Today I replaced both front axles in my 04 330xi. The symptoms that led me to do this project were:
1. Both front outer CV boots were completely torn in half.
2. The car would shake under acceleration after being driven long distances.
3. The car would click when making tight turns.
I chose to use Duralast remans from Autozone. They may not be the highest quality part, but they have a lifetime warranty and this is my DD.
The worst part of this project was gathering all of the right tools. To do this project I used the following common tools:
2 ton jack
2 ton jack stands
5lb rubber mallet
hammer
6" chisel
breaker bar
3ft piece of pipe (to extend your breaker bar
torque wrench (90ft/lbs)
16mm socket
17mm socket
18mm socket
t30 torx bit
and the following uncommon tools:
36mm 12 point socket (a 6 point socket WILL NOT work, you can find a 12 point at Lowes or Sears)
![Image]()
16mm wrench (preferably with an angled head, a 5/8" wrench will do fine here)
![Image]()
axle puller
![Image]()
slide hammer flange
![Image]()
This project took me 2 hours to do the passenger side, and 1 hour to do the driver side. This was because I had to figure some things out along the way. I would allot 1.5 hours per axle using this guide.
1. Jack the car up, put it on jack stands and remove the wheel. Don't remove the brake caliper or the rotor, it's unnecessary. Being able to press the brake pedal down is a great way to lock the driveshaft when you're loosening the axle nut.
![Image]()
2. To remove the axle nut you will have to lock the drive shaft (either jam a pry bar into the outer CV joint or, ideally, have a second person press the brake pedal). Some guides suggest you use a flat head screwdriver to bend out the tabs that "lock" the axle nut. After breaking my screwdriver I learned that step isn't necessary. With a breaker bar and a pipe you should be able to simply break the axle nut loose without bending the tabs out.
![Image]()
![Image]()
3. Next step is to press the axle out of the hub. Simply attach the slide hammer flange to the hub with the lug bolts and use the threaded punch from the axle puller to push the axle out of the hub with a 16mm socket. If you can't press it all the way out don't worry, you can punch the last bit out with a hammer after you detach the hub from the strut.
![Image]()
4. Detach the brake line, brake pad sensor cable and speed sensor cables from their clips on the back of the strut. When you drop the hub assembly, be sure you aren't pulling on the brake line. I rested the rotor on a block of wood to ensure I had slack in the brake line.
![Image]()
![Image]()
5. Detach the sway bar endlink from the strut. For this you will need to first break the nut loose with a 16mm socket, then hold the nut in place with a 16mm wrench and loosen it by turning the torx bolt clockwise with a t30 torx bit.
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
6. Remove the bolt holding the strut to the hub assembly (also called the steering assembly).
![Image]()
![Image]()
7. Use a rubber mallet to hit the hub assembly down and off of the strut. Once it is completely off of the strut, you should be able to pound the axle spindle all the way out of the hub with a chisel and hammer.
![Image]()
8. At this point I ripped the inner CV boot and pulled the axle apart at the inner joint. This allows you to set the big heavy part aside while you work on getting the last piece of the axle out of the differential.
![Image]()
9. I was so excited I forgot to take pictures for the last step. The inner portion of the axle is inserted into the differential and will need to be pounded out. You will see fins on the part of the axle just outside of the differential. Use the chisel to pound on the fin closest to you 5 or 10 times, then rotate and repeat with the next fin. Continue turning the axle and pounding on the fins until the last piece of the axle pops out. Here is a picture of my cat.
![Image]()
10. To insert the new axle, read this guide in reverse. I used the chisel and hammer to insert the new axle into the differential and the rubber mallet to push the hub onto the spindle. Don't forget to bend the tabs on the axle nut after torquing it to 310ft/lbs (my method of torquing it was to attach a 3 foot pipe to my breaker bar and tighten it until I couldn't go any further).
11. Open your beverage of choice (Redd's Apple Ale, for me) and pause to think about how manly you are (I actually completed this step several times throughout the process). Torque your wheels to 88.7ft/lbs and take her for a test run!
