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2010 2011 BMW 5 Series Forum F10 BMW 5-Series (F10) Forums General 5-Series Sedan and Wagon (F10 / F11) Forum Axel separating from hub
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      01-07-2020, 08:02 AM   #1
Bte151515
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Axel separating from hub

Sorry if this isn't the wrong place this is my first post. I have a 2012 BMW 528 x i. I noticed a loud clicking noise when I was turning to the left the other day. I got down there and the CV boot is torn and I can feel the teeth of the axle when I stick my finger in there. What do I need to replace? Along with the clicking sound it vibrates violently at times like the wheel is not centered properly.
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      01-07-2020, 09:43 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bte151515 View Post
Sorry if this isn't the wrong place this is my first post. I have a 2012 BMW 528 x i. I noticed a loud clicking noise when I was turning to the left the other day. I got down there and the CV boot is torn and I can feel the teeth of the axle when I stick my finger in there. What do I need to replace? Along with the clicking sound it vibrates violently at times like the wheel is not centered properly.
Don't drive it anymore!!! Its going to completely fail soon and will cause you to crash or at the very least cause thousands in damage.

Step one: Go to realoem.com
Type in the last seven of your VIN, find the axle you need, write down part number.

Step two: Go to partsgeek.com, enter part number and find best price (or just got to fcpeuro, great prices and lifetime warranty on everything)

Step three: Go to newtis.info
Enter last seven of vin, find instructions on how to replace
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      01-07-2020, 04:13 PM   #3
F10Dan
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Totally agree with Sophisticated Redneck. Don’t drive it anymore. Axle shafts are usually not too bad. I’ve done a few but not any on an F10 xDrive. Generally, you will need to remove on the wheel side: the brakes, caliper and rotor, axle retaining nut, bearing assemble and maybe a few suspension bits to pull the shaft from the front diff. From the diff side it is usually several small retaining nuts and such.

Take your time reviewing the newtis info and make sure you have all the correct tools, parts, torques etc... If you do the job yourself, please take pictures and post your experiences here for posterity.

I have done this several times on other forums over the past 30 years (before YouTube...(I would have been a YouTube star if I had that before we had kids). Anyway, I still go back to those forums just to see how many thousands of views received and hopefully people who have benefitted from a few extra hours of my time. I digress.
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      01-07-2020, 04:47 PM   #4
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Even found you a video on Youtube of someone doing this for the F10. I would still follow instructions from the site above as this guy took a few shortcuts that he shouldn't have, but at least you can see the job isn't too bad.

Most people freak out working on anything related to the suspension or drive shaft because they assume the components are always under immense tension and ready to take their arm or eye out. Just make sure to raise the entire front of the car (or rear depending on where you're working) to release that tension. I cringe when I see people only raising one side of the car. Obviously working on springs is another concern all together, but you won't need to mess with those for this job.


Last edited by spielnicht; 01-07-2020 at 07:03 PM..
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      01-12-2020, 09:08 PM   #5
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Everyone is right EXCEPT for the fact that it will not crash if you drive it. You will not crash, or be in danger driving it like that. If you want to be safe until you get the replacement axle you can remove the front drive shaft and drive it normally so the transfer case doesn’t put power to the front wheels.

The car suspension is designed in a similar fashion to a non xdrive model with the exception that the strut is a fork design to allow the axle to go through the middle to the wheel hub. If you wanted to you could remove the front drive axles and drive normally. I KNOW because I did it for a year until they had my axle in stock. I took my front drive shaft off myself easily.

So rest easy and breathe. You will need to do the mentioned tasks however as there is no grease to lubricate the ball bearings in the axle when it spins. But it is indeed driveable to your mechanic.
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      01-13-2020, 08:24 AM   #6
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HizEternal, I respectfully disagree. If the outer shaft separated from the hub/wheel assembly while driving, you would have a free rotating shaft spinning and hitting anything in the way - including steering and suspension components. It may be drivable. However, I would not want to be behind the wheel when this happens, or on the road near anyone stupid enough to risk the lives of those around them when they have a known major mechanical issue with their car. Personally, I think people with your mindset are responsible for unnecessary accidents.

Yes, you could disconnect the axel. But this is a half a$$ed way of driving. If you are going through that trouble, just replace the part and make it right. Have some respect for yourself and others on the road.
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      01-21-2020, 04:13 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by F10Dan View Post
HizEternal, I respectfully disagree. If the outer shaft separated from the hub/wheel assembly while driving, you would have a free rotating shaft spinning and hitting anything in the way - including steering and suspension components. It may be drivable. However, I would not want to be behind the wheel when this happens, or on the road near anyone stupid enough to risk the lives of those around them when they have a known major mechanical issue with their car. Personally, I think people with your mindset are responsible for unnecessary accidents.

Yes, you could disconnect the axel. But this is a half a$$ed way of driving. If you are going through that trouble, just replace the part and make it right. Have some respect for yourself and others on the road.
It’s obvious you have no such experience on an xdrive F10 with what you are speaking of. The axle will remain intact and will not fall out or hit anything. It just won’t be able to take power and spin the wheel. The size of the axle prevents it from doing exactly what you fear, the bearings are what fail and become not round which creates the clicking.

There is a subtle and I do mean subtle as in the strut itself and hub are what makes the difference between the xdrive and non xdrive models, in addition to the obvious front diff and transfer case components. The suspension is fully capable of keeping the front intact, it does so on non. Xdrive models.

I had my own axle break and not know it while on my way to replace it. You can make judgments as much as you want but at least use actual experience on the car we speak of, as well as the research available to all of us to make them.

Once again short distance trips as slow speeds are possible safely.
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