assembly:



This video sealed the deal for me.

That extra material, the overall beefiness. The girth. The stability. No brainer.

Part number for hubs alone.

For the middle road kit which I took using genuine standard bearings, it is this

If you are hardcore then go here.

Perhaps for some it's overkill but I don't think so at all. Rear ends on a heavy hitting BMW take a beating so why wouldn't you beef them up? I will most likely never have to change them again and that's a good thing because the hub design should have been this from the start.

The front hubs are a walk in the park but the rears keep me up at night thinking about this car... I do not trust BMW's shitty rear end hub design, pure and simple and would rather pay a premium to set and forget it.

BMW part #33008328143 is an absolute gatekeeper for the rear end.