![Image]()
This is a rough first draft, but if you have any questions be sure to let me know! I'll try and revise this guide in the next week or so to include a bit more detail.
1. Both front outer CV boots were completely torn in half.
2. The car would shake under acceleration after being driven long distances.
3. The car would click when making tight turns.
I chose to use Duralast remans from Autozone. They may not be the highest quality part, but they have a lifetime warranty and this is my DD.
The worst part of this project was gathering all of the right tools. To do this project I used the following common tools:
2 ton jack
2 ton jack stands
5lb rubber mallet
hammer
6" chisel
breaker bar
3ft piece of pipe (to extend your breaker bar
torque wrench (90ft/lbs)
16mm socket
17mm socket
18mm socket
t30 torx bit
and the following uncommon tools:
36mm 12 point socket (a 6 point socket WILL NOT work, you can find a 12 point at Lowes or Sears)
16mm wrench (preferably with an angled head, a 5/8" wrench will do fine here)
axle puller
slide hammer flange
This project took me 2 hours to do the passenger side, and 1 hour to do the driver side. This was because I had to figure some things out along the way. I would allot 1.5 hours per axle using this guide.
1. Jack the car up, put it on jack stands and remove the wheel. Don't remove the brake caliper or the rotor, it's unnecessary. Being able to press the brake pedal down is a great way to lock the driveshaft when you're loosening the axle nut.
2. To remove the axle nut you will have to lock the drive shaft (either jam a pry bar into the outer CV joint or, ideally, have a second person press the brake pedal). Some guides suggest you use a flat head screwdriver to bend out the tabs that "lock" the axle nut. After breaking my screwdriver I learned that step isn't necessary. With a breaker bar and a pipe you should be able to simply break the axle nut loose without bending the tabs out.
3. Next step is to press the axle out of the hub. Simply attach the slide hammer flange to the hub with the lug bolts and use the threaded punch from the axle puller to push the axle out of the hub with a 16mm socket. If you can't press it all the way out don't worry, you can punch the last bit out with a hammer after you detach the hub from the strut.
4. Detach the brake line, brake pad sensor cable and speed sensor cables from their clips on the back of the strut. When you drop the hub assembly, be sure you aren't pulling on the brake line. I rested the rotor on a block of wood to ensure I had slack in the brake line.
5. Detach the sway bar endlink from the strut. For this you will need to first break the nut loose with a 16mm socket, then hold the nut in place with a 16mm wrench and loosen it by turning the torx bolt clockwise with a t30 torx bit.
6. Remove the bolt holding the strut to the hub assembly (also called the steering assembly).
7. Use a rubber mallet to hit the hub assembly down and off of the strut. Once it is completely off of the strut, you should be able to pound the axle spindle all the way out of the hub with a chisel and hammer.
8. At this point I ripped the inner CV boot and pulled the axle apart at the inner joint. This allows you to set the big heavy part aside while you work on getting the last piece of the axle out of the differential.
9. I was so excited I forgot to take pictures for the last step. The inner portion of the axle is inserted into the differential and will need to be pounded out. You will see fins on the part of the axle just outside of the differential. Use the chisel to pound on the fin closest to you 5 or 10 times, then rotate and repeat with the next fin. Continue turning the axle and pounding on the fins until the last piece of the axle pops out. Here is a picture of my cat.
10. To insert the new axle, read this guide in reverse. I used the chisel and hammer to insert the new axle into the differential and the rubber mallet to push the hub onto the spindle. Don't forget to bend the tabs on the axle nut after torquing it to 310ft/lbs (my method of torquing it was to attach a 3 foot pipe to my breaker bar and tighten it until I couldn't go any further).
11. Open your beverage of choice (Redd's Apple Ale, for me) and pause to think about how manly you are (I actually completed this step several times throughout the process). Torque your wheels to 88.7ft/lbs and take her for a test run!
This is a rough first draft, but if you have any questions be sure to let me know! I'll try and revise this guide in the next week or so to include a bit more detail.
