Rear Wheel hub removal: Help Needed

its really a doable job. i did it with limited tools when i was young ... never having done it before while lying on the driveway covered with ice. i had a frozen bearing that would not turn and that was my daily driver. it wasn't really that hard ... i needed an air impact wrench to get the stub axle nut off - pounded the stub axle through and got everything else apart ... new sealed bearings put back in and everything was fine.
 
e9Leveque said:
In the best way possible I am going to ignore you guys, lest you convince me to reevaluate my decision to forgo the rear wheel bearing rebuild. If I need to do this in the future I’ll bribe @Paulaner to come help me with a few cases of beer or a nice whiskey…
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:p

Maybe we can convince you all to fly out west and we can change wheel bearings while enjoying the fine Northern California sun... I'll save up a pile of welding projects fr you!!!
 
rsporsche said:
its really a doable job. i did it with limited tools when i was young ... never having done it before while lying on the driveway covered with ice. i had a frozen bearing that would not turn and that was my daily driver. it wasn't really that hard ... i needed an air impact wrench to get the stub axle nut off - pounded the stub axle through and got everything else apart ... new sealed bearings put back in and everything was fine.
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Right there with lying on my back on a rough gravel parking lot in the Sierras changing the perforated oil pan on my Jetta VR6. My son was at camp as a counselor, and hit something on a camp parking lot..called me saying "Hey dad the Jetta isn't running right" After some remote diagnostics I drove up with tools, and replaced the oil pan (a thankless job, especially lying on my back on the rough gravel). Pulled the old pan into the sunlight and saw it was glistening with fool's gold (AKA bearing materials)...That engine was trash...

But yeah, doing the rear wheel bearings lying on ice.. that's hard the beat!!

Oh, there is the story of may dad driving his decrepit MGTC from LA to San Diego. The engine was failing badly, and he would stop every 10 miles or so, and filter the oil from the pan through his t-shirt to remove the bearing grit, refill the pan and drive on.. Gotta love the '50s..
 
The rear wheel bearing replacement was actually my first wrenching project on my e9. And I thought it was pretty doable.

Best part: if you get stuck, you throw us the problems, with pics and explanations, and most likely we'll be able to talk you through it.

Let me take a guess:
The number of combined years of wrenching this forum has exceeds what the 10 best bmw dealerships around you have together.
 
on my e3 - i bought it with 166k miles for 2k in 1985 and drove it for another 160k by 1995. my 1st major job on it was replacing the oil pump, the 2nd was replacing the drivers side rear wheel bearing. the passenger side was fine - never replaced it. the wheel bearings had been replaced by the former owner / mechanic ... but i figured he made a mistake on the driver's rear.
 
e9Leveque said:
In the best way possible I am going to ignore you guys, lest you convince me to reevaluate my decision to forgo the rear wheel bearing rebuild. If I need to do this in the future I’ll bribe @Paulaner to come help me with a few cases of beer or a nice whiskey…
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Im easily convinced to come help when a couple beers are included. Currently waiting my bearings to arrive in the mail. Will update later today, going to try and knock out the old ones
 
Both bearings out. Easy oeasy with my pull/press sleeve kit
 

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Lol @e9Leveque I would If I didn't have another months plus worth of work to do on my own car. I'm nervous it's still be on jack stands come the Wundercar Social at the end of July. I may call in a favor the week before ;).
 
I’m in slightly the same boat. I had put everything back together this week and then…I ended up starting a thread entitled “why won’t my engine start”! Just getting home from a trip and some things to try to figure out. But you’re not too far from me, let me know if there’s anything where an extra set of hands would help
 
Paulaner said:
I feel like there is a story behind all of this...please tell.
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oh yes, i had a strut spring compressed with 3 spring compressors while changing a shock - it was sitting on the ground a few feet from me. somehow the compressors shifted and the spring shot over my head. decided i was never doing that again.
 
rsporsche said:
oh yes, i had a strut spring compressed with 3 spring compressors while changing a shock - it was sitting on the ground a few feet from me. somehow the compressors shifted and the spring shot over my head. decided i was never doing that again.
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Yikes, non bueno.
 
rsporsche said:
on my e3 - i bought it with 166k miles for 2k in 1985 and drove it for another 160k by 1995. my 1st major job on it was replacing the oil pump, the 2nd was replacing the drivers side rear wheel bearing. the passenger side was fine - never replaced it. the wheel bearings had been replaced by the former owner / mechanic ... but i figured he made a mistake on the driver's rear.
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I bought my 635 Euro after returning from living in Japan (working at Toyota HQ). I had no idea I was buying a Euro car. I just knew I had always liked the 635, and I needed a car.

Shortly after buying it, I was driving north on I-280 (freeway between San Jose and San Francisco). I hit this big bump in the road and damn near lost control of the car as it bounced and jounced down the road at 80 mph (it is a very fast car!!). The next day I ordered Bilstein HDs. When I went to the auto parts store to rent the spring compressor (because back then that's what we did) they refused to rent it. Apparently their insurance had prohibited it. So they sold it to me instead (it is very nice, in a big case). In ignorance, I did the shocks in my ex wife's driveway (we had just separated). About 5 years later I used those compressors again to change the springs to some lower ST springs. I also used them on my Mustang GT and Bronco restorations. So I must have good luck with them.

I also removed the front suspension on two of my dad's Saabs, which had a tendency to eat transmissions, and the only way to get the trans out was to pull one suspension apart - On those I used some really really crappy compressors that looked like they were about to shear off - but that was when I was very young and carefree (i.e. stupid)...

That said, I still have the compressors, and they will see a few more uses in the coming months.. These days I often wire them together so they cannot easily slip to one side off the spring. These also have small pins that lock the spring hooks to the spring, so even if they slip, the spring can't escape, Instead you are left with a time bomb that you have to defuse!!.
 
My main issue was just the amount of wrestling that was required to actually get the thing off and on. I did one and it’s not on there perfectly and just seemed so obnoxious, then add in the fear of death or decapitation thing and I figured maybe I’d have someone else do it. But also falls into the if someone local wants to come help me I’m happy to pay them instead of a shop”. Just haven’t found the person to take me up on that!
 
Progress feel good...
Resealed and painted diff back in along with new diff mount bushing, painted subframe, trailing arm bushes, new IRE Eng. poly subframe bushes, re booted and painted the half shafts. New parking brake shoes, rear brake lines, caliper seal kits installed...well at least in the driver's side.

Still waiting on those wheel bearings to get the other side done. Heavy lifting done for the passenger side though s everything has been painted and bushes already installed, so will be quick once those show up.
 

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For the calipers, I did them myself first, then decided to send them to CaliperHQ. They returned looking beautiful. It’s a nominal expense, but did seem worth it.
 

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Paulaner said:
Progress feel good...
Resealed and painted diff back in along with new diff mount bushing, painted subframe, trailing arm bushes, new IRE Eng. poly subframe bushes, re booted and painted the half shafts. New parking brake shoes, rear brake lines, caliper seal kits installed...well at least in the driver's side.

Still waiting on those wheel bearings to get the other side done. Heavy lifting done for the passenger side though s everything has been painted and bushes already installed, so will be quick once those show up.
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Love the note to remember o torque the bolts!! BTDT!!
 
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