Hello all, I am a new poster and member to this forum as I just recently purchased my 325XI (2002 325xi Sedan). I took the car in today for a checkup because of some front end noise that I thought was due to a recent alignment. Turns out the vehicle needs the front CV boots replaced. I have purchased the inner and outer boots from BMW and am going to tackle the replacement this weekend, but first wanted to check with all you knowledgeable chaps there and see if there were any tips that could save some time. I have heard there is a hub puller that you need to get that bmw offers for about $1000 but KD apparently makes one that is available on bimmertools.com for $150. Any help or feedback would be welcomed. I have changed these before but never on a bimmer. Thanks, Rory
Rory, I have tackled this project myself with my 330xi. You DEFINATELY need that hub puller. I would NOT get the one from BMW! $1000 is WAAAAYYYYY more than what it should cost. In fact, I would probably fair to say that you way overpaid for your CV boots from the dealership. I got mine from PelicanParts.com and only paid around $8 each for them...inner and outer. My tip to you is to set asside lots of time. Also, get yourself a Bentley Manual from Amazon.com or somewhere similar. The Bentley Service Manual is your friend! I got mine for about $80 from Amazon.com and it was the best investment I have made on my E46! Gives you lots of pictures and detailed information. Another good well of information is www.bimmerfest.com/forums Do your research BEFORE you get started. It will help! Another good tip...when you get those CV boots off, you should clean out all that old, nasty grease and clean up the CV Joints very well. Then repack them with the grease that is included in your CV Boot kit. It will save you lots of headaches in the future! If you have any questions as you go...please feel free to get ahold of me. I will try and help you any way I can! Cheers, Glendon
Thanks for the tips Glendon. I started this project last Friday, and am still in the middle of it. I found that a good hub puller (rented from Advanced Auto Parts for 94 dollars) and a Pitman Arm Puller (same rental fee) do the trick great. I would reccomend anyone else trying to tackle this soak ALL of the parts down with penetrating grease for at least 24 hours before cracking any bolts. I broke one of the bolts off in my hub which then involved me disassembling the strut and lower control arm and taking it out as a unit (MAJOR pain in the a$$). I am to the point now that i am ready to reassemble everything and am taking pictures as i go. I will happily be posting them to the site when i finish so that maybe this thread can help others. Glendon, what did you use to clean your CV joints? I have soaked mine in brake parts cleaner and that has eaten the grease off pretty well. I was going to break open the CV joint so i could clean it well but couldnt figure out how it comes apart, so i will assume its pressed. Thanks for the help!!!
Rory, I was told not to use brake parts cleaner for some reason. I used Simple Green degreaser...its not quite as strong/harsh and it seemed to do the job pretty well. Get in there with a paper towel and wipe everything down as good as possible. Get all that crud out! I think you are on the right track! Good luck! Glendon
Oops! Well i have only cleaned out 1 of the 2 CV joints with brake cleaner. I will try and get all that mess out and clean it again with something less abrasive. Any tips on how you cleaned all the old grease out of yours?? This is my biggest challenge as of late, trying to get all the grease out of the old CV joint. Rory
I wouldn't worry too much about getting it ALL out. Just get as much as you can out with a gentle cleaner and a paper towel. Make sure to get all the grease out of the differential back in there. Then pack the joint real well with the new stuff and button it back up! Happy trails!
