Bolt sheered off in spindle....help!!!!

jdmsupra · 07-13-2011, 05:34 PM

Hi everyone,

I am a new member and unfortunately my first post is about a problem I am having. I just bought a 2007 335i sedan a few weeks ago and have had a bolt from one of the upper arms in the rear of the car sheer off in the spindle. What I wanted to do is remove spindle and take it to machine shop to extract bolt. The problem I am having is popping the rear axle out of the hub/spindle. Everything is literally unbolted but the axle will not pop out. Also, the ABS sensor is still attached and I wanted to know best way of removing it without breaking it. Thank you for any light you may shed on my problem! I have ordered my Bentley service manual but will receive for 7-10 days!!!

jdmsupra · 07-13-2011, 10:19 PM

Have I posted this in the wrong area? I am not a noob when it comes to working on my car but I come from the Jap arena of modification and service and I am a little intimidated by the car when my friends are telling me all work has to be done by a dealership or bmw specialist because everything requires specialized tools.

Where I am at now I would assume I just need to slide the axle out of hub/spindle or knock it out with a hammer cause it's probably rusted up in there but nothing. Axle nut is off and spindle is completely unbolted from car and all braking hardware is off. Someone please help. I was told there ware a snap ring in there but from what I can tell from pictures it is just used to secure bearing in hub. Maybe I am wrong. Someone please help.

Thanks!

Brian_TII · 07-13-2011, 10:25 PM

I think the issue might be that no one around here has ever had to do that to their cars... I had the same thing happen on an Integra once... ended up needing an air hammer to get the thing out, you just have to be VERY careful not to mushroom the axle... you may need to find a way to pull it from the other side or maybe just take it to the machine shop with the axle still in there if you can get it all out together.

With that being said I've never had to do anything like that on my car... so I have ZERO experience in this area with BMW's...

jdmsupra · 07-14-2011, 12:46 AM

Thanks for the reply! Ya I was thinking the same thing that this doesn't happen very often. I was just hoping someone had a trick or I was missing something removing the axle from the spindle/hub assembly.

I have also had to deal with this on a Jap car (seized up from never being pulled out) and I also used an air hammer and it popped out. I just dont know if I can do that on this car or if there is something still holding everything together that I am missing.

jdmsupra · 07-14-2011, 10:28 PM

Anyone????

ENINTY · 07-15-2011, 07:10 AM

I'm assuming you've unbolted the halfshaft from the diff and it is hanging free so it can slide inwards when you apply force to the outside end of the shaft. I'd take a piece of coat closet dowling and a 2 lb sledge hammer and drive it out. Or get a steering wheel puller (used in reverse), or a gear puller (also used in reverse).

Attached is the offical BMW TIS procedure (you didn't get it from me...). Procedure calls for special tools. When I removed the halfshafts on my E90 I used a steering wheel puller.

jdmsupra · 07-16-2011, 12:02 AM

OMG thank you very much ENINTY!!!!! Now I just need to follow the instructions and hopefully complete the job! Hopefully my next post will be about successfully completing repairs!

ENINTY · 07-16-2011, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdmsupra

OMG thank you very much ENINTY!!!!! Now I just need to follow the instructions and hopefully complete the job! Hopefully my next post will be about successfully completing repairs!

I miss-wrote. I pulled the halfshafts on my E30, not my E90. I also pulled the shafts on my wife's Z3 too. Getting them back in is the hard part if you don't have the special tools that thread on the axleshaft and pull the shaft into the hub. What I used on the Z3 was a furniture Pipe clamp (in reverse as a spreader) I put the pipe clamp inbeteen the inside end of the half shaft and the diff and pressed the shaft into the hub as far as possible, then I had enough thread on the outside end of the shaft to pull it through using the spindle nut. Use some coathanger wire to hold the shaft up or unless you have three hands.

07-13-2011, 05:34 PM	#1
jdmsupra New Member 0 Rep 6 Posts Drives: 2007 BMW 335i sedan Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Alberta, Canada iTrader: (0)	Bolt sheered off in spindle....help!!!! Hi everyone, I am a new member and unfortunately my first post is about a problem I am having. I just bought a 2007 335i sedan a few weeks ago and have had a bolt from one of the upper arms in the rear of the car sheer off in the spindle. What I wanted to do is remove spindle and take it to machine shop to extract bolt. The problem I am having is popping the rear axle out of the hub/spindle. Everything is literally unbolted but the axle will not pop out. Also, the ABS sensor is still attached and I wanted to know best way of removing it without breaking it. Thank you for any light you may shed on my problem! I have ordered my Bentley service manual but will receive for 7-10 days!!!
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07-13-2011, 10:19 PM	#2
jdmsupra New Member 0 Rep 6 Posts Drives: 2007 BMW 335i sedan Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Alberta, Canada iTrader: (0)	Have I posted this in the wrong area? I am not a noob when it comes to working on my car but I come from the Jap arena of modification and service and I am a little intimidated by the car when my friends are telling me all work has to be done by a dealership or bmw specialist because everything requires specialized tools. Where I am at now I would assume I just need to slide the axle out of hub/spindle or knock it out with a hammer cause it's probably rusted up in there but nothing. Axle nut is off and spindle is completely unbolted from car and all braking hardware is off. Someone please help. I was told there ware a snap ring in there but from what I can tell from pictures it is just used to secure bearing in hub. Maybe I am wrong. Someone please help. Thanks!
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07-13-2011, 10:25 PM	#3
Brian_TII Second Lieutenant 8 Rep 229 Posts Drives: 06 e90 330i 6spd Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Atlanta, GA iTrader: (0)	I think the issue might be that no one around here has ever had to do that to their cars... I had the same thing happen on an Integra once... ended up needing an air hammer to get the thing out, you just have to be VERY careful not to mushroom the axle... you may need to find a way to pull it from the other side or maybe just take it to the machine shop with the axle still in there if you can get it all out together. With that being said I've never had to do anything like that on my car... so I have ZERO experience in this area with BMW's...
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07-14-2011, 12:46 AM	#4
jdmsupra New Member 0 Rep 6 Posts Drives: 2007 BMW 335i sedan Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Alberta, Canada iTrader: (0)	Thanks for the reply! Ya I was thinking the same thing that this doesn't happen very often. I was just hoping someone had a trick or I was missing something removing the axle from the spindle/hub assembly. I have also had to deal with this on a Jap car (seized up from never being pulled out) and I also used an air hammer and it popped out. I just dont know if I can do that on this car or if there is something still holding everything together that I am missing.
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07-14-2011, 10:28 PM	#5
jdmsupra New Member 0 Rep 6 Posts Drives: 2007 BMW 335i sedan Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Alberta, Canada iTrader: (0)	Anyone????
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07-16-2011, 12:02 AM	#7
jdmsupra New Member 0 Rep 6 Posts Drives: 2007 BMW 335i sedan Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Alberta, Canada iTrader: (0)	OMG thank you very much ENINTY!!!!! Now I just need to follow the instructions and hopefully complete the job! Hopefully my next post will be about successfully completing repairs!
	Appreciate 0 Quote